Personal assistant: a guide for pros
What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.
Offering personal assistant
You manage schedules, errands, correspondence and logistics for clients, in person or remotely. Your value is steady reliability, discretion and clear communication that gives the client time back.
What customers ask
- Can you manage my calendar and send invitations in my name?
- Will you handle my bills and my bank account, and what controls do you use?
- What hours are you available, and how do you handle urgent requests?
- Can you book travel for me and keep track of the details?
- How do you keep my personal information private?
How to win the job
- On the first call, ask for the top recurring tasks, the people the client wants you to contact, the decisions the client keeps and the hours of coverage needed.
- Write a one page preferences sheet before the first week, covering travel, meals, contacts and what to do with urgent messages.
- Set up access with the least privilege needed for each task, and list every account and login in your records.
- Send a sample weekly summary with completed work, receipts and open decisions, so the client sees your reporting format.
- Keep receipts for every expense you pay with your own money and send them with the summary.
- Sign a confidentiality agreement before you open any personal records, and keep a copy on file.
What to put on your profile
- List the types of personal assistance you provide, such as calendar management, travel or household errands.
- Describe your availability in plain terms, including in person and remote options and the areas you cover.
- Name the tools you use for scheduling, bills and communication.
Follow-up that helps the customer
- Review the task list with the client each quarter and retire tasks that no longer need help.
- Offer to set up a travel checklist for the client's next trip so the details are in one place.
- Suggest a yearly review of recurring bills and subscriptions, so the client can decide which to keep.
Licenses and permits
No license is usually required for personal assistant work. Keep a current business registration if you operate as a business, and confirm that your insurance covers the work you do, such as driving for errands; check your state or local rules for any registration or insurance your work requires.
Questions
Do I need a background check to work with private homes?
Many clients ask for one, and some agencies require it. Offer to provide one if the client asks, and check your state or local rules on how background checks are requested and shared.
What if a client asks me to handle money I do not control?
Decline in writing and explain the controls you need. Do not move money from accounts without the client's approval recorded in the task summary.
How do I handle personal errands when I use my own car?
Confirm that your auto insurance covers business use and that the client agrees to reimbursement for mileage and fuel in writing.
Pro reviewers
Pros who offer personal assistant remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.
Edit history
- Oct 29, 2026: Drafted by infinibell to our content guidelines.
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