A virtual assistant is an independent professional who handles administrative work for a business remotely. Typical tasks are managing email, entering and maintaining data, answering customer inquiries, and scheduling appointments. The business owner decides what to hand off; the assistant does the work from their own office.
Common tasks
| Task | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Email management | Sorting the inbox, flagging urgent messages, replying to routine inquiries |
| Data entry | Entering and maintaining business information accurately |
| Customer service and support | Answering client questions and giving friendly, professional updates |
| Appointment management | Scheduling meetings, managing the calendar, sending reminders |
How working with one is set up
A virtual assistant usually works as a separate business that you engage for agreed tasks, on a one-time or ongoing basis, instead of as an employee. Whether any worker is an employee or an independent contractor depends on the facts of the relationship. The IRS looks at three areas: behavioral control (“Does the company control or have the right to control what the worker does and how the worker does his or her job?”), financial control, and the type of relationship. It also says that “no one factor stands alone in making this determination.”
Source: Internal Revenue Service, Independent contractor (self-employed) or employee?, page last reviewed May 19, 2026.
Who uses a virtual assistant
Small business owners, entrepreneurs, and busy professionals who want their time back for clients and for growing the business.
What Diane’s Virtual Solutions handles
Diane’s Virtual Solutions handles email management, data entry, customer service and support, and appointment management, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. If email is where your day goes, start with How to Organize Your Email Inbox.