Running a startup or growing a business is exhilarating – but it also can be extremely stressful. Nearly half of founders report their mental health as “bad” or “very bad,” and more than half experience burnout in a given year. In the fast-paced world of entrepreneurship, it’s common to work 60–80 hour weeks, putting out fires and handling every detail personally. This non-stop grind can quickly lead to exhaustion and poor decision-making: 88% of founders say excessive stress leads to bad choices. The good news is that virtual assistant services offer a proven way to lighten the load. By delegating routine tasks, entrepreneurs reclaim time, reduce stress, and restore work-life balance.
Many startup founders drive themselves to the brink without realizing it. They juggle product development, customer issues, marketing, finance, and all the day-to-day admin on top of leadership duties. Studies show this relentless pressure takes a toll: 45% of founders rate their mental health as “bad” or “very bad,” and 53% report experiencing burnout. In a survey by Balderton Capital, “88% of founders agree excessive stress can result in bad decision-making” and 83% believe high pressure leads to team burnout. In other words, when leaders neglect self-care and work-life balance, the whole company suffers.
The signs are familiar: difficulty sleeping, loss of focus, irritability, and declining enthusiasm. Over time, founders may second-guess strategic decisions or miss important details. This is why time management for executives is critical. Entrepreneurs who only spend a tiny fraction of their day on high-value strategy (and too much on busywork) often hit a wall. For example, one study found the average CEO spends only 11% of their time on routine tasks – delegating the rest to assistants. When founders don’t have that support, they end up handling every email, schedule change, and paperwork detail themselves, which quickly leads to overwhelm.
Leading a company doesn’t mean you must do everything yourself. Virtual assistants (VAs) – remote, dedicated support staff – allow busy founders to offload the day-to-day tasks that cause burnout. By using a remote staffing solution like MySigrid, entrepreneurs can delegate a wide range of work: calendar management, travel planning, email and inbox triage, data entry, research, customer support, social media updates, bookkeeping, and more. Here’s why that matters:
In practical terms, here’s how outsourcing administrative support works: you simply assign tasks to your VA (via shared tools like Slack, Trello, or MySigrid’s platform) and trust they will get done. Over time, founders consistently report feeling “more present” at work and home once a VA handles life’s minutiae. Instead of triaging emails or fixing calendar errors at midnight, you focus on your vision and growth strategy.
When considering support staff, founders often wonder: Should I hire a virtual assistant or an in-house executive assistant? The key differences are flexibility and cost. A traditional executive assistant (EA) is usually a full-time, in-office role, often at the vice president or senior admin level. They handle high-sensitivity tasks, in-person meetings, and know the company culture intimately. But hiring an EA means a long recruitment cycle, salary, benefits, and limited scalability.
A virtual assistant, by contrast, works remotely (often part-time or on a flexible basis) and focuses on a broad range of tasks. MySigrid’s Remote Executive Assistants bridge the gap: they are highly experienced (often EA-level) professionals who work offsite. You can start with just a few hours per week and ramp up as needed, or adjust down during slow periods. And because they’re remote, you save on office overhead, benefits, and recruitment hassles.
Some founders consider a freelance virtual assistant, but that path has trade-offs. Freelancers can be less expensive per hour, but you’re responsible for vetting, training, and managing them entirely on your own. If they fall through or need backup, it’s on you. By comparison, using a platform like MySigrid means each VA is pre-screened, supported by a team, and backed by a quality guarantee. You get consistent service and a dedicated point of contact, avoiding the risks of a solo freelancer or the time cost of an in-house hire.
Think of it as the age-old question: outsourcing vs. in-house team. Outsourcing routine work (with a VA service) lets you stay lean and agile. In fact, one analysis found that startups which outsourced functions had significantly higher survival rates (65% vs. 55%) than those that tried to do everything internally. In short, entrepreneurs aren’t heroes – they delegate smartly. If you spend weekends on inbox triage, you’re not focusing on scaling. A VA keeps the engine running so you can steer the ship.
