Should you hire a virtual assistant? What to hand to AI first
Start with the repeat work a VA would do: inbox, calendar, posts, invoice reminders. Give it to AI agents first. Hire a person for what's left.
- Inbox sorted every morning
- Meeting times proposed, focus time kept
- Posts drafted every week
🙋 First 2 weeksNo access until you grant it$10 free, no card
- Hand off the inboxNeeds Gmail
- Give your week a shapeStarted
You need help. A good assistant costs more than you can spend right now, and training one takes weeks.
So hire the team. Get promoted to the one who approves.
Your business, on one screen
A few weeks in, this is what you open each morning. Grouped by area, one line per thing. The bold ones need you.
Home
Today in Rivera Consulting
Four emails need you, each with a draft. Two posts are ready for this week.
Operations
2 need you- Approve meeting times for Dana: Tue 2, Thu 3
- Decide: conference sponsorship, $500, due Friday
- Inbox sorted: 46 new, 4 need youFor your info
Marketing & Launch
1 needs you- Review two posts for this week
The playbook
You say it. An agent does it. You decide.
- 1Day 1
Hand off the inbox
Chief of Staff“Sort my inbox. Tell me what needs me.”
Sorts mail into reply, decide, later and noise. Drafts every reply.
You: Approve, edit or bin each draft.
📧 Gmail
- 2Day 1
Give your week a shape
Chief of Staff“Set up a weekly rhythm I can actually keep.”
Builds a Monday plan, a midweek check and a Friday close-out.
You: Pick this week's three priorities.
- 3Week 1
Stop the scheduling ping-pong
Chief of Staff“Find a time with Dana next week. Protect my mornings.”
Proposes times and drafts the confirmation. Defends your focus time.
You: Approve the time that works.
📅 Google Calendar
- Dana: picking a meeting time, draft ready
- Supplier: price change, draft ready
- Conference sponsorship, $500, due Friday
- 31 newsletters and promos, skipped
- 4Week 1
Keep posting in quiet weeks
Marketing Sidekick“Draft two posts a week from what we did.”
Drafts short posts and keeps a backlog for quiet weeks.
You: Edit them. You hit publish.
- 5Week 2
Chase invoices on time
Bookkeeper“Remind clients when an invoice is overdue.”
Keeps a ledger of what's owed and drafts polite reminders.
You: Read each reminder and send.
📧 Gmail
- MonWeek's priorities
- TuePosts drafted
- WedCalendar check
- Thu
This exact team, one tap away. Hired in about two minutes.
Hire this team →What it won't do
Said plainly. Overclaiming is worse than useless.
- No phone calls or errands. That's still a person.
- Gmail starts read-only. Emails are drafts you approve.
- Posts are drafts. You publish them.
- No account connected? The step waits. Never faked.
Promote yourself to boss.
Hire the solo entrepreneurs team. $10 free, no card. First results land before the tour ends.
Questions
Should I hire a virtual assistant or use AI?
Try AI first for repeat work like inbox, calendar, posts and reminders. Hire a person when you need calls, errands or judgment on the spot.
What should I delegate first?
Whatever you do every week and dread. For most owners that's the inbox, then scheduling, then chasing invoices.
Can it act like an executive assistant?
For the desk work, yes: sorting mail, proposing meeting times, drafting replies. It drafts, you approve. Email never goes out without you by default.
What does it cost?
Start with $10 in free credits, no card. Plans start at $25 a month with credit included.