Pick by pain, not by category
Before you read the groups, open your calendar and your inbox for last week. Mark every task that took more than 15 minutes and did not need your judgement. Those are your first candidates. Then use the list below to name them precisely. A task named precisely, such as "reply to supplier quotes within four business hours using the templates in the shared folder", is a task your assistant can own. A task named loosely, such as "help with email", is a task that comes back to you.
- Pick 5 to 8 tasks for the first two weeks
- Write one short note per task with the goal, the tools and the deadline
- Add more tasks once the first set runs without your input
Inbox and calendar tasks
This is where most founders and executives start, because the time savings show up in the first week.
- Triage the inbox twice a day into reply, decide and archive
- Draft replies to routine requests for your approval
- Unsubscribe from newsletters you never read
- Schedule meetings and send calendar invites with agendas
- Reschedule conflicts and confirm the day before
- Block focus time on your calendar each week
- Prepare a one page brief before each external meeting
- Track promised follow ups and remind you before they slip
- Book travel, hotels and ground transport within your rules
- Collect receipts and file them by month
Delegate triage and scheduling first. Keep the final say on anything that commits money or your reputation until you trust the drafts.
Administrative and operations tasks
Repeatable admin work is ideal for delegation because it follows the same steps every time. Our virtual administrative assistant page covers this role in depth.
- Keep the CRM up to date after every call and email
- Maintain a shared contacts list for vendors and partners
- Order office and equipment supplies
- Manage software subscriptions and renewal dates
- Prepare documents from templates, such as proposals and letters
- Format and proofread internal documents
- Keep shared folders organized with a naming convention
- Take notes in internal meetings and send action items
- Run weekly status reminders for your team
- Track contract dates and flag renewals 30 days ahead
Start with the CRM and document templates. Ask your assistant to write down each process as they learn it, so the knowledge stays with the company.
Customer support tasks
Support is a strong fit when you have clear answers to common questions. See the customer service virtual assistant page for the full role.
- Answer support email using a library of approved replies
- Reply to chat messages during agreed hours
- Process order changes, cancellations and address updates
- Handle return and exchange requests within your policy
- Tag and route complex tickets to the right person
- Follow up on unresolved tickets after 48 hours
- Update the help center when a question repeats
- Collect feedback from customers after a resolved issue
- Monitor reviews and draft responses for approval
- Send a weekly summary of top issues and their causes
Delegate the top ten repeated questions first. Keep refunds above a set amount and anything legal with you or a manager.
Bookkeeping prep and finance admin tasks
These tasks prepare records for your accountant. They are bookkeeping prep, not accounting or tax advice. Read more on the bookkeeping virtual assistant page.
- Match receipts to card transactions each week
- Categorize transactions using your chart of accounts
- Send invoices from your billing tool on schedule
- Chase overdue invoices with polite reminders
- Enter supplier bills and flag due dates
- Prepare expense reports for team members
- Keep a list of recurring charges and flag new ones
- Reconcile payout reports against bank deposits
- Collect documents your accountant asks for at month end
- Update a simple cash forecast sheet with actuals
Give read access first and widen it as trust builds. Payments should stay behind your own approval step.
Marketing and social media tasks
Your assistant can keep the publishing rhythm going while you focus on the message. The social media virtual assistant page lists the full scope.
- Schedule posts from an approved content calendar
- Resize and format images for each channel
- Write first drafts of captions from your notes
- Reply to comments and messages within guidelines
- Track simple metrics in a weekly sheet
- Repurpose a long article into short posts
- Build and clean email lists from event signups
- Format and send the newsletter from your draft
- Research topics and collect sources for your posts
- Keep a swipe file of ideas from your industry
Delegate scheduling and formatting first. Keep the voice and any public reply to a complaint under your review for the first month.
Ecommerce and real estate tasks
Two industries where assistants take over a large share of the daily work. See the ecommerce virtual assistant and real estate virtual assistant pages.
- Upload new products with titles, descriptions and photos
- Update prices and stock levels from supplier sheets
- Check orders for errors before they ship
- Answer pre-sale questions about sizes and shipping
- Monitor competitor categories and report price changes
- Coordinate listing photos, showings and open houses
- Prepare transaction checklists and track deadlines
- Update the CRM after every lead call or showing
- Send follow ups to past clients on a schedule
- Collect and organize documents for each closing file
Pick the tasks with clear rules first. Anything that changes a price or a contract term should have a second check.
Turning the list into a first week
Choose your tasks, then write them into a role post or into the first message to an assistant you like. Include the weekly hours, the overlap you need with your day and the tools involved. Run a paid trial task built from one item on your list, such as a morning of inbox triage. Once you hire, follow our virtual assistant onboarding checklist for the first 14 days. To budget the hours, see virtual assistant cost per hour.
- Write the brief from your ticked tasks
- Search by skill and time zone on Aides
- Message two or three assistants and compare replies
- Run a paid trial task, then hire
Find the person for your list
On Aides every assistant passes an ID and liveness check before their profile goes live, and you pay them directly with no agency markup. Hire a virtual assistant who fits your task list and your hours, and compare plans on the virtual assistant cost page.