If you're like most founders, you're probably fighting a battle you don't even realize you're in: figuring out what you should be doing versus what you actually end up doing.

Chances are, you start each day with a clear plan. Then, reality kicks in. The inbox notifications start pinging. Customer DMs pile up. Spreadsheets need updating. Payments need chasing. Social media posts need scheduling. All these little things quietly accumulate until suddenly your entire day has vanished, and you're left wondering where the time went.

It's incredibly frustrating, and unfortunately, all too common.

All those administrative tasks might seem small, but they seriously add up fast. And every hour you spend on them is an hour you're not using to grow your business, land new clients, or bring your vision to life.

This is why every founder needs a great assistant in their corner.

What is a virtual assistant?

A virtual assistant (VA) is a skilled professional who provides administrative support to business leaders remotely. Virtual assistants can bring years of experience to your team without requiring office space, equipment, or the overhead costs of traditional employees. They can jump into projects immediately, often bringing fresh perspectives and specialized skills that complement your existing team perfectly.

What should you hand over to your virtual assistant?

If you're thinking, “I don’t really have anything to delegate,” you're either running the most efficient company in the world (and if so, congratulations!) or you might want to think again. Even the most accomplished leaders throughout history have recognized the power of exceptional administrative support:

• Winston Churchill had Elizabeth Nel keeping things organised during WWII.
• Elon Musk worked with Mary Beth Brown for over 12 years.
• Cicero had Marcus Tullius Tiro helping him stay on top of things way back in ancient Rome.

The most effective leaders don’t try to do it all by themselves. They surround themselves with the right people early on. They know that letting go of the right tasks gives them more space to think, plan, create, and grow.

Here, we’ll walk through 15 admin tasks you can hand over right now, so you can free up your headspace and get back to building the business you set out to create.

1. Market research

Market research might not be the most exciting thing about running a business, but it plays a huge role in helping you make smart decisions and avoid costly missteps. In fact, 42% of failed startups pointed to “no market need” as the main reason things didn’t work out.

That’s why understanding your audience, keeping an eye on competitors, and spotting trends early really matter. But how often do you have time to dig through data, read endless reviews, scroll through social media threads, as well as piece everything together?

Thankfully, you don't have to let market "blind spots" become the reason your venture becomes another cautionary tale. Experienced virtual assistants can take this off your plate and do the heavy lifting for you. They can:

• Research what your competitors are offering and how they position themselves.
• Collect and analyze customer reviews to uncover what people love—or wish was better.
• Pull together insights from blog posts, industry news, and reports.
• Help you run simple surveys to hear directly from your target audience.

Instead of getting buried in tabs and spreadsheets, you’ll have clear, organized insights ready to guide your next move. You can build something people genuinely want, and that’s what sets a business up for lasting success.

2. Invoicing and chasing late payments

Let’s be honest, creating and sending invoices can be a real chore. And chasing late payments is even worse. It’s awkward, time-consuming, and can easily slip down the to-do list when you're juggling everything else.

But as we all know, cash flow is the lifeblood of your business, and getting paid on time matters. A skilled virtual assistant can take this task off your plate entirely.

Here's how they could get started:

• Creating and sending invoices based on your billing schedule.
• Keeping track of payments by monitoring who has paid and who still has an outstanding balance, giving you a clear picture of your cash flow at any time.
• Following up with polite reminders when payments are overdue.

What’s more, having someone else handle the chasing adds a layer of professionalism and takes the emotion out of it. It creates a bit of breathing room between you and those uncomfortable money conversations so your client relationships stay positive, while your bank balance stays healthy.

See: 5 Financial Admin Tasks To Delegate To A Virtual Assistant

3. Booking travel

Booking travel always seems straightforward enough—until you find yourself deep in a rabbit hole comparing flight times, reading hotel reviews, checking cancellation policies, and trying to figure out if the place with “free Wi-Fi” actually means usable Wi-Fi. Before you know it, you've lost half your day.

A virtual assistant can take all that hassle off your hands. Just give them some clear guidelines and instructions—something like “Find a hotel within 3 miles of the city center, with a gym and free Wi-Fi, and book direct flights only”—and they’ll do the digging, comparing, and booking for you.