Technology is changing how virtual support works, and MySigrid sits at the leading edge with a hybrid AI–human model. Modern tools can automate many tasks, but pure automation misses the nuance entrepreneurs need. Instead, MySigrid’s assistants use AI-powered virtual assistant tools (like scheduling bots, voice assistants, and smart templates) as a force multiplier, while the human VA provides judgment and adaptability.
As MySigrid co-founder Paul Østergaard explains, the best results come from “leveraging smart technology while still having a human assistant who can think critically, anticipate needs, and adapt to your style.” In practice, this means routine reminders might be set up by AI, but the VA refines them and handles exceptions. A chatbot could draft a quick email, but the human assistant personalizes it.
This human touch vs. AI balance ensures high-quality service. For example, automated systems can triage incoming inquiries, but a MySigrid VA will review flagged emails that need a personal touch. Or the VA might use a content-generation AI to outline a blog post, then add strategic insight and brand voice. In customer service scenarios, AI chatbots might answer common questions, while the human assistant steps in for more complex needs – combining the speed of automation with the empathy of a person.
MySigrid even provides a proprietary Collaboration & Task Management Platform to streamline this process. Founders and VAs share one workspace for assignments, files, and progress tracking. This makes project management for startups much smoother: tasks don’t slip through cracks, feedback loops stay tight, and priorities are transparent. The upshot is that you gain all the agility of AI without losing the warmth and understanding of a real partner.
Outsourcing the right tasks is key to reducing burnout. In general, any work that doesn’t absolutely require your personal attention is a candidate for a VA. Here are some of the top virtual assistant tasks many startups delegate:
By contrast, tasks you probably should keep yourself include core strategy, investor pitch preparation, product design decisions, or any sensitive leadership duty. But the above categories cover many hours per week. Even if you start small (say, 5–10 hours of VA support each week), you can test the benefits.
Modern remote work tools make this easy: MySigrid VAs use Slack/Teams and shared calendars to sync with your team. They work across time zones (often overnight), so you wake up to completed tasks. As one biotech CEO said of his MySigrid assistant, “My VA sometimes anticipates my travel needs before I do – that’s a luxury I now enjoy… tasks are already solved when I arrive at the office in the morning.”. In short, think of a VA as your stealth partner – expanding your working hours and reminding you of deadlines so you don’t burn out.
Nothing illustrates the impact of a virtual assistant better than real examples. MySigrid has helped entrepreneurs and executives across industries reclaim their time and sanity:
These stories all share a theme: delegating work relieved stress and kept founders from burning out. By trusting their VAs, these clients could focus on high-impact work (closing deals, innovating products) while routine details quietly got done.
To get the most out of virtual assistant services and avoid burnout pitfalls, follow these best practices:
By following these practices, you harness remote staffing solutions effectively. You’ll find the balance between oversight and trusting your team. The virtual assistant becomes an extension of you, not just a vendor.
Delegating is not shirking responsibility – it’s a strategic choice. By using virtual assistant services (especially the hybrid model MySigrid offers), entrepreneurs and executives can dramatically reduce stress and avoid burnout. MySigrid stands out among the best virtual assistant companies, with a top-tier, pre-vetted team that makes executives’ workdays simpler.
If you’re feeling stretched thin, consider taking the first step today. Learn more about MySigrid’s personalized VA plans on their website. You can also connect with Paul Østergaard, MySigrid’s co-founder, on LinkedIn – he frequently shares insights on scaling with remote teams and avoiding burnout. And when you’re ready, book a consultation to explore how a dedicated MySigrid assistant could fit your startup’s needs. With an executive-level VA handling the busywork, you’ll regain hours in your week, clarity of mind, and the work-life harmony you deserve.
Ready to transform your workload? Visit MySigrid to discover how virtual assistant services can help you scale without burning out. Schedule a chat with our team or a consultation, and start reclaiming your time today.