What to Delegate First (and How to Get the Most Out of Your VA)

Start Small, Scale Smart—Without Losing Control or Your Cool

Okay, deep breath. You hired a VA. You onboarded them like a boss. You even made a few Looms and set up a Trello board. 🙌

Now you’re staring at your never-ending to-do list wondering:“What the heck do I actually hand off first?”

Here’s the truth: delegation isn’t just about getting stuff off your plate. It’s about freeing up your brain to focus on the stuff that grows your business—like launching that wholesale line, creating new products, or finally sending that email sequence.

But delegation can feel scary if you’ve never done it before. Let’s break it down together...

The $10 / $100 / $1,000 Task Framework

This is my go-to strategy to decide what to delegate:

• $10 tasks: Easy, repeatable, time-consuming. Think: renaming product photos, updating listings, data entry, inbox cleanup.

• $100 tasks: Skilled work with moderate value—like customer service replies, Etsy uploads, Pinterest scheduling.

• $1,000 tasks: CEO-level stuff. Strategy, product dev, pitching retailers, brand building, big moves.

👉 Delegate the $10s first. You’ll instantly reclaim hours—and sanity.

Start With These Easy Wins

Here are 10 low-risk, high-reward tasks that are perfect to delegate first:

1. Customer service emails (especially FAQs + refund requests)

2. Product uploads on Etsy, Faire, Shopify

3. Image renaming for SEO

4. Inbox organization (labels, folders, filters)

5. Pinterest pin scheduling with Tailwind or Canva

6. Order tracking + follow-ups

7. Blog formatting + image sourcing

8. Hashtag research or post scheduling

9. Wholesale lead tagging + CRM updates

10. Daily/weekly recap summaries of work done + questions
    

✨ Pro tip: Choose 1–3 recurring tasks to start. The more repeatable the task, the faster your VA will learn it—and the less you have to repeat yourself.

Create a Delegation System That Runs Itself

Systems are what turn delegation from “extra work” into “OMG why didn’t I do this sooner?” Here’s how:

1. Assign tasks in batches

Group similar tasks and assign them all at once in Trello, Asana, or even a Google Sheet.

2. Set expectations with deadlines

Let them know when you want things done. Weekly? Daily? Flexible? Clarity = less micromanaging.

3. Ask for a weekly recap

A quick Friday message with what they completed, what’s in progress, and any questions keeps you in the loop without hovering.

What Communication Actually Looks Like

The best VA relationships don’t require you to be “on” 24/7. But they do require consistent rhythm.

Here’s my typical week with a VA:

• Monday: I assign new tasks

• Mid-week: They ask questions via Slack or email

• Friday: They send a recap with links, updates, and what’s next

✨ Bonus: If something feels off? I drop a Loom with feedback instead of writing an essay. Clear, kind, done.

Set Clear Success Metrics (Not Just “Do This”)

Don’t just assign a task—give them the why behind it. Even a little context helps them make smarter decisions.

Example:

❌ "Upload these products."✅ "Upload these products so they’re live by Friday. Make sure the descriptions include keywords for Mother's Day and that the mockups are in the correct format for Etsy."

Bonus points: Create a Google Doc with examples of what great looks like. (Yes, they’ll thank you.)

How I Went From Overwhelmed to Operating Like a Team

When I first started delegating, I hesitated. I kept thinking, “I could just do this faster myself.” And sometimes I could—but it kept me stuck in operator mode instead of owner mode.

The turning point?I committed to handing off three small tasks a week, even when I was busy.

Now? My VA handles all product uploads, inbox maintenance, and wholesale lead tagging—without me lifting a finger.That’s dozens of hours a month back in my creative bank.

TL;DR — Your VA Delegation Starter Kit

✅ Start with $10 tasks that are easy to train ✅ Group tasks and assign with clear due dates ✅ Use a weekly rhythm (assign → do → recap) ✅ Give the why behind the task, not just the what ✅ Let go a little so you can grow a lot Hiring a VA isn’t about giving up control—it’s about gaining freedom. When you start small, set clear expectations, and hand off the right tasks, you’re not just lightening your load—you’re building a business that can grow with you, not because of your burnout. You don’t need to do it all alone. You just need the right support—and now, you know exactly how to find it, train it, and make it work. You’re the CEO now. Start delegating like one. :)