How to onboard a VA for my solo business?

Onboarding a virtual assistant should be simple and repeatable. The aim is to create clarity on day one, steady communication in week one, and reliable results by week two. Use the steps below as a practical playbook designed for US based solo owners.

1) Day one kick-off call

Goal: set context, build rapport, and agree on how work flows.

30 minute agenda

• Welcome and quick intros
• What the business sells, who it serves, and how revenue comes in
• Top three goals for the next 30 days
• First five tasks and what “done” looks like for each
• Working hours, holidays, and response times
• Questions from the VA

Useful questions

• What information would help you move fast this week
• Which tools are you most fluent in right now
• What blockers have slowed you at past clients

2) Access and tools setup

Prepare accounts before the start date so day one is productive.

Grant access to

• Email and calendar
• Messaging, for example Slack or Discord
• Project work, for example Asana, Trello, ClickUp, or Notion
• Cloud files, for example Google Drive or Dropbox
• Meeting links, for example Zoom or Google Meet
• Any forms, site editors, or bookkeeping tools needed

Security basics

• Share credentials through a password manager like LastPass or 1Password
• Turn on two factor for all critical tools
• Create a separate VA user with least privilege
• Keep a simple access log with dates and who granted what

3) Clear expectations and SOPs

Write short, practical standard operating procedures and store them in one shared folder.

Simple SOP template

• Purpose
• Trigger
• Steps as a numbered list
• Definition of done as a checklist
• Typical time to complete
• Two screenshots or a short tutorial video
• Owner and approver

SOPs to prepare first

• Inbox triage and escalation
• Calendar rules and booking buffers
• Lead intake and follow up
• Social posting workflow and brand voice basics
• Invoice creation and payment reminders

4) Communication guidelines

Agree on cadence and formats so neither side has to guess.

Cadence

• Daily: quick check in message with plan for the day
• Weekly: twenty minute review call to remove blockers
• End of day: one short summary

Response times

• Business hours responses within two hours
• After hours only for pre approved items

Update format

• Done, Doing, Blocked, with links to tasks or files

5) Training and resources

Give the VA what is needed to mirror your standards, then phase work in.

Starter pack

• One page brand voice guide with words to use and avoid
• Ten example emails or messages to copy for tone and structure
• Short videos for unique tools or flows
• A glossary of products, clients, and partners

Phased assignments

• Week 1: recurring, predictable tasks
• Week 2: client facing messages that use templates
• Week 3: simple cross tool projects
• Week 4: ownership of a full mini workflow

6) Regular check-ins and feedback

Keep a light rhythm so quality climbs without heavy management.

Weekly review

• Top three priorities and one key metric
• Next week’s plan confirmed in the tracker
• One positive note and one improvement note

Feedback tips

• Be specific and show an example of good
• Focus on process, not personality
• Close the loop with a clear change to test next

7) Automation support

Automate routine steps so the VA spends time on meaningful work.

Helpful automations

• Zapier to send invites, route form leads to tasks, and post reminders to chat
• Calendly for booking with buffers and the right calendar
• Canned responses for common email types
• Folder rules to file receipts and uploads automatically

Security with automation

• Connect apps under the owner account
• Review connected apps monthly and remove unused ones

8) Metrics that matter for a solo business

Track a few numbers each week and act on them.

Suggested scoreboard

• Tasks completed on time, target ninety percent or better
• Inbox time to first response during business hours
• Calendar accuracy, zero double bookings and zero missed joins
• Lead follow up time and conversion to next step
• Quality rate, percent accepted with no rework
• Hours saved, time you did not spend on admin

9) First 14 days timeline

Before day one

• Accounts created and tested
• Welcome note with call link and agenda
• Starter pack shared

Day one

• Kick off call
• Access check
• Assign three small tasks with same day results

Days two to five

• Daily check in and end of day summaries
• Review two outputs on a quick screen share
• Capture the first SOP improvements

Week two

• Add client facing tasks that use templates
• Short retrospective on Friday
• Freeze recurring issues and fix the root cause

10) Safeguards, payment, and offboarding

Safeguards

• Mutual NDA and contractor agreement that clarifies confidentiality and IP
• Scope document with deliverables and an hours cap

US payment basics

• Collect a W-9 from a US contractor and issue 1099-NEC if required
• For non US contractors, collect a W-8 form
• Pay on a set cadence with clear approval rules
• This is general guidance only, consult a professional for tax or legal topics

Offboarding steps

• Disable accounts in one pass
• Rotate shared passwords
• Collect final deliverables and SOPs
• Exit note with what worked and what to improve

11) Copy ready templates

End of day update

• Done: three bullets with links
• Doing: two bullets with next steps
• Blocked: one bullet with the ask
• Tomorrow: first task and start time

Task confirmation

• Goal, what success looks like
• Steps, one sentence each
• Due, date and time
• Link, where to work and where to submit

Kick off message

• “Welcome. Here is the plan for week one. Here is how we will communicate. Here are the first tasks with due times. Ask questions early and often.”

12) Where to get a head start

Hiring directly is common, and a vetted service can shorten the ramp. Marketplaces that pre screen assistants for common tools, handle quick replacements, and maintain a ready bench reduce risk. Some providers, such as Wishup, offer this kind of support, which helps solo owners reach steady output faster while still keeping control of process and quality.

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Final checklist

• Accounts created and tested
• NDA and contractor agreement signed
• Starter pack shared and reviewed
• First five tasks defined with “done” and due times
• Daily and weekly cadence on the calendar
• Scoreboard with three metrics set up
• Basic automations enabled
• Offboarding steps saved in the admin folder

Follow this playbook and a new VA becomes a reliable extension of the business within two weeks, with clear ownership, clean workflows, and measurable results.