# Virtual Assistant SOPs for Founders (Starter Templates)

> VAs execute well when the process is written down. These three starter SOPs cover most founders' first month of delegation. ## SOP 1: Inbox triage **Goal:** Founder sees only emails that need their judgment. **Steps:** 1. Label incoming mail: Action / Waiting / Archive / Delegat…

Canonical URL: https://www.orcarw.com/blog/virtual-assistant-sops-for-founders
Published: 2026-07-20
Category: Delegation
Author: Orca Team

VAs execute well when the process is written down. These three starter SOPs cover most founders' first month of delegation.

## SOP 1: Inbox triage

**Goal:** Founder sees only emails that need their judgment.

**Steps:**
1. Label incoming mail: Action / Waiting / Archive / Delegate
2. Draft replies for routine questions using approved macros
3. Flag VIP senders and billing issues immediately
4. End-of-day summary: 5 bullets in Slack or Notion

**Escalate when:** legal, press, refund over $X, angry customer, unknown sender with attachment.

## SOP 2: Calendar management

**Goal:** Meetings happen without back-and-forth.

**Steps:**
1. Propose 2–3 slots in founder timezone
2. Confirm video link, agenda, and attendees
3. Block prep time 30 minutes before important calls
4. Send reminders 24h and 1h before

**Escalate when:** conflicting priorities, external VIP requests, travel across timezones.

## SOP 3: Weekly status report

**Goal:** Founder gets situational awareness in 5 minutes.

**Template:**
- Completed this week (bullets)
- In progress
- Blocked / needs decision
- Next week priorities
- Metrics (optional): tickets closed, emails handled, hours used

Deliver every Friday by 4pm local time.

## How to onboard SOPs

1. Record a 5-minute Loom for each SOP
2. Run a **$30 trial** on one day of inbox or calendar work
3. Iterate macros after the first 20 real tickets
4. Store living docs in Notion or Google Docs — VAs update as process changes

## Tools stack

- **Orca Messages** for hiring and ongoing threads
- **Notion** for SOPs and task queue
- **Loom** for video instructions
- **Slack** for quick questions

**Related:** [Best tools for managing VAs](/blog/best-tools-for-managing-vas) · [Onboarding checklist](/blog/virtual-assistant-onboarding-checklist) · [Email VA hire page](/hire-email-va)