--- title: "Hours planner: how many assistant hours you need" description: "Free hours planner: how many assistant hours you need: enter your numbers and see results instantly, with formulas and assumptions explained. Try it." url: https://assistbpo.com/tools/hours-planner/ updated: 2026-09-21 publisher: AssistBPO (SS Support Network LLC) language: en-US --- # Hours planner: how many assistant hours you need Free tool How many hours virtual assistant support you need is the first question a staffing plan answers, and this free hours planner estimates it from your daily task count, minutes per task, calls per day and the number of desks involved, then suggests an engagement model. Estimates are for orientation, not an AssistBPO price. Plans depend on hours, desks and coverage. Updated September 2026 · Reviewed by [Nimra Khalid](https://assistbpo.com/team/nimra-khalid/) - Formula shown - Runs in your browser - Sources listed ## How does the planner work? Hours a day equal tasks times minutes per task plus calls times minutes per call, divided by sixty. Hours a week multiply by working days, with a 15 percent allowance for every extra desk to cover context switching and handovers. The planner maps the result to a model: under 12 hours a week suggests a project or a shared desk, 12 to 32 a part-time dedicated assistant, 32 to 60 a full-time dedicated assistant, and above 60 a pod with a lead. ## What is it based on? - Dedicated models are 80 hours (part-time) or 160 hours (full-time) a month, the structure named on the engagement models page. - Context switching between desks adds about 15 percent per extra desk; the allowance is an operational rule of thumb, not a published statistic. - Call handling time includes wrap-up (notes, booking, message) at the minutes per call you enter. - Hours a month = hours a week times 4.33. - Admin and marketing work makes up more than 62 percent of virtual assistant workloads (Wishup 2026), so most first plans land between 20 and 40 hours a week. ## What should you do with your result? Take the suggested model to the staffing plan form. If phones are more than a third of the hours, ask for a receptionist profile rather than a general assistant, and add the after-hours desk if calls arrive after 6pm. If the estimate lands above 60 hours, the plan will propose a pod with a lead rather than two unconnected assistants. [Get a staffing plan](https://assistbpo.com/get-a-staffing-plan/)[Book a 20-minute call](https://assistbpo.com/book-a-call/) ## Frequently asked questions ### How much do these hours cost? Plans depend on hours, desks and coverage. Get a staffing plan within 1 business day. The planner gives you the hours; the plan turns them into a monthly figure for a named assistant, a backup and a team lead. ### What if my hours vary by season? Plan for the steady load with a dedicated assistant and cover peaks with a shared desk or a temporary pod member. Tell us the peak months on the staffing plan form; e-commerce and tax-season clients do this every year. ### Can I start smaller than the suggestion? Yes. Many clients start at 80 hours a month on one desk and add hours or a second desk after the first weekly reviews show what is actually being handed off. ### Why does the planner add time for extra desks? Because switching between phones, tickets and admin costs focus and creates handovers. One person across three desks needs slightly more hours than the sum of the three task lists, and above a certain size a pod with specialists is more efficient. ### Does the planner cover 24/7? No. It estimates the daytime load. Overnight and weekend coverage is an add-on planned separately by call volume, and the coverage clock on the services page shows what is staffed in your zone. ## More free tools - [Virtual assistant cost calculator](https://assistbpo.com/tools/virtual-assistant-cost-calculator/) - [In-house vs virtual assistant cost calculator](https://assistbpo.com/tools/in-house-vs-virtual-assistant-calculator/) - [Missed-call cost calculator](https://assistbpo.com/tools/missed-call-cost-calculator/) - [Delegation audit](https://assistbpo.com/tools/delegation-audit/) - [Answering service pricing calculator (per-minute vs dedicated)](https://assistbpo.com/tools/answering-service-pricing-calculator/) Next step ## Turn the estimate into a plan Send the hours, the desk and the tools you use. A named person replies within 1 business day with a staffing plan based on your real numbers, not a calculator. [Get a staffing plan](https://assistbpo.com/get-a-staffing-plan/) [Book a 20-minute call](https://assistbpo.com/book-a-call/) Or call [+1-657-777-0006](tel:+16577770006) during US, UK or Australian business hours, or [hear our demo receptionist](https://assistbpo.com/demo-line/). - A named assistant proposed within 72 hours - Employed, screened and managed staff, never freelancers - Your hours, your tools, your data --- Source: https://assistbpo.com/tools/hours-planner/ · Contact: https://assistbpo.com/contact/ · Full site map for agents: https://assistbpo.com/llms.txt