So if you've got a trip coming up, these are some great tasks to let your virtual assistant handle:

• Research and book the best flights, hotels, and ground transportation based on your preferences and schedule.
• Create detailed, easy-to-follow itineraries so you know exactly where to be and when.
• Keep all your travel documents organized—from booking confirmations to boarding passes—so everything’s ready when you need it.

And here’s a little bonus: offloading tasks doesn’t have to stop at business travel. Many founders also ask their VAs to help with personal trips, from weekend getaways to full-on family holidays. So if planning a relaxing break feels more stressful than the break itself, let your VA step in.

See: 5 Ways A Virtual Assistant Can Help You Plan Your Next Vacation

4. Managing social media posts

Writing captions, scheduling posts, replying to DMs, and figuring out what to post next…faster than you’d think.

That’s where a virtual assistant can really shine. Instead of you spending hours managing your social media pages, a skilled virtual assistant can step in and take care of all the routine tasks, such as:

• Scheduling posts using tools like Buffer, Hootsuite, or Later to keep your content consistent and on-brand, even when you're busy.
• Responding to messages and comments to help keep your community engaged and feeling heard (while saving you from being glued to your phone).
• Repurposing content—turning blog posts into bite-sized LinkedIn updates, pulling quotes from podcast episodes, or creating Instagram carousels from your longer-form content.

You stay front-of-mind for your audience without having to spend hours each week thinking about what to post or when to post it.

See: 10 Social Media Tasks To Delegate To Your Virtual Assistant

5. Content creation

These days, you don’t have to be a professional writer to share great content—and you definitely don’t have to do it all on your own. If writing feels overwhelming, time-consuming, or just not your thing, a virtual assistant can help you keep showing up without burning out.

Here are a few repetitive tasks they can take off your hands:

• Researching topics, stats, and relevant articles to support your content.
• Drafting blog posts, newsletters, or social media copy to help you get the ball rolling.
• Formatting content so it’s ready to publish across your website, email platform, or social channels.
• Updating older posts or pages with fresh, accurate information to keep everything relevant and SEO-friendly.

And the best part? You can still keep your voice and ideas front and center, even if you’re not the one typing every word. A good virtual assistant will get to know your tone, style, and preferences so everything still sounds like you with your own personal touch, just with a little extra help getting it over the finish line.

See: How To Successfully Outsource Your Content Writing To A Virtual Assistant

6. Proofing your writing

We’ve all been there, staring at the same sentence so long that the words start to blur. Even the best writers can miss a typo or overlook a clunky phrase when they’re too close to their own work. That’s why having a second pair of eyes can make all the difference.

A skilled virtual assistant can step in as your go-to proofreader, giving your writing a final polish before it goes out into the world. Whether it’s an important email, a client proposal, a blog post, or even a LinkedIn update, they’ll make sure everything reads clearly and professionally.

Here’s what your proofreading support might look like:

• Catching grammar, spelling, and punctuation slip-ups so nothing falls through the cracks.
• Checking for consistency in formatting, tone, and style—especially helpful if you’re juggling multiple platforms or documents.
• Suggesting small tweaks to improve flow, clarity, and readability without changing your unique voice.

With a VA in your corner, you can confidently hit send or publish, knowing your writing is sharp and polished without spending valuable time getting bogged down in the nitty-gritty.

7. Document preparation

Whether it’s tidying up a pitch deck, formatting a proposal, preparing reports, or turning rough meeting notes into something readable, we all know how much time can disappear into pulling together the “final version” of a document.

The good news? It’s also one of the best things to hand over to a virtual assistant.

Your VA can take the raw materials—your notes, ideas, or rough drafts—and transform them into polished, professional documents that are ready to share. Other specific tasks might include:

• Creating slide decks from your notes or bullet points, so you’re presentation-ready without stressing over design.
• Formatting contracts, proposals, or reports to look clean and consistent.
• Using your branded templates to make sure everything aligns with your style and looks like it came from the same playbook.

It may seem like a small job, but when you’ve got important documents that look great and get the job done—all without you having to touch a single text box or table—it feels like a big win.

