Here you are. You’ve come to a point in your business where you’re mulling over the idea of hiring an Online Business Manager to help you with running your online business.
Truth be told, you’ve also worked with virtual assistants in the past (and probably even right now) who are smashing every task off the list, and you couldn’t be happier. But there’s this nagging thought asking you to explore what could be the benefits of investing in an Online Business Manager, and if that’s what you need in your business right now. In this article, we’ll explore the roles of a virtual assistant vs an online business manager, whether VA’s are a quick fix, and if hiring an OBM is worth all the hype.
The Difference Between a VA and an OBM
As a creative online business owner, you might be thinking, “Why hire an online business manager (OBM) when I can just hire a virtual assistant (VA)?” And while it’s true that VAs can be great at getting tasks off your plate, there’s a key difference between the two roles.
A VA is task-oriented and great at executing specific tasks that you assign to them. They might manage your social media accounts, schedule appointments, or handle your inbox. Hey, they could even assist with adding new pages to your website and writing content for your newsletters. However, they’re not always equipped to think big picture and will keep coming back to you the moment they hit a roadblock. They also won’t necessarily be able to identify areas for growth in your business or help you strategize ways to achieve your long-term goals.
On the other hand, an OBM is someone who understands your business goals and helps you develop strategies to achieve them. They work closely with you to understand your overall vision for your business and then figure out how to execute on that vision. This might involve creating new systems or processes, identifying areas for growth or optimization, or managing teams of freelancers or other contractors.
An OBM doesn’t just focus on completing specific tasks – they’re invested in the big picture of your business. They want to make sure that everything you’re doing is aligned with your overall goals and that you’re making smart decisions that will help you achieve long-term success. So while a VA might be able to complete specific tasks for you like updating your website plugins, an OBM is better equipped to help you build and grow your business over time – like inquiring about your website traffic metrics and considering why the bounce rate is high (while ensuring that the plugins get updated!).
What an OBM Can Bring to Your Business
As a creative online business owner, you have a vision for your business and one of those goals may be to scale your operations, which means more team members. But as your business grows, it can be difficult to keep up with discovery calls, contracts, payments, client servicing, troubleshooting – all the tiny bits multiplied by all the clients, all the projects and all the team! This makes it hard to peek over the fog to ensure all these steps are taking you toward your goals. This is where an OBM becomes a God-sent.
An OBM can bring critical thinking and evaluation skills to your business, allowing them to identify and solve problems in a way that not only fixes the immediate issue but also helps your business profitably. They can develop and implement plans, set accountabilities, and streamline processes to ensure everything runs smoothly in the backend.
When a new client signs up, you want to be able to focus on the excitement and potential for growth, not on feeling overwhelmed by the additional workload. Hiring an OBM allows you to open up your time to do what you REALLY want to do, while leaving some of the thinking and strategizing to someone who sees the big picture as you do and shares in your enthusiasm for success.
An OBM can bring expertise and experience to the table (more on that in a bit), helping you scale and launch new services while also helping you put out some fires through systems and SOPs. They can evaluate the current state of your business and make suggestions for improvement, leaving you with the confidence that even if it takes time to set your house in order, it’s going to happen sooner than later.
A VA may seem like a quick fix plus a budget-friendly option, capable of completing specific tasks, an OBM is a worthwhile investment for any online business owner looking to build sustainable systems that replace quick-fix solutions for long-term success.
How an OBM Helps with Strategy and Planning
As a creative online business owner, you know that strategy and planning are essential for success. If only you had the time and bandwidth. If you have been running a successful online creative business as a sole entrepreneur, you are no stranger to chaos, and confusion, especially when you begin to miss those deadlines. At this stage, all that matters is putting out fires on time. Over a period of time, this can cause you to reach a stagnancy in your revenues (which you’re aware of) and unfortunately with no extra time to do anything about it. That’s where an OBM comes in.
An OBM will work closely with you to articulate your goals and values in a way that translates into actionable steps. They’ll use online tools like project management software and mind mapping to help you brainstorm and organize your ideas.
But an OBM does more than just help you organize your thoughts. They’ve worked with other online businesses and have a community of OBM’s to bounce off ideas with, and will therefore know what works and what doesn’t. They’ll use this knowledge to help you make strategic decisions that will move your business forward.
And because an OBM is focused on metrics and data, they’ll insist on setting up systems to track your progress. They’ll use this information to help you make informed decisions and adjust your strategy as needed.
In short, an OBM brings a level of strategy and planning that a VA simply can’t match. If you’re serious about taking your business to the next level (and yourself out of the weeds), investing in an OBM is the way to go.
