Virtual assistant
What does a virtual assistant do? A practical guide for busy founders
7 min read
By
Wiktoria Pawlak
Founder of The Assist.
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A virtual assistant is a real, vetted person who handles your business and private tasks remotely: from your inbox, calendar and invoices to shopping, travel, appointments and paperwork. You send a message saying what needs doing, the assistant gets it done and logs every hour worked. You don't take anyone on as an employee. You buy a package of hours.
In this guide we explain what a virtual assistant does, how it differs from a virtual receptionist and a remote executive assistant, and how working together looks step by step. We write from practice: The Assist has been running clients' affairs since 2020, and our founder, Wiktoria Pawlak, has supported founders and management boards for more than 12 years.
What is a virtual assistant?
The word “virtual” is misleading. Many people picture Siri, a voice assistant or a chatbot. One of our clients once asked on the phone whether he was talking to a human or a robot. A virtual assistant isn't software. It's a person who works remotely.
You stay in touch on WhatsApp, Slack, email or any messenger you already use, and the assistant acts on your behalf: calls, writes, compares offers, books, chases deadlines and closes things off. The simplest way to put it: you delegate the task, not the instructions for doing it. Instead of spending an evening comparing quotes or waiting on hold, you send one message and get a finished result or a short list of options to choose from.
Because The Assist is based in Warsaw, our assistants work in English and Polish, within EU data protection rules (GDPR), in the CET time zone. That suits companies across Europe, international founders in Poland and anyone who wants support that understands both a Polish office and an English-speaking client.
What does a virtual assistant do?
The scope is wide, because a virtual assistant takes over anything that doesn't need your expertise or your physical presence. These are the areas we work in every day, with examples of real requests:
Life admin: passport renewals, car insurance and service dates, a running list of open matters with statuses, birthday reminders with gift ideas.
Home management: an urgent plumber, sofa cleaning, finding a cleaner, switching your broadband provider.
Household finances: paying bills, a calendar of instalments and subscriptions, sorting out a bill that looks too high.
Shopping, returns and complaints: comparing models and buying, swapping a size, making sure a refund actually arrives.
Travel: bookings, airport transfers, changing a ticket, extra luggage, claiming compensation for a delayed flight.
Health and appointments: booking tests on one day in one place, rescheduling visits, sending results where they need to go.
Family and children: finding a nursery, a tutor or a holiday camp, with prices compared.
Occasions and gifts: a birthday dinner in a restaurant, flowers with a card, Christmas presents.
Paperwork and insurance: filing a claim, comparing policies, letters to offices.
Business tasks: tidying your inbox, invoices for your accountant, requests for quotes, customer service for an online shop.
One rule always applies: before the assistant buys or pays for anything, you get the options to approve. You'll find the full list with sample conversations on our virtual assistant services page.
How does working with a virtual assistant look day to day?
A real example: in the morning you write on WhatsApp, “Find the best air fryer under €200 and order it.” The same day you get a comparison of three models with reviews and delivery times. You reply “Yes”, the assistant orders it and the company invoice goes straight to your accountant. It takes you a few seconds.
Bigger matters work the same way: a renovation, a move or a family trip. You give the goal and the limits (budget, dates, preferences), and the assistant runs the matter to the end and keeps you posted. Every hour shows up in an hourly report, so you always know what you're paying for.
Virtual assistant, virtual receptionist and remote executive assistant: what's the difference?
The names are often used interchangeably, but they mean different levels of support:
Virtual receptionist | Virtual assistant | Remote executive assistant | |
|---|---|---|---|
What they do | Answers calls, takes messages, books calls | Runs your business and private tasks from start to finish | Takes responsibility for a whole area of the company, e.g. admin, payments or projects |
What you delegate | Single actions | Specific tasks | A whole area and the result |
Best for | Businesses with a high volume of calls | Founders and busy people short on time | Companies that need an office manager without a full-time hire |
If you want to hand over a whole area rather than single tasks, for example all invoicing and working with your accountant, a remote executive assistant is the better fit.
How to start working with a virtual assistant: 3 steps
Book a call or send an email. Book a 15-minute call or write to us with the tasks that take up your time.
Meet your assistant. We match the right person to your needs and working style within 24 hours. The contract and NDA are signed from day one.
Delegate. Write on WhatsApp, Slack, email or any messenger. You see progress and hours in your report.
Every package includes:
one dedicated assistant (the same person, who gets to know you and your matters),
guaranteed cover during your assistant's holiday or sickness, or if they leave,
tasks handled Monday to Friday, 9:00-17:00 CET,
full transparency of hours used,
a contract and NDA from day one.
Only 1 in 20 people pass our recruitment. Packages start from €180 net per 28-day cycle - see virtual assistant pricing for all packages. All prices are net. VAT is charged depending on your country of tax residence.
Who is a virtual assistant for?
We most often work with:
owners of small and medium-sized businesses who do everything themselves and have no time left to grow,
startup founders who need support but don't yet have enough work for a full-time hire,
managers and board members whose private matters eat up their evenings and weekends,
international founders living in Poland who need someone who handles local matters in Polish and reports back in English,
media people, podcasters and experts who need help with their calendar, correspondence and travel,
online shop owners who need help with customer service and orders.
A virtual assistant works best when you lose a few hours every month on things someone else could do. If a task needs someone on site (collecting a parcel, viewing a flat, overseeing a renovation), we also have a mobile assistant in Warsaw, priced separately.
Why The Assist bets on specialisation
Many virtual assistants do everything at once: admin, private tasks and social media. At The Assist we deliberately separate the areas, because we believe in specialisation and experience in one field. If you need admin support, you won't get an assistant who also schedules your social media posts. Your assistant can work with the person responsible for that area and stay your single point of contact.
FAQ
Is a virtual assistant a real person?
Yes. It's a vetted person from The Assist team, not a bot. Only 1 in 20 people pass our recruitment.
Is my data safe?
Yes. We sign a contract and NDA from the first day, we work within GDPR, and only your dedicated assistant has access to your matters.
What are the working hours?
We handle tasks Monday to Friday, 9:00-17:00 CET. If you need support at other times, you can agree an individual schedule with your assistant.
What happens when my assistant goes on holiday?
Your matters don't stop. During a longer holiday or sickness you get cover, and if your assistant leaves, we match a new person from The Assist team.
Do you work in English?
Yes. Our assistants work in English and Polish, so they can deal with Polish offices, suppliers and services on your behalf and report back to you in English.
How quickly can I start?
We match your assistant within 24 hours. During working hours we reply on WhatsApp within 30 minutes, so you can write to us today.
Want to see how many hours you'd get back? Book a 15-minute call and bring your list. We'll take care of the rest.