20 tasks to hand to your virtual assistant first
The everyday tasks that are easiest to hand to a new virtual assistant, grouped by area of your business, and how to choose where to start.
Quick answer
Start with work that repeats every week and follows the same steps: inbox and calendar management, data entry, customer enquiries, invoicing and payment reminders, and social media scheduling. Keep pricing, hiring and key client decisions for yourself.
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How to choose what to hand over
The best first tasks repeat every week, follow the same steps each time, and have a clear “done”. If you can record yourself doing it in under 15 minutes, it is usually a good first task.
Inbox and calendar
- Sort and reply to routine emails
- Book, move and confirm meetings
- Send meeting reminders and follow-ups
Admin and data
- Enter and update data in your CRM
- Book travel and prepare itineraries
- Prepare documents, forms and templates
- Keep shared files organised and named consistently
- Research suppliers, prices or prospects
Customer service
- Answer enquiries by email and chat
- Return missed calls and log the outcome
- Chase reviews from happy customers
Bookkeeping support
- Enter bills and receipts
- Send invoices and payment reminders
- Reconcile transactions for your accountant to check
Marketing
- Schedule social media posts
- Format and send email newsletters
- Update website content and listings
Sales support
- Build and clean prospect lists
- Send follow-up emails after enquiries
- Prepare quotes from your templates
What to keep for yourself
Keep the decisions only you can make: pricing, hiring, key client relationships and anything that needs your professional sign-off. A VA prepares; you decide.
Want the full list?
Our free checklist lists 192 tasks you can delegate, grouped into 16 areas of your business. Download the 192-task checklist.
How to hand over a task in four steps
- Record it. Do the task once while recording your screen and talking through what you’re doing.
- Write it down. Ask your VA to turn the recording into a short checklist.
- Watch, then let go. Let your VA do it while you watch, then on their own.
- Review weekly. Check the results, give feedback and update the checklist.
Tasks by role
If most of your list falls into one area, a specialist role may suit you better than a general assistant.
- Inbox, calendar and documents: an executive and admin assistant.
- Customer emails, chat and calls: a customer support assistant.
- Invoices, bills and reconciliations: a bookkeeping assistant.
- Listings, tenants and vendor reports: a real estate assistant.
- Client intake, diary and billing: a legal admin assistant.
- Rostering, service agreements and claims: an NDIS admin assistant.
- Graphics and websites: a graphic designer or website designer.
What a typical first week looks like
Most clients start with three to five tasks from one or two areas, such as inbox management and invoicing. By the end of the first week, your VA should be doing them on their own with a short daily update to you. From week two, add the next few tasks. Our 30-day onboarding plan walks through it step by step.
More answers
Still have questions? Our virtual assistant FAQs answer the ones we hear most, and our free guides cover salaries, recruitment and the 192 tasks you can delegate.
Frequently asked questions
What should I not delegate to a VA?
Keep decisions that need your judgement or professional sign-off, such as pricing, hiring and key client relationships. Your VA can prepare the information you need to decide.
Want a VA working on this next month?
Book a free 30-minute Strategy Call. We’ll scope the role, recommend a plan and give you a clear cost.