Most business owners know VAs can handle email and scheduling. Fewer realize how much further delegation can go. Here are 15 tasks that regularly surprise people — but are all well within a capable VA's scope.
See also: what is a virtual assistant, how to hire a virtual assistant, virtual assistant pricing.
1. Podcast Guest Research and Outreach
A VA can research potential podcast guests, build an outreach list, draft and send invitations, track responses, and coordinate scheduling — handling the full guest pipeline end-to-end.
2. Award and Press Submissions
Industry award applications, press release distribution, and media list building are time-consuming tasks that a VA can handle entirely, from research to submission.
3. Speaking Engagement Applications
Identifying conferences in your industry, preparing speaker bio and headshot packages, and submitting applications to speaking opportunities is completely delegatable.
4. Book Research and Organization
If you're writing a book or a long-form guide, a VA can conduct research, organize notes, track sources, and even help draft first-pass outlines.
5. LinkedIn Profile Optimization
Updating your LinkedIn profile, writing or rewriting your summary, curating your featured section, and ensuring all fields are complete and optimized.
6. Course Platform Management
Loading content into Teachable, Kajabi, or Thinkific, setting up drip sequences, managing student questions, and maintaining course materials.
7. Testimonial Collection
Reaching out to past clients for testimonials, following up, formatting responses, and updating your website and sales materials with new social proof.
8. Affiliate and Partner Coordination
Managing your affiliate or referral partner relationships: sending materials, tracking payouts, answering questions, and coordinating joint promotions.
9. Event Planning Logistics
Researching venues, caterers, AV companies, or virtual event platforms; collecting quotes; coordinating logistics for team events, client dinners, or webinars.
10. Gift and Client Appreciation Management
Selecting and sending client appreciation gifts, holiday cards, or anniversary gifts. A VA can manage your entire gifting calendar without your involvement.
11. Online Community Management
Moderating Facebook Groups, Discord servers, or Slack communities: approving members, answering FAQs, flagging issues, and keeping engagement healthy.
12. Expense Reporting
Compiling receipts, categorizing expenses, and preparing monthly expense reports ready for your review or submission to your accountant.
13. Inbox Zero Campaigns
Dedicated inbox cleanup: archiving, labeling, unsubscribing, and organizing years of email backlog into a functional, zero-clutter inbox.
14. Software Research and Comparisons
Evaluating and comparing tools for specific business needs — presenting a concise comparison table with pros, cons, pricing, and a recommendation.
15. Personal Admin Tasks
Travel booking, gift research, restaurant reservations, RSVP management, and personal scheduling. Many business owners don't realize personal admin is within scope for a VA.
The Rule for Deciding What to Delegate
If a task:
- Takes more than 30 minutes per week
- Doesn't require your unique expertise or relationships
- Has a clear, documentable process
...it can probably be delegated to a VA. Most business owners are surprised by how long that list gets when they apply this filter.
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Virtual Assistant VA connects you with trained VAs who can take on the full range of tasks — from everyday admin to the surprising ones on this list.