The Value of Expertise and Experience
When it comes to hiring an OBM for your business, one of the key benefits they bring to the table is their expertise and experience. Unlike a VA, OBMs typically come with significant work experience, often having worked in corporate roles or having acquired educational qualifications and certifications.
In my case, I spent over a decade working as a corporate HR professional, where I was responsible for interacting with the CEO and heads of departments, as well as running massive recruitment drives for multinational companies in the Middle East. Later on, I moved to digital marketing and gained expertise in front-end coding, WordPress, web design, branding, and copywriting.
It’s clear that an OBM is much more than just a task doer. They bring a unique skillset to the table, combining a big-picture mindset with the ability to focus on the nitty-gritty details of day-to-day operations. If you’ve worked in a corporate role, then think of an OBM as the head of operations, the person who oversees all aspects of what keeps the business chugging along, from strategy and planning to managing workflows, delegating tasks, and optimizing processes.
While a VA can certainly contribute to your business, ask yourself if a VA could be Head of Operations for your business. They could definitely have the potential down the line, but they would need grooming, mentoring and more time on the job before they get there. Can you wait till that happens?
Streamlining Processes and Delegation with an OBM
If you are ready to start delegating, then an Online Business Manager (OBM) is the right person to take over and then hand over to the right team members as they streamline your processes. A business owner can truly be successful if they are ready to delegate, and not micro-manage. This is especially important if you’d rather use that precious time and energy to focus on tasks that scale your creative business.
I know of business owners who find it really hard to loosen the reins. Delegation can be a daunting task for many creative business entrepreneurs who are used to doing everything themselves. But with an OBM in place, delegating tasks becomes easier. You can rest assured that the tasks will be completed efficiently and to a high standard, allowing you to focus on other important aspects of your business.
To be fair, effective delegation can only happen when your business processes are streamlined and documented. This makes you confident that everyone on your team is on the same page, and work can continue even if team members take time off or move on. An OBM can help you create a clear and efficient process for all of your business operations by creating SOPs, from customer service to product development.
Not only does this streamline your business operations, it also provides your team with a sense of structure and accountability. With clear guidelines in place, team members can focus on their assigned tasks and take ownership of their responsibilities. This ultimately leads to a more efficient, productive, and happier team.
While VAs are a great resource for outsourcing tasks, an OBM is more equipped to manage the big picture and can provide strategic guidance on which tasks to delegate. They can also ensure that tasks are being completed to a high standard and within the allotted time frame.
Hiring an OBM can be incredibly beneficial for streamlining your business processes and delegating tasks. With an OBM on your team, you can feel confident that your business operations are running smoothly and that your team is focused on their assigned tasks. This allows you to focus on growth opportunities, investing in your business, and enjoying your personal life.
Calculating the ROI of Hiring an OBM
As with any business investment, it’s important to consider the return on investment (ROI) of hiring an OBM. While the upfront cost may be higher than hiring a VA, the long-term benefits can far outweigh the cost.
First, consider the value of time saved. An OBM can take on the tasks that are bogging you down and preventing you from focusing on tasks that light you up. By delegating these tasks, you can spend your time on revenue-generating activities and growing your business. Additionally, an OBM can streamline processes and improve efficiency, further saving time and money.
Secondly, think about the value of expertise and experience. An OBM has specialized knowledge and skills in business management, project management, and team leadership. They can bring new ideas and strategies to the table, and help your business reach its true potential. This level of expertise can result in increased revenue, cost savings, and improved productivity.
Lastly, consider the cost savings from avoiding mistakes. Without a solid business plan and strategy, mistakes can be costly. An OBM can help prevent these mistakes by implementing effective systems and processes. They can also anticipate potential challenges and risks, and create contingency plans to mitigate them.
When calculating the ROI of hiring an OBM, it’s important to take into account the increased revenue, time savings, cost savings, and the value of expertise and experience. In many cases, the ROI of hiring an OBM can be significant, making it a wise investment for any business owner looking to take their business to the next level.
In conclusion, if you want to achieve business growth, higher productivity, and efficiencies in operations, hiring an OBM is a wise investment. While a VA can help with smaller tasks, an OBM can take a big-picture approach and bring invaluable expertise, experience, and strategy to your business. Don’t settle for a band-aid solution with a VA. Book a discovery call with an OBM that treats your business as their own. Explore our service options, and see which ones align with you. If you’re not sure where to start, let’s start with a discovery call and see how we can work together to achieve your goals.
