What is an Online Business Manager?
(And how are they different from a Virtual Assistant?)
One of the biggest questions I get asked is the difference between a Virtual Assistant (VA) and an Online Business Manager (OBM). And today’s the day I’m breaking it down for the blog!
Ok, let’s jump into a real-world scenario. You’ve started your business… you’re a badass entrepreneur, growing your business, making sales, serving your clients. It’s all going so smoothly…
Until it starts getting a little stretchy. A little too busy. The to-do list is wayyyy too long.
You’re sitting there, scheduling your social posts, organizing a spreadsheet or cleaning out your inbox. You know these things are important but you also have so many other things that you want to be doing with that time.
Enter a VA. A Virtual Assistant is who you want to hire to get those items crossed off your to-do list. Someone who is a task-doer. Some VAs have specialties and niches - think Admin VA who is really good at managing inboxes and schedules or a Tech VA who does website updates or knows how to load emails into your email templates.
A VA is more about getting the task done as opposed to why the task is being done and how it affects the big picture of the business.
And that is where an Online Business Manager comes in. An OBM brings in strategy.
Think of an OBM as more of a partner in your business - they are going to encourage you to set those BHAGs (Big Hairy Augacious Goals) and create the path (think tasks & milestones) that will get you there plus manage the projects and team along the way.
Here are some of the ways an Online Business Manager can help you in your business, broken down by all the areas of your business:
CEO:
New Business Launch
New Offer Launch Support
Team Design Support
Project Management
Team Management + Training
Annual and Quarterly Planning
Operations:
Audit, recommend + implement systems for everything from where your send emails from, how you book and schedule clients to task management and team/client communication.
Offer development
Data Tracking Implementation
Marketing:
Map out sales & offer funnels + Overview Set Up
Copywriting review
Webpage design
Newsletter development
Email marketing
Event development
Social Media strategy + systems set up + calendar creation
Client Experience:
Map our & define your client journey
Strategically elevate the client experience through sales, onboarding, the program experience, client offboarding + testimonials
As the CEO you are still the leader of the pack - you bring the vision, the culture, the uniqueness that sets your business apart from the rest.
An Online Business manager is your right-hand [wo]man, keeping the pack all traveling in the right direction, hitting those BHAGs and milestones along the way.