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Founder Time Audit: 25 Tasks to Delegate in 2025

Did you know? The average founder spends 12+ hours/week on tasks that could be delegated to a virtual assistant (VA) for $5–$15/hour costing them $50K+ in lost productivity per year.

This post reveals:

✅ The 25 most delegable tasks (with real cost vs. ROI breakdowns)
✅ How to delegate in 48 hours (step-by-step + templates)
✅ Where to find the best VAs (agencies vs. freelancers vs. in-house)

by Irina Potok

CEO & Founder

**The Cost of Not Delegating (Data-Backed)**

Task	Time Spent (Weekly)	Your Hourly Rate	Annual Cost	VA Cost (Annual)	Savings
Email management	5h	$100	$26,000	$1,300	$24,700
Scheduling	3h	$100	$15,600	$780	$14,820
Bookkeeping	4h	$100	$20,800	$1,040	$19,760
Social media	3h	$100	$15,600	$780	$14,820
Total	15h	–	$78,000	$3,900	$74,100

Source: Hire Virtuals internal data (2024-2025) from 500+ founder clients

Key Takeaway: For $300–$500/month, you can save 15+ hours/week and $74K/year.

25 Tasks Founders Should Delegate Immediately (Grouped by ROI)

📧 Email & Communication

Filtering and responding to routine emails (FAQs, scheduling, basic inquiries)
Managing spam and unsubscribe requests (A VA can clean your inbox daily)
Following up on unanswered emails (Automate sequences or have a VA handle it)
Sending thank-you notes, invoices, or receipts (Templates + VA = done)
Moderating comments on social media or blog posts (A VA can engage, delete spam, and escalate issues.)

➡️ Delegate to: Virtual Assistant

📅 Scheduling & Calendar Management

Booking and rescheduling meetings (Use Calendly + a VA to manage conflicts)
Sending meeting reminders and agendas (Automate or delegate)
Coordinating time zones for global calls (A VA can handle the math)
Blocking focus time in your calendar (They’ll protect your deep work)
Chasing attendees for RSVP confirmations (No more “Did they reply?” stress)

➡️ Delegate to: Executive Assistant

📝 Administrative & Operational Tasks

Data entry (CRM updates, spreadsheets, contact lists) (A VA can do this 3x faster)
Expenses and receipt tracking (Use Expensify + a VA for reconciliation)
Creating basic reports or dashboards (Google Sheets/Excel + templates = easy)
Ordering office supplies or managing subscriptions (Set a monthly budget and delegate)
Transcribing meetings or podcasts (Use Otter.ai + a VA for cleanup)

➡️ Delegate to: Business Operations VA

💰 Finance & Bookkeeping

Invoicing clients and following up on late payments (A VA + QuickBooks = no more chasing)
Reconciling bank statements (Delegate to a bookkeeper—$20–$40/hour)
Tracking expenses and categorizing transactions (Automate with tools like Xero)
Processing payroll (if you have a small team) (Use Gusto + a VA for admin)
Researching tax deductions or financial tools (A VA can compile options for your CPA)

➡️ Delegate to: Finance & Bookkeeping VA

🚀 Marketing & Growth

Posting on social media (Use Buffer + a VA)
Basic graphic design (A VA can handle 80% of this)
Researching competitors or industry trends (Delegate the legwork, review the insights)
Updating website content (WordPress + a VA = easy)
Managing email newsletters (Mailchimp + VA = done)

➡️ Delegate to: Marketing or Growth Assistant

How to Delegate These Tasks in 48 Hours (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Audit Your Time (The 3-Day Tracker Method)

Tool: Toggl Track (free)
Action: Log every task for 3 days.
Goal: Identify repetitive, low-value work.

Example Audit:

Task	Time Spent	Frequency	Delegate?
Responding to emails	2.5h	Daily	✅
Scheduling calls	1.5h	Daily	✅
Posting on LinkedIn	1h	3x/week	✅

Step 2: Choose the Right Delegation Method

Task Type	Best Person to Delegate To	Estimated Cost	Tools to Use
Email & Admin	Virtual Assistant (VA)	$5–$15/hour	Gmail, TextExpander
Scheduling	Executive Assistant (EA)	$15–$25/hour	Calendly, Clockwise
Bookkeeping	Freelance Bookkeeper	$20–$40/hour	QuickBooks, Xero
Social Media	Marketing VA	$10–$20/hour	Buffer, Canva

Step 3: Create a 1-Page SOP (Standard Operating Procedure)

Template:

**Task:** [e.g., "Email Filtering & Responses"]
**Goal:** Reduce founder inbox time by 80%
**Steps:**
1. Label emails: "Urgent," "Follow-Up," "Delegate."
2. Use **canned responses** for FAQs.
3. Escalate complex issues via Slack.
**Tools:** Gmail filters, TextExpander
**KPI:** Inbox zero by EOD

Pro Tip: Record a 5-minute Loom video walking through the task.

Step 4: Hire & Onboard in 48 Hours

Where to Find VAs:
- Hire Virtuals (pre-vetted, 48-hour matching)
- Upwork (freelancers, $10–$30/hour)
- OnlineJobs.ph (long-term hires, $5–$15/hour)
Trial Task: Assign 1 small task (e.g., “Clean my inbox”).
Scale: After 1 week, delegate 2–3 more tasks.

Where to Find the Best Virtual Assistants (2025 Guide)

Option	Best For	Cost	Pros	Cons
VA Agency (Hire Virtuals)	Founders who want pre-vetted, trained VAs	$800–$2,000/mo	Fast onboarding, replacements	Higher cost
Freelance (Upwork, Fiverr)	One-off tasks (e.g., research, design)	$10–$50/hour	Flexible, no commitment	Quality varies
Full-Time (OnlineJobs.ph)	Long-term hires (20+ hrs/week)	$500–$1,500/mo	Dedicated, loyal	Training required
AI + VA Hybrid	Automating 80% of repetitive work	$200–$800/mo	Scalable, 24/7	Needs oversight

Our Recommendation: Start with a VA agency (like Hire Virtuals) for pre-trained, reliable support, then scale to freelancers or full-time hires.