Admin and executive support
- Inbox management: sorting, drafting replies, unsubscribing, flagging what needs you
- Calendar: booking, rescheduling, time-zone juggling, meeting prep
- Travel: flights, hotels, itineraries, visas reminders
- Documents: formatting, proofreading, templates, file organisation
- Data entry, spreadsheets and reports
- Meeting notes and follow-up actions
Customers and sales
- Answering calls and messages, taking bookings (see virtual receptionist)
- Customer support email and chat
- Lead follow-up and appointment setting
- CRM updates and pipeline hygiene
- Order admin, returns and reviews for online stores
Finance support
- Sending invoices and chasing payments
- Collecting receipts and categorising expenses
- Bookkeeping prep in tools like QuickBooks or Xero (your accountant stays responsible for the books)
- Paying routine bills you have approved
Marketing and research
- Social media scheduling and community replies
- Newsletter formatting and list management
- Market, competitor and supplier research
- Website updates and simple content edits
Personal tasks
- Booking appointments, restaurants and services
- Gift and event planning
- Online shopping and returns
- Household admin: bills, subscriptions, renewals
What a virtual assistant shouldn't do
Anything needing a licence they don't hold (legal advice, accounting sign-off, medical decisions), signing contracts for you, or handling information your industry restricts without the right safeguards. For legal work, see virtual paralegals, who work under a supervising attorney.
Giving access safely matters: see how to give an assistant email and calendar access.
