How to actually delegate: a five-step guide for founders
Most founders delegate tasks and get the work right back. How to choose what to hand off, who to hand it to, and how to let it go for good.
The Nacho blog
Delegation, done right
Practical insights on delegation, productivity, remote work, and virtual assistance, written by the Nacho team to help busy founders reclaim their time.
Latest articles
Fresh out of the oven
When your right hand steps back
The person who held everything together is leaving, going on leave, or moving up. Here's how to cover the gap without rebuilding the same dependency.
Your to-do list looks simple. The work isn't.
Most founders hand off a list that looks like entry-level admin. Every item on it carries a decision, and that's why hiring for the list backfires.
Nobody qualified was doing it
Your fundraising may not be underperforming. It may just be unstaffed. Why small nonprofits hand skilled work to whoever is free, and what to do instead.
You can’t background-check for trust
Vetting, NDAs and password managers cover part of the risk. What to look for beyond them before giving fractional talent access to your business.
Which roles actually work fractional
Which roles should you hire fractionally? Sort them by one question: does the work speed up when you add hours, or does it move at the market's pace?
Virtual EA onboarding template
Week one with a new virtual executive assistant is mostly questions. Here is the free template that answers them before they get asked.
The math on fractional executives
Fractional executive support feels expensive until you run the numbers: $25-35k a year for judgment a $100-300k hire brings. The real math, with sources.
Best virtual assistant companies in 2026: an honest comparison
An honest, segmented comparison of 14 virtual assistant and fractional talent companies, with published pricing, real trade-offs, and who each one fits.
Maintenance work in disguise
Struggling with how to stop doing busywork? Use this step-by-step framework for delegating maintenance tasks and get back to real building.
Maintaining vs. building
Try this before you read any further. Think back over last week, an ordinary one, and split everything you did into two buckets.
We changed our name to Nacho. Here's why.
We changed our name to Nacho. Same people, same care, with a new name that fits the flexible, customizable fractional talent service we've become.
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2026
- How to actually delegate: a five-step guide for founders
- When your right hand steps back
- Your to-do list looks simple. The work isn't.
- Nobody qualified was doing it
- You can’t background-check for trust
- Which roles actually work fractional
- Virtual EA onboarding template
- The math on fractional executives
- Best virtual assistant companies in 2026: an honest comparison
- Maintenance work in disguise
- Maintaining vs. building
- We changed our name to Nacho. Here's why.
- Why VC firms can't find the right CRM
- Fractional talent beyond the factory floor
- How to use AI without losing productivity
- Nobody talks about the talent layer: VA to CFO
- Your LinkedIn profile does more than you think
- Your most expensive employee is yourself.
- Stop texting your passwords
- How to superpower Chrome with extensions
- Why a roadmap beats jumping straight into hours
- Why your last assistant didn't work out
2025
- Delegation for consultants: 83 tasks to hand off
- Don't know what to delegate? Ask this instead
- I delegated my 40th birthday trip planning
- We ditched two CRMs for one, and it works
- How we built a knowledge hub that works
- AI can't replace strategic thinking
- Why you need an SEO audit (don't DIY it)
- The 4 S's of modern business success
- 3 systems every growing business needs
- Use AI for clarity, a VA for consistency
- AI and the last mile: why human touch wins
- The 80% rule: why letting go drives growth
- How women-led teams thrive on collective strength
- VA spotlight: Lindsey Linton
- VA spotlight: Shauwana Glasgow
- Collaboration that fuels small business success
- Client spotlight: Julie Couret
- Beyond the hype: AI boosts human productivity
- Love the change: VAs and clients embrace growth
- VA spotlight: Hasanna Garcia
- Struggles to strength: the remote work edge
- Reimagine workflows: small tweaks, big gains
- Client spotlight: Ruth Calabrese
- VA spotlight: Damaris Rodriguez Chalkley
- A year of mindful self-care: flourish in 2025
- VA spotlight: Madison Carter
- How a great routine fuels lasting productivity
- Client spotlight: Amy Zaroff
2024
- Delegate your way to success and growth in 2025
- Reflections on 2024: gratitude and growth
- VA spotlight: Melissa Bravo-Almazan
