How to Onboard a Virtual Assistant in 7 Days or Less (Without Stress)
You finally found the right virtual assistant. Now what?
A lot of business owners get stuck right after they hire a VA—not because they don’t need the help, but because they’re not sure how to start. They overthink the process, delay delegation, or try to create the perfect SOP before handing anything off.
The truth is, onboarding doesn’t have to be stressful. In fact, you can set your VA up for success in just 7 days. Here’s how.
Day 1: Set the Vision
Before you assign any tasks, take 30 minutes to map out your goals. Ask yourself:
What do I want to stop doing?
What would free me up to focus on growth?
What tasks are repeatable and easy to hand off?
This helps you create a clear direction for your VA, even if you don’t have detailed instructions yet.
Day 2: Assign a Starter Task
Choose one low-risk, high-impact task to delegate first. Something like:
Scheduling social media posts
Cleaning up your inbox
Confirming appointments
Formatting client notes
Give a clear outcome, not just instructions. Let your VA ask questions. The goal is to build trust—not perfection.
Day 3: Share Tools and Access
Make a list of everything your VA needs to succeed:
Logins (use LastPass or 1Password to share safely)
Shared folders (Google Drive, Dropbox)
Communication tools (Slack, Zoom, Email)
Task tracker (ClickUp, Trello, or even Google Sheets)
Add short explanations if needed, and give them one central place to find everything.
Day 4: Record Quick Loom Videos
Instead of writing long documents, just record your screen using Loom. Talk through how you do something, click-by-click.
This saves time, feels more personal, and lets your VA learn the way you naturally work.
Day 5: Check In and Give Feedback
Schedule a 15-minute chat to check in. Ask:
What’s working?
What’s unclear?
What do you need from me to improve?
Give specific, kind feedback. This sets a tone of collaboration and clarity early on.
Day 6: Add One More Task
Now that your VA has one task down, add another. Don’t overload them—just build slowly. This helps you get more done while ensuring quality stays high.
Day 7: Reflect and Adjust
By the end of the week, you’ll already be saving time. Take a moment to review:
What’s off your plate?
What could you systemize next?
What would help your VA stay aligned moving forward?
Use what you’ve learned to plan the next two weeks of delegation.
Quick Recap
Start with your vision, not a checklist
Use real examples and quick video walkthroughs
Delegate one task at a time and build trust
Communicate clearly and often
Keep it simple—you don’t need a manual to begin
Want help onboarding your first VA the right way? Download our free VA Onboarding Toolkit or book a consultation and we’ll guide you through your first week, step by step.
