What Can a Virtual Assistant Do? 25 Tasks Founders Hand Off First

One of the most common things I hear on Discovery Calls is: "I'd love some help, but I don't know what I'd give you."

It makes sense. When you've been doing everything yourself for a long time, it all starts to feel like your job. But a lot of it doesn't need you at all. It just needs someone reliable who cares about getting it right.

Here are 25 tasks founders usually hand off first, grouped so you can spot your own quick wins.

Inbox and communication

1. Sorting and labelling your inbox each day

2. Drafting replies to routine emails for you to approve

3. Unsubscribing you from newsletters you never read

4. Flagging urgent messages so nothing important gets buried

5. Sending polite follow-ups when people haven't replied

Calendar and scheduling

6. Booking meetings without the endless back-and-forth

7. Managing time zones for international calls

8. Protecting focus time and personal time in your diary

9. Sending meeting reminders and preparing agendas

10. Rescheduling when plans change, so you don't have to

Clients and community

11. Following up on leads after networking events

12. Onboarding new clients with welcome emails and forms

13. Keeping your CRM or client list up to date

14. Sending thank-you notes and check-in messages

15. Coordinating event registrations and attendee communication

Back office

16. Organising receipts and preparing expense reports

17. Chasing unpaid invoices gently and professionally

18. Booking travel, accommodation and transport

19. Researching suppliers, venues or tools and summarising options

20. Organising shared drives and folders so files are easy to find

Systems and content

21. Writing simple step-by-step guides (SOPs) for repeat tasks

22. Setting up and maintaining tools like Asana, Notion or Google Workspace

23. Scheduling social media posts you've already approved

24. Formatting presentations, proposals and reports

25. Uploading and formatting blog posts on your website

How to choose your first three

You don't need to hand over all 25 at once. In fact, I'd gently recommend you don't. Start with three tasks that are:

• Frequent. Things you do every week, or every day.

• Draining. Tasks that take more energy than they should.

• Clear. Things that can be explained in a few steps.

Inbox triage, calendar management and client follow-ups are usually the best starting points. They free up time quickly, and they help us build trust before moving on to bigger things.

It's not just about tasks

A good virtual assistant doesn't just tick things off a list. I think ahead, spot what's coming, and flag problems before they become fires. That's the difference between someone who takes tasks off your plate and someone who looks after your business the way you would.

If you'd like help working out what to hand off first, that's exactly what a Discovery Call is for. You can also see how to get in touch if you'd rather send a message.

Related reading: 7 signs you need a virtual assistant and how I take an inbox from chaos to calm in 30 days.

Book a Free Discovery Call and let's find your quick wins together.