Posted by Shauna/WA on 10/25/11 2:44pm
Msg #401644

Anyone have an assistant?

I'm thinking about getting one, but am wondering what, if anything, to look out for. Do you pay per job, hourly or something else? Any tips or tricks?

Thanks so much!

Reply by Roger_OH on 10/25/11 3:24pm
Msg #401652

Start with what's the scope of work? What do you want them to do, when, and for how long?

Are they going to be your employee, or a contractor? This is an important consideration with IRS ramifications.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 10/25/11 9:42pm
Msg #401696

Since this would be more/less clerical work, one idea is

to tap the local high school for kids looking for p/t jobs. The workload is fairly straight-forward, students are avid learners and experience is hard to come by when you have no experience, and 5-10? hours/week would help you with bookwork, filing, billing, etc, and help a young person gain important real-world-real-working experience.

I got a great job in high school working weekends at an answering service, and noon hours at a small office as a receptionist - all which gave me three years work experience in customer service/entry-level office work.

My HS encouraged local businesses to post suitable job opportunities, and our counselors recommended likely candidates to apply for them. Win-win-win for everyone.

Just a thought.

Reply by NJDiva on 10/25/11 10:01pm
Msg #401698

"students are avid learners and" lest we forget, they

are also avid TYPISTS...LOL...can't write cursive anymore, but they can sure type (text!)

Reply by Susan Fischer on 10/26/11 3:16am
Msg #401735

You may be pleasantly suprised. That "no cursive" thing

is not a wide-spread thing - and believe it or not, there are millions of our kids in public schools, and work-experience is a critical part of entering the Read World.

Reply by Shauna/WA on 10/25/11 11:36pm
Msg #401718

Re: Since this would be more/less clerical work, one idea is

Great idea, but in this case I have a friend who is down on her luck and feel like I could help her out without making it seem like I'm handing over money. My son is in high school, though, and the school counselors are constantly giving out his name because he wants to work.

Thanks for the idea...maybe I should get a high schooler in here once a month to help me organize.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 10/26/11 3:19am
Msg #401736

Add "and help clean" [plus a ~carwash~] and I'm with you. n/m

Reply by Scriba/NM on 10/26/11 1:16am
Msg #401728

Yes, having an assistant is extremely valuable - at least to me. Her name is Mrs. Wife. She is also (strangely enough) a CNSA. She is excellent at confirming appointments, avoiding signing collisions, and downloading documents. When we are overloaded (most of this month) she also performs flawless signings. Back at the office, she triple checks all doc packages, and faxes if necessary and prepares packages for shipment.

As an added bonus, she somehow manages to prepare dinner unless she can cajole me to taking her out (for a job well done of course). Over dinner we compare weird signing stories (like the house that had not one flat surface clear to sign docs). I did have to get her a housekeeper, but it's a small price to pay for the increased volume.

All kidding aside, you can get almost twice the work done just having someone in the office. Just the phone alone can make you nuts - someone scheduling makes it so much easier.

Reply by paaz on 10/26/11 1:29am
Msg #401731

Re: You cannot hire an assitant - see why

Remember, the confirmations you receove from your clients which state you are not allowed to subcontact? This also means you cannot subcontract anyone to do filing, printing documents, invoicing, etc. Remember the information we handle is extremely sensitive. Your clerical person would have to be GLBA compliant and you would need general liability insurance to cover any errors they might make.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 10/26/11 3:58am
Msg #401737

paaz: You said, "Remember, the confirmations you receove

from your clients which state you are not allowed to subcontact?"

I thoroughly dispute your broad interpretation of "allowed to subcontract."

My clerical needs are the sole business of ~my~ business, since I couldn't be in business without clerical duties. Too, Confidentiality has been practiced far longer than GLBA, and is a cornerstone of good, honest business - from the individual, to the mega-corp.

Sometimes, a little knowledge isn't really helpful. Yes, one can hire an assistant, is my point.

jmho, adr

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 10/26/11 5:21am
Msg #401738

Having an office assistant (or personal assistant for that

matter) has nothing to do with the signings and doesn't fall under this subcontract idea as long as she doesn't send the office assistant out to do the signing. Having someone in to help with filing, organizing and bookkeeping is perfectly fine.

JMO

Reply by jba/fl on 10/26/11 7:23am
Msg #401741

Re: Having an office assistant (or personal assistant for that

If it were not fine, almost everyTC, SS, etc. would only have one employee -the owner. Have to think this through better.....lol.

Reply by Les_CO on 10/26/11 10:27am
Msg #401758

Only if you did this job as a Government employee would you need assistants. Then you would need several. Imagine the First Lady as a NSA? She would need: One to make legal sized copies. One to make letter sized copies. One to collate the two. One to answer the local phone calls. One for long distance calls. One for cell phone calls. One (maybe two) to receive faxes and to send fax backs. One to schedule and liaise with notary, one (maybe two) to send invoices, and keep accounting records, one to QC signed packages. One to ship and track signed packages. One to drive the notary to appointments. One to check and see in the notary’s journal is correct and up to date, one to call about late/short/non-payment, and maybe one to brush the pet hair from her clothes. (maybe the driver could do that?)The average salary for these assistants would be $125,000 a year (plus benefits)

Reply by Notarysigner on 10/26/11 12:43pm
Msg #401773

you forgot one...they would also need

a useless one so there would be a "bad example".....example.

Reply by Les_CO on 10/26/11 2:00pm
Msg #401785

Re: you forgot one...they would also need

Maybe ‘we’ could get a Notary Czar? He could liaise with the millions of us and tell the WH about all our problems, and how important and necessary our work is. Perhaps a small subsidy would be appropriate? Maybe some of those lovely TARP funds? After all we do a LOT of important work with Banks, and Lending Institutions? Just think of the jobs Obama could create if we each got a Government subsidized “assistant”! That alone could get him reelected! JMO

Reply by Notarysigner on 10/26/11 3:30pm
Msg #401801

Re: you forgot one...they would also need

Well?....we'd all be workin, have jobs.........