- 7 ways a VA can make your holidays stress-free
- VA spotlight: Evan Gemmel
- Unhurried leadership: lead with clarity
- VA spotlight: Danielle Evans
- The gratitude factor in client-VA relationships
- Supporting mental health advocates: VA case study
- VA spotlight: Sarah Johnson
- How slowing down boosts productivity
- Client spotlight: Scout Space
- VA spotlight: Erica Sharpe
- Maintain trust and communication in busy season
- Client spotlight: Julie Herres
- VA spotlight: Jenn Doyle
- Virtual Assistant pricing: what to budget
- VA spotlight: Allie Barnes
- Why documenting SOPs is essential for business
- VA spotlight: Barakallah Owolabi
- 5 signs you're ready to hire a VA
- VA spotlight: Tatum Conner
- Client spotlight: Janice Nugent
- Fix remote team communication with this system
- VA spotlight: Amanda Boyd
- Communicating boundaries in freelance work
- Client spotlight: Elizabeth Scott, PhD
- VA spotlight: Justin Weibel
- Client spotlight: Choir
- 5 delegation lessons from the Incas
- Why leaders don't delegate (and how to fix it)
- VA spotlight: Lauren Lyman
- Client spotlight: Mastery Transcript Consortium®
- VA spotlight: Julie Murray
- Effective leadership: delegating to a #2 to stay #1
- Client spotlight: Sam Baker Consulting
- Business operating systems + VAs: a winning combo
- VA spotlight: Cheryl Lynch
- Client spotlight: Courtney Stanley
- How feedback creates a culture of trust
- Client spotlight: Martin Global Leaders
- Acorns to oaks: nurturing client-VA comms
- VA spotlight: Dana Goldman
- Alt Summit insights: personal branding power
- VA spotlight: Djeneé Dunn
- Client spotlight: Trama Consulting Group
- Scale without burnout: build a sustainable team
- VA spotlight: Alisha Soukaseume
- Building a strong client-VA relationship
- Meditation to build resilience for founders
- VA spotlight: Nitin Khanna
- Solving business pain points: the VA advantage
- Reduce VA hiring time with a trust bridge
- VA spotlight: Kristen Rattanamongkhoune
- 16 personal tasks executives can delegate
- 5 remote work productivity hacks for founders
- VA spotlight: Jacqueline Koenig
- Boost consulting profits with human VAs
- The hidden benefits of delegation
- VA spotlight: Sakar Bhusal
2023
- 7 ways quitting booze makes me a better leader
- How to use your VA to get booked on podcasts
- Using VAs in the recruiting process
- How to identify pain points & weaknesses
- 4 tips to find the right project management tool
- 10 unexpected tasks to delegate to your VA
- Asking for feedback from your Virtual Assistant
- The secret to high quality talent on a budget
- 8 ways a Virtual Assistant helps authors and speakers
- I'm a lawyer - can a Virtual Assistant work for me?
- Plan a month of content in under an hour
- The 3 pillars of content: a game changer
2022
- hmpsn studio case study: VA success story
- Wordpress as a business content management system
- Use your VA while you're at your minimum
- Stop letting two excuses hold you back
- 5 tips for delegating content marketing to a VA
- Your mindset is everything for business success
- What to do if a Virtual Assistant ghosts you
- Content management systems for small business websites
- How to choose the right Virtual Assistant agency
- Quiet quitting: a problem or a reminder?
- Trusty Oak by the numbers: 7 years in business
- The big list of Virtual Assistant FAQs
- Use a 15-minute work map for better productivity
- Get things done by partnering with your VA
- Operational processes set small business free
- Create a monthly marketing plan with your VA
- Roadblocks that keep us from achieving our goals
- How to use time-blocking for productivity
- Recruiting VAs during the Great Resignation
- 3 tips for managing the unexpected
2021
- Personal tasks to delegate to your VA
- VAs for photographers: 5 tasks to delegate
- 10 favorite apps and tools for Virtual Assistants
- VAs: 3 tips for your kick-off with a new client
- Choosing the right CMS for your website
- How smart leaders onboard and retain VAs
- How to clean up your inbox in 6 steps
- How to hire a Virtual Assistant: your guide
- Trusty Oak wins freelancer platform of the year 2021
- Amber Gray named Austin Business Woman of the Year
- Virtual Assistant: not a side hustle, a dream gig
- Why brand identity and consistency drive growth
- 7 reasons to hire a VA for your small business
- What are Virtual Assistant jobs like?
- Women-led companies transforming remote work
- This coaching software helps us work better remotely
- Why entrepreneurs should try podcasting
2020
- Introverts: 4 habits for work-from-home balance
- 5 tips for building your author brand
- 5 social media tools for quarantine time
- Personality tests: are they really useful?
