How to Decide Which Tasks to Delegate to a Virtual Assistant

Delegating the right tasks to a virtual assistant can free up valuable time, reduce stress, and help you focus on growing your business. Whether you want to spend more time on client strategy, work on new opportunities, or even take a proper break, outsourcing can make it happen. Many small business owners know they need help but aren’t sure exactly which tasks to delegate first.

Here’s a guide to help you identify the best jobs to hand over to a VA, freelancer, or contractor.

Routine, recurring tasks that are very time-consuming 

These are the tasks that are slowing you down. They need to be done on a regular basis, but could be handed over to someone else to free up your time. 

Examples of tasks to delegate to a virtual assistant:

• Managing your diary and scheduling meetings 

• Creating presentations 

• Booking travel  

• Drafting emails 

• Data entry and updating your CRM 

• Social media management 

• Managing expenses and sending out invoices 

• Customer support 

Tasks that you don’t enjoy doing 

Let’s face it, when running your own business there are many jobs that you would rather not do. Or perhaps there are jobs that you once enjoyed, like creating social media posts or planning events, but have become a chore as your to-do list has grown. 

Doing these tasks by yourself will cause you to become disillusioned and frustrated with your business. When doing activities that we don’t like, we’re more likely to waste time and run the risk of making mistakes.  

If these jobs are taken off your plate, you’ll have more time for jobs that ignite your passion and remind you why started own business in the first place! 

There is probably someone out there who actually enjoys those tasks and therefore can do it twice as fast as you! 

Tasks that require skills and expertise, or tasks that you’re bad at! 

If you’re not a specialist in something, outsourcing it to an expert can save time and improve results. Many tasks to delegate to a virtual assistant involve admin or marketing, but you can also bring in specialists for:

Some examples of business areas that could require outside expertise are: 

• Building and editing your website 

• Copywriting 

• Marketing  

• Creative tasks

• Legal counsel  

• Event management 

Tasks that don’t need a full-time employee 

Some tasks are vital to your business operations, but don’t require a full-time employee working 35 hours per week. This is where virtual assistants excel - they work on a flexible basis, such as a monthly retainer, so you get the help you need without long-term overheads.

Some examples of these types of tasks are: 

• Copywriting content for your website and social media 

• Finding PR and media opportunities 

• Social media management 

• Accounting and bookkeeping 

Try this exercise! 

When new clients of mine are struggling to figure out what to delegate to me, I often suggest that they try the Eisenhower matrix. You may have also seen it called the Urgent-Important matrix. This simple exercise helps you prioritise tasks by urgency and importance, sorting out less urgent and important tasks which you should either delegate or not do at all. 

To complete the exercise, first you need to make a list of all the tasks that you do throughout the week for your business. You'll then sort these tasks into the four boxes. 

1. Box number 1 is for the tasks that are important and urgent tasks that need to be done soon.  

2. Box number 2 is for important but not urgent tasks that can be added to your calendar to complete in the next week or so.  

3. Box number 3 is for not-so important but urgent tasks. These are the tasks that can be delegated to someone else, as they are vital to your business but no important enough to have you, the business owner, deal with directly.  

4. Box number 4 is for the not important nor urgent tasks that, when you think about it, can be deleted.  

Figuring out what to delegate is the first step toward freeing up your time and reducing stress. Whether it's routine admin, tasks you dislike, or areas requiring expertise, outsourcing can help you focus on what truly matters. 

If you’re ready to take tasks off your plate and get extra support, I’d love to help! Get in touch to chat about your needs and explore how I can make your workload more manageable. You can find out more about the services I offer here.