What a delegated week can look like
Most founders don't need a full-time hire on day one. They need someone who clears the inbox before they open it, keeps the calendar honest and handles the bookings, renewals and receipts that never quite get done. Here is an example of how that work spreads across a week.
| Time | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 | InboxInbox triage and weekend summary | InboxInbox triage | InboxInbox triage | InboxInbox triage | InboxInbox triage |
| 10:00 | CalendarConfirm this week’s meetings | Kept for youYour 1:1s (agendas attached) | |||
| 12:00 | CalendarReschedule moved investor call | CalendarSend prep notes for board meeting | TravelItinerary and check-in for trip | ||
| 14:00 | Kept for youYour deep-work block (protected) | TravelBook flights and hotel for conference | AdminRenewal reminders and vendor follow-ups | ||
| 16:00 | InboxDraft replies queued for review | AdminExpense receipts matched and filed | CalendarNext-week preview sent to you |
Inbox Calendar Travel Admin Kept for you
What you can hand off
Inbox management
Daily triage into clear folders or labels, draft replies for your approval, unsubscribes, follow-up tracking and a short summary of what needs you.
Calendar and scheduling
Meeting requests, time zones, buffers, protected focus time, agendas and prep notes, and rescheduling when plans change.
Travel and expenses
Flight and hotel research and booking within your rules, itineraries, receipts matched to card statements and filed for your bookkeeper.
Access done safely
Mailbox and calendar delegation, a password manager with shared items, two-factor sign-in and a written list of what the assistant must not do.
How it usually starts
- Scope call. You describe your inbox volume, meeting load, travel, tools and the tasks you most want gone. The partner suggests a starting scope and number of hours.
- Access setup. You grant delegated access to email and calendar and share only the logins the work needs through a password manager. No passwords in email or chat.
- Rules of the road. Together you write a one-page playbook: what the assistant can answer alone, what needs your approval, who gets priority and what is off limits.
- First two weeks. The assistant drafts more and sends less while learning your voice. You review daily, then less often as trust builds.
- Steady state. A daily summary, a weekly preview and a regular check-in to adjust scope.
What drives the cost
Pricing depends on the hours you need each week, the hours of the day you need covered, whether the work is a fixed set of tasks or an open-ended role, how many accounts and tools are involved, and how much travel or personal admin is included. Ask for a written scope with the hours, the response window and what happens if a week runs over.
Tell us what you'd like off your plate
Send a few lines about your inbox, calendar and the tools you use. A service partner will reply with questions and a proposed scope. Nothing is agreed until you accept a written proposal.
Common questions
Do I have to give the assistant my email password?
No. Gmail and Outlook both support delegated access, where the assistant signs in with their own account and works in your mailbox with the permissions you choose. See secure access for virtual assistants.
Will the assistant reply as me?
Only where you say so. Many executives start with drafts only, then allow the assistant to send routine replies (scheduling, confirmations, receipts) while anything sensitive still comes to them.
Is this part-time or full-time?
Either. Many engagements start at a set number of hours per week and grow as more work moves over. The scope call is where you settle this.
Can the assistant handle personal errands too?
Often, if you agree it in the scope: appointments, household bookings, gift orders. Keep personal and business access separate where you can.