How to delegate to a virtual assistant.
Most solo owners hire a VA and don't extract real value from them. The bottleneck is rarely the VA's competence; it's the owner's delegation skill. Here's the practical playbook.
Most solo owners hire a VA and don't extract real value from them. The bottleneck is rarely the VA's competence; it's the owner's delegation skill. Here's the practical playbook.
Effective VA delegation requires (1) starting with narrowly-scoped recurring tasks (NOT 'help me with anything'), (2) documenting the task once (Loom video + written checklist), (3) authorization thresholds for decisions, (4) weekly 15-minute check-in for trust-building, (5) progressive scope expansion as trust grows. Most owners skip steps 1-4 and wonder why their VA isn't 'taking initiative.'
Pick 3-5 specific recurring tasks. Examples: inbox triage to 4 categories; calendar scheduling for client calls; monthly invoicing follow-ups; CRM data entry. NOT: 'help me with miscellaneous stuff.'
Per task: 5-minute Loom video showing the task + a written checklist of steps + examples of past work product. Investment: 30 minutes per task. Saves 10+ hours per month per task once VA is trained.
'You have full authority to handle X under $Y. Above $Y, text me.' Specific dollar amounts and decision boundaries. Skip the 'use your best judgment' framing — it usually means 'check with me on everything.'
Same time every week. VA shares wins, blockers, questions. You give feedback and adjust scope. Builds trust faster than ad-hoc messaging.
After 60 days of solid execution on initial tasks, add a new task. After 90 days, expand authorization thresholds. Every quarter, audit scope and adjust.
VA handles routine inbound; you handle judgment. 14 days free.
Start 14-day free trial →