8. Sourcing and buying

Need to order new software, find a reliable service provider, or restock the office with essentials? What starts off as a quick Google search often ends up as a rabbit hole of comparing features, reading reviews, chasing up quotes, and double-checking delivery times.

Luckily, you can hire a virtual assistant to take this off your plate completely.

Here’s what that might look like in action:

• Researching vendors and suppliers so you don’t have to spend hours digging through websites or waiting on callbacks.
• Comparing prices and features side-by-side, giving you clear, easy-to-understand options.
• Managing purchase orders and keeping track of what’s been ordered and when it’s expected.
• Coordinating deliveries and installations to make sure everything arrives on time and is ready to go.

With their help, you’ll get what you need, when you need it, without the hassle. No more bouncing between tabs or wondering if you’ve missed a better deal.

9. Transcribing audio or video

Ever recorded a meeting, podcast, or training session thinking, “I’ll just jot down the key points later,” only to find yourself staring down hours of playback? Yep, you’re not alone. On average, transcribing one audio hour takes around three to four hours. That quick meeting or brilliant podcast episode suddenly turns into a half-day project.

But transcripts are genuinely useful. They make your content searchable, easier to repurpose, and more accessible. In some industries, they’re even a must-have for compliance.

A skilled virtual assistant can take the raw audio or video and turn it into clean, accurate transcripts, without you having to lift a finger. They can also go a step further by:

• Adding subtitles to your videos for social media, so your content is more inclusive and easier to engage with (especially for the scroll-in-silence crowd).
• Summarizing transcripts into key points or highlights, saving you even more time.
• Organizing and storing transcripts so you can easily find and share them later.

In short, you focus on having the conversation, they’ll take care of turning it into something useful.

10. Data entry

If you’re like most founders, data entry isn’t exactly your idea of a fun way to spend the day. Yet, here we are in 2025, and it’s still a necessary part of keeping things running smoothly.

From adding new employee details into your system, reformatting spreadsheets so they actually work with your tools, or processing handwritten notes and forms, it all takes time. And let’s be honest, it’s rarely the best use of yours.

If you can’t automate it, it’s a perfect job to hand over to your virtual assistant.

They can help with data entry tasks like:

• Entering or updating contact details in your CRM so your database stays accurate and up to date.
• Transferring data between systems—no more copy-pasting for hours!
• Organizing spreadsheets so they’re not just rows and rows of chaos, but actually easy to read and useful.
• Processing information from paper forms, handwritten notes, or receipts, turning scattered info into clean, digital records.

Plus, with someone else handling it, you won’t have to dread that pile of info waiting for you at the end of the day. It’s a simple switch that can save you plenty of hours and headaches.

See: 5 Reasons Why You Need A Virtual Assistant For Data Entry

11. Managing employee benefits

Once you start growing your team, employee benefits can quickly become one more thing on your already full plate. There’s paperwork to keep track of, questions to answer, and important deadlines that can’t be missed. It’s an essential part of supporting your team, but it doesn’t have to land solely on your shoulders.

A virtual assistant can step in and make this whole process run much more smoothly. Here are a few helpful ways they can support you:

• Collecting and organizing forms, documents, and other paperwork.
• Sending reminders to employees about enrollment deadlines.
• Liaising with benefit providers to chase up missing info or clarify details.
• Flagging upcoming renewal dates so you’re never caught off guard.

With this kind of behind-the-scenes support, you can feel confident that your team’s benefits are being handled properly, without spending hours managing the details yourself.

12. Fact-finding

Sometimes you just need the right information at the right moment. Maybe you’re preparing for a big presentation, making a strategic decision, or simply trying to understand a new topic more clearly. Whatever the reason, digging through endless articles, reports, or websites can take up valuable time you don’t always have.

This is another area where your virtual assistant can really shine. Here are just a few ways a VA can help:

• Collecting key stats and figures to back up a proposal or pitch.
• Summarizing lengthy articles or reports so you get the highlights fast.
• Double-checking facts or dates before you publish or present anything.

Having someone who can find the right information quickly and clearly means you’ll walk into every conversation or decision with confidence—and a lot less stress.

13. Locating contact information

Building connections is a big part of growing a business, but hunting down the right details shouldn't have to consume your day.

