Do you need an OBM or a VA?
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 in a timely fashion.
An OBM is focused on what the entire team is doing - making sure that EVERYONE is completing their tasks in a timely manner, to ensure that progress is being made toward the established business goals.
Planning
A VA needs to plan their time and workload effectively to ensure that their own work is being completed.
An OBM is planning for the business at large - 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 overwhelm that is so common when there isn’t a plan).
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 key point of contact for the entire team - working closely with them on a day-to-day basis, to ensure that everyone 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 is able to plug into the big picture, layout plans and work with the entire team to ensure that everyone is ‘getting the right stuff done’ and 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…
There comes a time when your business becomes bigger than you working as a lone ranger. Where what you did in the early days - the hustle and the ‘do it all myself’ mentality - is no longer effective…it 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.
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 in a timely fashion.
An OBM is focused on what the entire team is doing - making sure that EVERYONE is completing their tasks in a timely manner, to ensure that progress is being made toward the established business goals.
Planning
A VA needs to plan their time and workload effectively to ensure that their own work is being completed.
An OBM is planning for the business at large - 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 overwhelm that is so common when there isn’t a plan).
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 key point of contact for the entire team - working closely with them on a day-to-day basis, to ensure that everyone 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 is able to plug into the big picture, layout plans and work with the entire team to ensure that everyone is ‘getting the right stuff done’ and 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…
- 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 making at least a consistent $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.
- 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.
- Where are the bottlenecks?
In the early days your own hustle is enough to carry you through - you work hard and get it done. But when you reach the early 6-figure mark 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… well, 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. Where what you did in the early days - the hustle and the ‘do it all myself’ mentality - is no longer effective…it 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.
What do OBMs do?
An OBM is your success partner as you work towards your next level of growth, getting you out of the day-to-day running of your business and working with the team to turn your goals into reality.
Your OBM is here to help you build a strong foundation for your business, including:
Your OBM is here to help you build a strong foundation for your business, including:
- Establishing a habit of quarterly planning - so that you and the team are always clear on goals and objectives (no more flying by the seat of your pants!)
- Working with the team - to ensure that the right people are doing the right things, and everyone is empowered to do their best work
- Streamlining your operations - documenting processes and creating systems that allow for work to be done efficiently and effectively
- Driving progress - it’s the role of the OBM to ensure that progress is being made towards established goals, and to
- Clearing YOUR plate - so that you can focus your efforts on CEO level activities and growing the business (instead of running it!)
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 betting you started your business to create more freedom in your life. Time, money and choice FREEDOM.
Let me ask you – as your business grows are you actually working more or less time?
If you are on the ‘working more time’ side of things you certainly aren’t alone… I can’t count how many times I’ve talked to business owners who working more hours in their own business than they ever did in their ‘old job’.
However it doesn’t have to be this way - as a business owner you have the freedom to be able to make changes in your business, including hiring the right help to get stuff off your plate.
This is exactly what an Online Business Manager does – their focus is to free up the business owner (you!) so that you can focus your time and energy on the things that only YOU can do in your business.
2. You are having to turn 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 and know it would be a great new offer... but I simply don’t have the time for it 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 to life 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 many hats? You were the cook, hostess, waitress and busboy (so to speak) 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 broadcasts? Are you still answering all your customer service emails?
As your business grows your role will (and should!) change.
An Online Business Manager can lovingly ‘slap your wrist’ when it comes to you doing some of these things… helping you let go of some of the ‘old’ stuff taking up your time that gets in the way of you growing your business.
4. You have a great team, but find yourself frustrated by them always ‘bugging’ you.
This is actually a very common complaint from business owners – they have a great team of virtual assistants, techie folks and such. 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 them. They need someone who they can turn to with questions, to get what they need to complete their projects quickly and on time. And if there is not an Online Business Manager on the team, who do they turn to? You – the business owner.
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 I'm guessing this may be the same for you. An Online Business Manager becomes the key point of contact for your team – all questions, requests and such 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 point in revenue there is usually one thing getting in the way – you! This is often referred to as the quarter million dollar speedbump (can be more or less than that of course) and a big part of the solution usually requires you removing yourself from the day-to-day activities and management of your business.
Start to ask yourself as you go about your day – do I need to be the person to do X? (with X being the many things you spend your time on each day.)
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:
I’m betting you started your business to create more freedom in your life. Time, money and choice FREEDOM.
Let me ask you – as your business grows are you actually working more or less time?
If you are on the ‘working more time’ side of things you certainly aren’t alone… I can’t count how many times I’ve talked to business owners who working more hours in their own business than they ever did in their ‘old job’.
However it doesn’t have to be this way - as a business owner you have the freedom to be able to make changes in your business, including hiring the right help to get stuff off your plate.
This is exactly what an Online Business Manager does – their focus is to free up the business owner (you!) so that you can focus your time and energy on the things that only YOU can do in your business.
2. You are having to turn 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 and know it would be a great new offer... but I simply don’t have the time for it 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 to life 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 many hats? You were the cook, hostess, waitress and busboy (so to speak) 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 broadcasts? Are you still answering all your customer service emails?
As your business grows your role will (and should!) change.
An Online Business Manager can lovingly ‘slap your wrist’ when it comes to you doing some of these things… helping you let go of some of the ‘old’ stuff taking up your time that gets in the way of you growing your business.
4. You have a great team, but find yourself frustrated by them always ‘bugging’ you.
This is actually a very common complaint from business owners – they have a great team of virtual assistants, techie folks and such. 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 them. They need someone who they can turn to with questions, to get what they need to complete their projects quickly and on time. And if there is not an Online Business Manager on the team, who do they turn to? You – the business owner.
