What tasks should I delegate to a virtual assistant?

When you delegate the right tasks, your Virtual Assistant takes the busywork off your plate so you can focus on things only you can do—like strategy, clients, and growth.

The best tasks to hand off are the ones that repeat, eat up your time, or need to be done but don’t directly make you money.

Below is a simple, category-wise list of tasks your Virtual Assistant can fully own.

1. Administrative & Executive Support (40 tasks)

These are your “offload first” tasks. They free your day and remove constant interruptions.

Inbox & Communication

• cleaning and sorting your inbox
• answering routine emails
• unsubscribing from junk
• setting up folders and color codes
• marking urgent emails for you
• sending follow-ups
• drafting replies using your templates
• managing Slack/Teams notifications
• turning voice notes into emails
• updating email signatures
• keeping team communication tidy

Calendar & Scheduling

• managing your calendar
• adding buffer time between meetings
• booking/rescheduling calls
• sending reminders and prep notes
• avoiding conflicts
• setting recurring meetings
• managing your focus blocks
• updating availability
• managing contacts

Data & Document Support

• entering data into sheets
• naming and organizing files
• cleaning old files
• converting documents
• making simple presentations
• proofreading light documents
• writing agendas and minutes
• managing permissions
• preparing basic expense sheets
• summarizing documents with AI

Travel & Logistics

• booking flights, hotels, cabs
• creating full travel itineraries
• checking visa needs
• managing loyalty points
• finding cost-saving options
• handling travel insurance
• booking restaurants
• preparing travel briefs
• scanning receipts
• ordering supplies

2. Financial & Bookkeeping Support (30 tasks)

These help keep your money clean, clear, and consistent.

Invoicing & Payments In

• sending invoices
• tracking late payments
• logging payments
• checking contract terms
• managing records
• preparing statements
• reconciling payments
• handling refunds
• managing secure payment info

Bills & Expenses

• entering vendor bills
• paying vendors
• matching receipts
• organizing expenses
• reviewing monthly spending
• preparing financial notes
• tracking renewals
• flagging unusual expenses

Payroll & HR Data Help

• updating timesheets
• tracking leave
• preparing payroll summaries
• managing reimbursements
• updating employee records
• coordinating with HR vendors

3. Sales & Client Relationship Support (30 tasks)

These tasks help you stay consistent with pipeline, follow-ups, and lead quality.

CRM Management

• cleaning and updating contacts
• updating deal stages
• pulling weekly CRM reports
• improving lead scoring
• fixing data sync issues
• building CRM dashboards
• managing access rights
• keeping CRM SOPs updated

Lead Nurturing

• setting up email sequences
• segmenting leads
• customizing templates
• checking engagement rates
• scheduling follow-ups
• organizing content for nurturing
• improving email subject lines with AI

Prospecting & Social Engagement

• researching prospects
• verifying email/contact details
• sending cold outreach
• tracking LinkedIn activity
• engaging on posts
• sending connection requests
• following up with warm leads
• logging all outreach
• booking intro calls

4. Marketing & Content Support (25 tasks)

These keep your brand visible without you having to do daily work.

Social Media

• scheduling posts
• replying to basic comments/DMs
• tracking engagement
• watching brand mentions
• making simple graphics
• managing the content calendar
• researching hashtags
• updating bios and links

Content & SEO

• doing basic keyword research
• formatting and posting blogs
• fixing meta descriptions
• adding image alt text
• creating internal links
• finding stats and references
• prepping newsletters
• transcribing videos
• cleaning up old content
• checking for broken links

Competitor & Market Research

• watching competitor releases
• tracking their ads
• checking their pricing
• monitoring their website
• summarizing their position

5. Project Management & Operations (25 tasks)

These create order, clarity, and smooth workflows.

Project Tracking

• updating timelines
• reminding team members
• keeping Trello/Asana updated
• sending status reports
• preparing meeting notes
• archiving old projects
• organizing project files

SOPs & Documentation

• writing SOPs
• recording Loom videos
• managing SOP folders
• updating old SOPs
• creating onboarding checklists
• making templates
• documenting your instructions

Tech & Systems Support

• researching new tools
• helping with Zapier setups
• checking access permissions
• helping with time-tracking data
• managing software renewals

The real value of delegating

If you charge $150/hour and spend 15 hours a week on admin tasks:

You lose:
15 hours × $150 = $2,250 worth of time

You pay a Virtual Assistant:
15 hours × $30 = $450

You save:
$1,800/week in time you can use for growth.

Simple takeaway

Start with small tasks you can quickly hand off.
Give clear instructions.
Let the Virtual Assistant own the outcome—not just the steps.

When you stop doing the small tasks, you finally have space to work on the big ones.