Whether you're targeting potential clients, exploring partnerships, or preparing for industry events, your virtual assistant can handle the detective work, finding names, verified emails, phone numbers, and LinkedIn profiles, so your time can be spent on actually connecting with people.

Here are just a few ways a VA can streamline operations:

• Compiling targeted lists of potential collaborators, guest speakers, or strategic partners in a particular field, based on your criteria.
• Looking up attendee lists for upcoming conferences or networking events so you know who to connect with in advance.
• Identifying relevant press contacts, journalists, or media outlets to help you plan and personalize your outreach.
• Reviewing and updating existing contact lists to correct errors and fill in missing details.

This kind of support is invaluable to help keep your network growing in all the right directions without pulling your focus away from your key responsibilities as a business leader.

14. Gathering service quotes

Whether you're hiring a designer, booking a venue, or looking for a reliable courier, getting the best quality at the right price often means comparing several options. But gathering quotes from multiple providers can eat up hours of your day. You need pricing, timelines, and terms, not endless back-and-forth emails.

Here’s how a virtual assistant can make this process a lot more manageable:

• Reaching out to multiple providers on your behalf and requesting quotes based on your specific needs and preferences.
• Gathering key details like pricing, availability, turnaround times, what’s included, and any payment terms or conditions.
• Organizing all the information into a clear, easy-to-read comparison chart or summary so you can see your options at a glance.

Instead of juggling phone calls and emails yourself, they can step in and handle the legwork, so you get clear options laid out and ready for review. All you have to do is make the final call.

15. Dealing with customer questions and issues

Customer service is such an important part of running a successful business, but it can certainly take a lot out of you. The steady flow of emails, messages, and questions can interrupt your day, pull your attention away from other priorities, and leave you feeling drained. And yet, every customer deserves a thoughtful, timely response.

That’s where a skilled virtual assistant can make a real difference. With the right guidance and a little training, your VA can become the first point of contact for your customers, handling common questions with care and efficiency. If something needs your personal attention, your VA can flag it and pass it along, so you’re only involved when it really counts.

Here are just a few ways a VA can support your customer service efforts:

• Responding to frequently asked questions with accurate, friendly, and professional replies that reflect your brand’s voice.
• Monitoring your inbox or customer support platform for new messages so nothing gets missed.
• Tracking open tickets or unresolved issues and following up to make sure your customers feel heard and supported every step of the way.

When your customers feel heard and helped, they’re more likely to stay loyal and recommend your business to others. And with a virtual assistant handling the front line, you can step back knowing your customers are in good hands.

See: How A Virtual Assistant Can Help Increase Customer Retention In Your Business

Need a top-tier virtual assistant to take care of your administrative tasks?

Your business deserves your energy in the places that matter most. And you deserve the breathing room that comes with knowing someone else has the admin side covered reliably, efficiently, and often faster than you ever could.

That's where we come in.

At Time etc, we help busy founders like you create that much-needed space that's missing from their hectic lives. We connect them with experienced, professional virtual assistants to take care of all the distracting admin that gets in the way of their days.

Hiring an assistant shouldn't feel like another job weighing you down and sucking the joy out of your day. That’s why we’ve made everything simple, stress-free, and tailored to you.

Here’s a glimpse of what’s waiting for you when you work with Time etc:

• A handpicked talent pool of over 7,000 pre-vetted, experienced virtual assistants.
• Your own dedicated assistant matched to your needs and ready to hit the ground running in just a few days.
• Top-tier enterprise-level security and data protection across our platform.
• Savings of up to 90% compared to the cost of hiring in-house.
• No daily hassle of managing your assistant—we do it all for you.
• Add as many additional assistants to your team as you need, at no extra cost.
• Complete control and flexibility—scale your support up or down whenever life demands it.
• Our lifetime happiness guarantee—because we’re only happy when you are.

Ready to get started?

Just chat with our expert team, tell us what kind of support you’re looking for, and we’ll take care of the rest.

P.S. Want $150 off your first month of virtual assistant support? Answer a few quick questions to get personalized task recommendations and unlock your welcome discount. It takes just 2 minutes and could save you hours!