What Does a Virtual Assistant Do? 40 Tasks You Can Delegate (UK Guide)
By TalentDock Editorial Team · Updated 19 September 2026 · 4 min read
The main task categories
Most VA work falls into six groups. Recurring, rules-based and low-risk tasks are the best place to start.
Inbox and diary
Triage, drafting replies, scheduling and calendar management.
Documents and data
Data entry, formatting, transcription and file organisation.
Research and admin
Lead lists, competitor research, travel and event planning.
Customer support
First-line email or chat replies, order queries and follow-ups.
Sales and marketing support
CRM updates, outreach admin, social scheduling and newsletters.
Finance-adjacent admin
Invoice chasing, expense capture, receipt matching and payroll data prep.
Tasks 1-8: email, calendar and communications
- Triage and sort your inbox
- Draft replies for your approval
- Unsubscribe from and filter junk
- Schedule meetings and manage your diary
- Send meeting reminders and follow-ups
- Take and circulate meeting notes
- Manage shared mailboxes
- Screen and route calls or messages
Tasks 9-16: documents, files and data
- Data entry and spreadsheet updates
- Formatting reports, letters and slide decks
- Transcribing audio or video
- Organising cloud folders and file naming
- Converting and merging documents
- Proofreading internal documents
- Building simple templates and forms
- Data cleaning and de-duplication
Tasks 17-24: research, travel and events
- Lead-list building and contact research
- Competitor and market research
- Supplier and price comparisons
- Travel booking and itineraries
- Event and webinar logistics
- Expense reports and receipt capture
- Booking venues, couriers and suppliers
- Maintaining task lists and reminders
Tasks 25-32: customers, sales and marketing
- First-line customer emails
- Order and delivery status queries
- CRM updates and pipeline hygiene
- Following up on quotes and proposals
- Outreach admin and appointment setting
- Social media scheduling
- Newsletter and email-campaign set-up
- Collecting and organising reviews or feedback
Tasks 33-40: finance, HR and operations
- Chasing overdue invoices
- Raising invoices from approved templates
- Matching receipts to transactions
- Preparing payroll data for your accountant
- Onboarding paperwork for new starters
- Recruitment admin and CV screening
- Updating project boards and trackers
- Preparing weekly and monthly reports
For heavier bookkeeping or accounting work, a specialist role is a better fit than a general VA. See our offshore bookkeeper and offshore accountant pages.
What not to delegate
Some tasks need care. Do not hand over unrestricted access to banking, payment approval or sensitive personal data without controls. Decisions that carry legal, financial or reputational risk should stay with you or a qualified professional, and regulated advice, such as legal, tax or medical advice, needs a suitably qualified person.
How to delegate well
Pick five recurring tasks
Choose work that follows the same steps each time.
Write short instructions
A one-page checklist or short recorded walkthrough beats a long explanation.
Set the review rhythm
Check output daily in week one, then weekly.
Widen the remit
Add tasks from the list as accuracy improves.
Our guide to working with a virtual assistant covers tools and workflow, and the job description template helps you turn this list into a brief. For costs, see virtual assistant cost UK, and for the full process the complete hiring guide.
Frequently asked questions
What does a virtual assistant do?
A virtual assistant handles remote admin and support tasks such as email and diary management, travel booking, data entry, research, CRM updates, customer support, social media scheduling and finance-adjacent admin.
What tasks can I delegate to a virtual assistant?
Recurring, rules-based tasks are the easiest to delegate: inbox triage, scheduling, data entry, research and reporting. The list above sets out 40 common examples across six categories.
What should I not give to a virtual assistant?
Avoid unrestricted access to banking or payment approval, and keep legally, financially or reputationally risky decisions with you or a qualified professional. Regulated advice needs a suitably qualified person.
Can a virtual assistant do bookkeeping?
A VA can handle finance-adjacent admin such as invoice chasing and receipt capture. Full bookkeeping and accounts work is better done by a dedicated bookkeeper.
How many hours a week should I give a virtual assistant?
Start with a defined set of tasks and about 10-20 hours a week, then adjust. Above around 20 hours, a dedicated full-time VA is often better value than hourly pricing.
Is a virtual assistant the same as an executive assistant?
Not exactly. An executive assistant or virtual PA supports a senior person with confidential diary, communications and decision-support work. A general VA covers wider admin tasks.
- Teambuild Consultancy: Virtual assistant costs in 2026, UK and Philippines
- ICO: UK GDPR guidance and resources
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Figures are indicative and were checked on 19 September 2026; confirm your own position with a qualified UK adviser.
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