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 I'm guessing this may be the same for you. An Online Business Manager becomes the key point of contact for your team – all questions, requests and such 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 point in revenue there is usually one thing getting in the way – you! This is often referred to as the quarter million dollar speedbump (can be more or less than that of course) and a big part of the solution usually requires you removing yourself from the day-to-day activities and management of your business.
Start to ask yourself as you go about your day – do I need to be the person to do X? (with X being the many things you spend your time on each day.)
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 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
So what can you expect in the first 90 days of working with an OBM?
8 keys to ensure you build a successful working relationship with your OBM:
When we come together with clarity, purpose and patience in the first 90 days all things are possible.
- It is your role as CEO to cast the vision for the business and clearly communicate what you are working toward.
You need to know where you want to go so that your OBM can create a plan for the next 90-days and steer the ship in the right direction. - It takes time for the OBM to get to know your business!
Your OBM won’t need to be trained in how to manage a business, but they do need to learn about your business and how you do things.
Create space to properly onboard your OBM and to allow for them to get to know all that they need to know. - Know that hiring an OBM will NOT magically solve all of your business challenges in the first 90 days.
You will need to agree on top priorities (max 3!) and allow your OBM to work through those priorities at a reasonable pace (probably slower than you’d like, remember, they are still learning your business!).
You can get everything you want, just not all at once ;) - Expectations are key.
Be prepared to communicate what you are expecting (what success will look & feel like for you) so that the end result you desire is easily understood. The more clear you can be upfront, the more likely you will get what you are looking for. - Communication is also key.
Expect to give and receive ‘excess’ communication in the first 90 days, until you understand each other’s styles and have built trust. - Be willing to let go.
OBMs are leaders, not followers. Expect your OBM to jump right in, take the lead on projects, and get things off your plate. This is what they are trained to do, this is what the business needs them to do. - Know that you don’t actually want your OBM to think or be exactly like you.
Their way may look different from how you have or would do things, that’s OK (part of letting go). Each of you is going to bring unique approaches to the table, and the business needs both. - Expect some bumps along the way.
Things may not feel amazing in week 1 while you learn to work with each other.
When things don’t feel perfectly smooth, communication and collaboration will be the key to getting on track. Don’t throw in the towel too soon!
When we come together with clarity, purpose and patience in the first 90 days all things are possible.
How to Afford the Help You Need
When it comes to hiring team members one of the biggest questions that comes up is:
“How can I afford the help I need?”
It almost always will feel like a stretch when you are hiring - whether it’s your first VA or an OBM to run your business.
You can look at hiring one of two ways:
When you look at hiring as an expense all you can see is how much they are costing you. All you can see is the amount of money that is now going out the door each month, and every time you delegate or bring a new person on board it feels like you are ‘losing’ money.
This is the wrong way to look at hiring.
Instead, we want to look at hiring as an investment. We want to look at it through the lens of ‘how does this team member bring more money into the business’?
Because every single person on your team should be allowing the business to make more money.
To be clear, this does NOT mean that every person on your team will be directly bringing clients in the door unless you are hiring them in a sales or marketing role.
What it means is that each person on the team allows YOU to be freed up to do the things that grow the business.
As the CEO of your company you have a choice. You can either:
When we look at hiring this way, it requires that we ask ourselves:
“How does this person coming on board allow ME to continue to grow and expand the business?”
If you are hiring your first VA, they will be able to get you out of the weeds and take those day-to-day admin tasks off your plate.
If you are hiring an OBM, they will be able to create plans, drive projects and work with the team to make sure stuff is getting done.
This is when hiring becomes an investment, as it gives you back your TIME to focus on the things that truly do bring more money into the business.
Here’s the bottom line…
If YOU don’t do your part - focus on activities that will grow the business - then yes, your team members will feel like just an expense because there isn’t any more money coming in the door.
Each and every time you hire someone to free you up to focus on growth, that is an investment in your business and where the magic really happens.
“How can I afford the help I need?”
It almost always will feel like a stretch when you are hiring - whether it’s your first VA or an OBM to run your business.
You can look at hiring one of two ways:
- As an expense
OR - As an investment
When you look at hiring as an expense all you can see is how much they are costing you. All you can see is the amount of money that is now going out the door each month, and every time you delegate or bring a new person on board it feels like you are ‘losing’ money.
This is the wrong way to look at hiring.
Instead, we want to look at hiring as an investment. We want to look at it through the lens of ‘how does this team member bring more money into the business’?
Because every single person on your team should be allowing the business to make more money.
To be clear, this does NOT mean that every person on your team will be directly bringing clients in the door unless you are hiring them in a sales or marketing role.
What it means is that each person on the team allows YOU to be freed up to do the things that grow the business.
As the CEO of your company you have a choice. You can either:
- Spend your time on the backend, day to day stuff that runs the business
OR - Spend your time on the stuff that grows the business
When we look at hiring this way, it requires that we ask ourselves:
“How does this person coming on board allow ME to continue to grow and expand the business?”
If you are hiring your first VA, they will be able to get you out of the weeds and take those day-to-day admin tasks off your plate.
If you are hiring an OBM, they will be able to create plans, drive projects and work with the team to make sure stuff is getting done.
This is when hiring becomes an investment, as it gives you back your TIME to focus on the things that truly do bring more money into the business.
Here’s the bottom line…
If YOU don’t do your part - focus on activities that will grow the business - then yes, your team members will feel like just an expense because there isn’t any more money coming in the door.
Each and every time you hire someone to free you up to focus on growth, that is an investment in your business and where the magic really happens.
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