Is an Online Business Manager just an expensive Virtual Assistant?
The knee-jerk reaction I see time and time again is business owners hiring a virtual assistant without a second thought, thinking that this will solve their overwhelm. While there is absolutely a place for virtual assistants in the online space, your business needs to be prepped and ready for it.
So, what comes first? The OBM or the VA….let’s start by defining the roles:
A Virtual Assistant is task-driven, you get out what you put in.
Managing a virtual assistant requires the headspace to pre-plan and the structure to delegate clearly. This all means that you as the business owner need to think 10 steps ahead to give your VA enough time and context to complete the task(s).
The level of detail thought and planning that goes into delegating directly affects the output so, if you don’t have the bandwidth or the structure in place to enable you to delegate you’re not going to see the return on your investment you’d hoped - and worse, you’ll become extremely frustrated!
An Online Business Manager is outcome-focused, you as the business owner delegates the idea and lets the team nail the details.
An OBMs role is to manage the day-to-day running of your business, freeing up space and energy for you to focus on delivery and sales activity - the revenue-generating tasks. As well as managing teams, projects and processes an OBM acts as your 1:1 support system - having been in the details of many different businesses OBMs are uniquely placed to be an incredible sounding board and will challenge you [lovingly] so that time and resources are spent wisely.
Your time and energy are my main priorities!
It’s often the case that when you hire an OBM they have an expectation that your next hire should be a VA (if you haven’t got one already) and this is because your OBM needs a team to delegate to. The last thing you want is to be paying the OBM price tag for them to end up doing VA work.
Ultimately, it comes down to what your vision is for the business. If you dream of hiring a team and scaling your delivery an OBM will help prepare your business by creating scalable systems, building out a team intentionally and holding you accountable along the way.
‘‘The fact is that every true Visionary needs to be counterbalanced with a great Integrator if he or she wants his or her vision to be fully realized’’
Let’s dive in to what a VA and a OBM might typically take care of in an online business
A virtual assistant might
Schedule social media content
Calendar and Inbox management
Research & document creation
Respond to client enquiries
An OBM will:
Manage the team on a daily basis, creating a culture of trust, autonomy and fun
Capture and analyse data to inform priorities and strategy
Identify ways to improve client lifetime value
Manage multiple projects such as rebrands, website builds, launches
Present top level information to to CEO such as business health, team challenges and project updates
You can see that there are significant differences in the way the two roles function - both are absolutely needed in an online business where the goal is to scale and grow in a way that is sustainable.
When an OBM and CEO work together…that’s when the magic really starts!
Are you unsure whether your business is ready to hire, or whether its a VA or OBM you need? I’m happy to give you some clarity on your current situation and hiring potential on a discovery call. Book your no-obligation call here.
