Running a business means juggling countless responsibilities, from customer emails and calendar invites to invoices and bookings and forward planning. Executives typically spend 16 hours per week on administrative work, time that could be invested in strategic planning and growth. Hiring a virtual assistant (VA) is an effective way to reclaim those hours. Outsourcing routine tasks also reduces overhead—businesses working with VAs can save around 78 % in operating costs compared with hiring full‑time local staff.
We’ve curated a comprehensive list of 50 tasks an administrative VA can help manage, organised by category.
Communication & Email Management
- Inbox triage and organisation – Sorting emails into folders, labelling by priority and archiving old messages.
- Drafting routine responses – Preparing replies for common enquiries so you maintain a consistent tone.
- Sending follow‑up emails and reminders – Ensuring clients and colleagues receive timely updates and confirmations.
- Filtering spam and unsubscribing – Keeping your inbox free from clutter and irrelevant messages.
- Monitoring service inquiries – Responding to customer queries promptly via email or contact forms.
Scheduling & Coordination
- Calendar management – Scheduling meetings, calls and appointments and avoiding conflicts.
- Meeting preparation – Sending agendas, gathering relevant documents and sending reminders.
- Event organisation – Coordinating logistics for webinars, conferences and client events.
- Travel arrangements – Booking flights, accommodation, transport and compiling itineraries.
- Reminder management – Setting up alerts and follow‑ups for deadlines, renewals and personal commitments.
Data Entry & Documentation
- Updating spreadsheets – Entering and maintaining data in Google Sheets or Excel.
- CRM data entry – Adding new leads and updating customer information in your CRM platform.
- Digitising records – Converting paper documents into searchable digital files.
- Document formatting – Polishing proposals, reports and presentations to professional standards.
- Report preparation – Compiling weekly or monthly summaries of metrics, sales data or project statuses.
Research & Analysis
- Market research – Gathering information about competitors, market trends and customer preferences.
- Product or service comparisons – Compiling comparative analyses to aid decision‑making.
- Vendor and supplier research – Investigating options and pricing for suppliers, software or services.
- Database maintenance – Keeping contact lists and prospect databases up to date and clean.
- Statistical research – Finding relevant industry statistics or benchmarks for proposals and presentations.
Social Media & Marketing Support
- Scheduling social media posts – Using tools like Buffer or Hootsuite to manage posting calendars.
- Monitoring engagement – Responding to comments and messages on social platforms.
- Creating basic graphics – Designing simple social media images or infographics using Canva.
- Researching hashtags and trends – Identifying relevant hashtags and trends to increase reach.
- Compiling newsletters – Drafting, formatting and sending email newsletters to subscribers.
Customer Support & Service
- Responding to live chat enquiries – Providing timely answers and resolving issues through chat platforms.
- Managing support tickets – Tracking customer issues, assigning them to team members and ensuring resolution.
- Handling refunds and exchanges – Coordinating with billing teams to process returns.
- Sending onboarding materials – Delivering welcome emails and setting up new customers with resources.
- Collecting feedback – Sending surveys and compiling responses to improve service quality.
Finance & Invoicing
- Preparing invoices – Creating and sending invoices based on project milestones or billing cycles.
- Expense tracking – Recording and categorising receipts and expenses in spreadsheets or accounting software.
- Accounts receivable follow‑up – Sending reminders for overdue payments and confirming receipts.
- Budget monitoring – Maintaining simple budget spreadsheets and flagging overspending.
- Coordinating with accountants – Providing necessary documents for tax filings or audits.
Administrative & HR Support
- Job posting and candidate screening – Drafting job descriptions and shortlisting resumes.
- Interview scheduling – Coordinating availability between candidates and hiring managers.
- Onboarding coordination – Preparing new‑hire paperwork and setting up accounts.
- Maintaining employee records – Updating contact lists, work agreements and HR files.
- Planning team events – Assisting with logistics for team meetings, retreats or celebrations.
Personal Task Assistance
- Managing personal appointments – Scheduling doctor visits, family commitments or personal meetings.
- Online shopping and order management – Ordering office supplies, gifts or travel essentials.
- Researching personal travel – Finding flights, accommodation and activities for holidays.
- Updating to‑do lists – Maintaining task lists and prioritising daily actions.
- Special occasion reminders – Tracking birthdays, anniversaries and other important dates.
Tech & System Support
- Website content updates – Uploading new blog posts, updating product pages and fixing minor formatting.
- CRM and project management setup – Configuring workflows in tools like Trello, Asana or Monday.com.
- Process documentation – Creating standard operating procedures and training materials.
- Automation workflows – Setting up basic automations using Zapier or similar tools to streamline repetitive tasks.
- Password and account management – Maintaining secure records of logins and resetting passwords as needed.
Outsourcing these tasks to a virtual assistant not only reduces your workload but also enables you to focus on the high‑impact activities that drive growth. By delegating administrative responsibilities, businesses can reclaim significant time and benefit from substantial cost savings. With a capable administrative VA, SMEs and entrepreneurs can scale faster and concentrate on strategic initiatives.
Book a discovery call with Prosource today and discover how outsourcing can unlock new opportunities.
