Category Archives: Online Business Manager

You know you need help, but you aren’t quite sure… do you need the help of a VA (virtual assistant) or is it time to hire an OBM (online business manager)?

First, let’s take a look at the key differences between a VA and an OBM.

Doing vs. Managing
The role of a virtual assistant is to be a DOER in the business. What they do will vary from person to person depending on their area of expertise – admin, customer service, tech, marketing, etc.

The role of an online business manager is to be a MANAGER in the business – to make sure the right things get done, in the right way, in the right time, and by the right person. 

Responsibility
A VA is responsible for their OWN tasks and projects being completed and delivered on time.

An OBM is focused on what the entire team is doing – making sure that EVERYONE is completing their tasks on time, to ensure progress is being made toward the business goals.

Planning
A VA needs to plan their time and workload effectively to ensure their own work gets done.

An OBM is planning for the entire business – always looking ahead to what is coming up and creating plans & systems to ensure the business is running smoothly and effectively – vs. functioning in a constant state of reacting to last minute requests and functioning in overwhelm mode, which is so common when no one is planning ahead.

Working with the Team
A VA is very focused on their own work, and will engage with fellow team members as needed to complete their own tasks.

An OBM is the main point of contact for the entire team – working closely with everyone on a day-to-day basis, to ensure that each person is clear on their tasks & deadlines and has what they need to do their best work.

Put simply – a VA works independently with a focus on completing their own tasks, and will often rely on the business owner (you!) telling them what needs to be done. Whereas an OBM plugs into the big picture, layout plans and works with the entire team to ensure everyone is getting the right stuff done and that progress is being made to meet the goals of the business. 

So how do you know if you need to hire a VA or an OBM? A few things to consider…

1. What stage of growth is your business at? You’ve worked hard to establish your offer, find clients and get the money coming in the door… now it’s time to focus on building a foundation for growth. You are consistently making at least $15-$20k/month, have big plans for where you want to go next, and you know you can’t get there on your own. This is where an OBM comes in, working with you to lay out the right plan, team and structure to get you to the next level. 
2. Who is currently managing the team? If you are like many of the business owners I speak with, you don’t realize how much time and energy it takes to manage the day-to-day of your business. Creating plans. Making sure you have the right people and resources in place to get stuff done. Checking in with the team to ensure they are on track (and working together when things are off track.) Until you have an OBM in place all of these things land on your shoulders, and can be a huge drain of time and energy.
3. Where are the bottlenecks? In the early days your own hustle is enough to build your business – you work hard and get it done. But when you get beyond 6-figures the hustle actually starts to get in the way. There is only so much of your time and energy to go around – and if you are the ‘hub’ of everything that happens in the business, you become the biggest bottleneck. An OBM will work with you to get ‘all the things’ off your plate, so that you can get back to growing the business and doing what you love. 

There comes a time when your business becomes bigger than you working as a lone ranger. When what you did in the early days with your ‘do it all myself’ mentality is no longer effective, and actually starts to get in the way and stall your growth.

If you are ready to take things to the next level and get yourself freed up from the day-to-day, let’s talk. 

Wondering if you should hire an Online Business Manager? Here are 5 tell-tale signs that it may be time for you to add an OBM to your team.

1. Your business is growing while your own free-time is shrinking

I’m guessing you started your business to create more freedom in your life. Freedom of time, money and choice. Let me ask you – as your business grows are you actually working more, or less? If you are on the ‘working more’ side of things you aren’t alone. I talk to business owners all the time who are working more hours in their own business than they ever did at their old job. 

It doesn’t have to be this way – as a business owner you have the freedom to make changes in your business, including hiring the right support to get stuff off your plate. This is exactly what an Online Business Manager does – an OBM’s focus is to free up the business owner (you) so that you can focus your time & energy on the things that only you can do in your business.

2. You are turning away opportunities because you are so busy

This is an unfortunate by-product of the first point. Are you so busy that you can’t take advantage of the opportunities that are coming your way? Do you ever find yourself saying “I would love to do X, I know it would be a great new offer, but I don’t have time for that right now”.

Not only can an Online Business Manager help free up your own time to be able to explore these opportunities, they can also work on bringing some of these opportunities to life for you. An Online Business Manager can help manage the process of bringing new strategies, projects and offers from concept to launch.

3. You are still doing the same things you were doing when you started your business

Remember when you first started your business and had to wear all the hats? You were the cook, hostess, waitress, cleaning team AND and manager. Now that your business is growing, are you still doing the same things as you were in the beginning? Are you still updating your own website? Are you still sending out your own emails? Are you still answering customer service emails? As your business grows your role will (and should) change. 

An Online Business Manager can pull you out of doing these things and help you let go of the tasks that should no longer be taking up your time & energy – the things getting in the way of you growing your business.

4. You have a great team, but find yourself frustrated by them always needing something from you

This is actually a very common complaint from business owners – they have a great team of virtual assistants, tech experts, etc., and yet they are constantly frustrated by how much their team needs from them. They feel like someone is always tapping them on the shoulder with a question or request. The thing is, your team does need someone to manage & support them. They need someone they can turn to with questions, to get what they need to complete their projects correctly and on time. And if there isn’t an Online Business Manager on the team, who are they going to turn to? That would be you.

As a fellow business owner once said: “My VAs were doing a fine job – it was ME who was unhappy managing them.” Most business owners really don’t enjoy being managers (and often aren’t good at it). An Online Business Manager becomes the key point of contact for your team – all questions & requests go to the OBM instead of you.

5. You are stuck at $X revenue and can’t seem to get past that point

When you find yourself stuck at a certain revenue level there is usually one thing getting in the way – again, that would be you. This is often referred to as the quarter million dollar speed bump (give or take) and a big part of the solution usually requires you removing yourself from the day-to-day operations and management of your business.

Start to ask yourself as you go about your day – do I need to be the one doing this?

Chances are many things on your to-do list could be passed along to someone else on your team. And an Online Business Manager can help with that process by delegating and managing those tasks on your behalf. In short, once you:

• have hit multiple 6-figures in revenue
• have a clear vision & goals for your next level of growth and
• are ready to step into being the CEO and have someone else run the business for you

…you’re ready to hire an OBM. 

There are many reasons to hiring a Certified OBM, but the main one is this:

A Certified OBM is IN your business with you.

They are managing the day-to-day operations. They are a part of the team. They are rolling up their sleeves to drive projects and ensure that business goals are being met.

They are a true success partner in the journey – with you every step of the way. 

Let’s be real… it can be lonely in our own business. Even when we have a team, it can often feel like it’s still all on our shoulders to move things forward. To make sure the right things are getting done. To ensure the team has what they need. To layout strong systems and a foundation for sustainable success.

We can get to the point where we are making money, BUT, our business has become a real drag. The weight of it can become a burden that gets heavier and heavier over time.

Coaching support is essential. Strategic support is important as well. Masterminds are great. We need those things as leaders but those people aren’t IN the business with us day to day.

Imagine having someone IN your business who cares about it as much as you do.

Who shows up each day, in service of your mission and clients.

Who considers your success to be their success.

That’s what it means to hire a Certified OBM.

Want to have someone IN your business with you? Let’s connect