- How VAs improve accessibility for founders
- 6 tasks to delegate to VAs for non-profits
- Reading list for leaders and entrepreneurs
- Expand buyer personas with psychology
- Dr. Lynn Chang: do what you love, now
- SEO vs. SEM in digital marketing
- Kelley Dwyer: protect your business from crisis
- How non-profits can fundraise during Covid-19
- Candice DeRiso: is your marketing content dull?
- Joy Boese: ergonomics for working from home
- How to use Trello to work with your VA
- Jeremy Self: 5 things I know about investing
- How to make your office virtual with Slack
- Focus on business growth instead of fear
- How to recession-proof your small business
- SEO game: why you should care about voice search
- Digital nomad tips: travel and work successfully
- How to delegate an inbox with Gmail
- How a VA helps executive coaches: Werq case
- CEO's desk: 10 books to add to your list
2019
- How to show holiday appreciation, remotely
- Small business marketing strategy: part 2
- Small business marketing strategy: part 1
- Digital security: you're doing it wrong
- Stop chasing productivity: optimize your energy
- Challenge and change: 2 takeaways from GLS 2019
- How to create an automated workflow
- Hesitation to automation: 10 reasons to automate
- Trusty Oak celebrates 4 years: a peek inside
- Premier HR Solutions: marketing case study
- 3 lessons for remote team leaders: start with trust
- Entrepreneurs hate asking for help. Here's why.
- How to build a winning remote team culture
- Overworked? A better way to hire a freelancer
- Christensen Institute: a time-saving case study
- How to create a buyer persona guide
- Exhausted and lonely? A better way to freelance
- How I'm committing to my remote team's growth
- Marketing strategy vs. plan: the difference
- Mastering the art of delegation
- 4 ways VAs can turn your side hustle full-time
- Solopreneur, meet your team: DOTomation
- 13 tasks busy entrepreneurs should delegate
- 5 ways to stay secure while working remotely
- Key strategies for remote hiring
2018
- The word is out: 2019 marketing trends
- 5 holiday gift ideas for your Virtual Assistant
- So you want to be a Virtual Assistant: now what?
- 5 tasks a VA can do for construction companies
- More hands on deck: Cabéza Advertising case study
- Why real estate agents should hire a VA
- 6 tools to use instead of email
- 2 simple ways to increase organic web traffic
- Launch your business for under $2,244
- Are VAs more affordable than employees?
- 5 tools to up your remote collaboration game
- 7 tips for writing killer marketing emails
- ATX Web Designs case study: VA partnership
- 7 ways to become a video conferencing rockstar
- Top 5 cities to live and work as a Virtual Assistant
- News: Trusty Oak celebrates 3 years in business!
- Tools for remote hiring and onboarding
- 3 reasons to start using a CRM
- Bake Austin: marketing client case study
- Ebooks don't have to be scary: a primer
- 3 growth-driving VA services for financial firms
- Why hire a Virtual Assistant?
- Visiting Boise: leadership lessons from the field
- The extinction of the 9-to-5 office
- Trello 101 for attorneys: the free tool
- Entrepreneurs, self care, & burnout
- 4 important ways effective leaders communicate
- A day in the life of a Virtual Assistant
- Look like a Fortune 500 before you are one
- How to choose a startup name: the Trusty Oak story
- Writing: when you're just not that into it
- Want to grow your business? You should read more
- Will you marry (my brand)?
- Get stuff done with Momentum Dash
- Client spotlight: Austin Kids Can!
- Find your ideal customers using Facebook audiences
- 7 myths about Virtual Assistants
- Set fire to your Instagram engagement
- When culture, productivity, & success meet
- How 2018 will change your marketing strategy
2017
- A gift guide for the entrepreneur in your life
- 4 keys to captivating a social media audience
- 5 favorite productivity apps for business
- 5 habits of highly productive people
- 3 questions to ignite business growth
- Be a more effective leader by removing yourself
- Virtual Assistant jobs with Trusty Oak
- Three ways to say yes to success in relationships
- 3 reasons your productivity plummets after 2pm
- This leadership skill can predict success
- VA Elisabeth on purpose and job love
- Got grammar? Check out our favorite writing tool
- Tax season? Hire a bookkeeping VA
- 2 key tips to improve your communication
- 3 ways to build rapport in business