VA or OBM: how to figure out what your business *really* needs
If you’re slowly crumbling under a mountain of never-ending tasks, never-ending admin, and never-ending growth struggles, you’re probably thinking about bringing someone into your business to help out.
And that’s a really great thing!
If your business feels like it’s ready to outsource, give yourself a pat on the back. You’re growing! You’re doing things! You’re succeeding!
But taking that first step into the world of outsourcing and bringing in support to your business might feel terrifying. And you also might have absolutely no idea where to start.
That’s where I come in.
I’m about to dive deep into the world of VAs versus OBMs - the differences between them, what they can do for your business, and which one you *actually* need in your business right now.
So press pause on the to-do list for 5 minutes and keep reading!
VA versus OBM - aren’t they the same thing?!
No… But I understand why you might think that.
At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be much difference between an OBM and a VA. They both do stuff that helps your business, right? They both take tasks off your plate and make your life easier.
To some extent, yes. But while the terms VA and OBM are often used interchangeably, they’re actually not quite the same. In fact, there are some really key differences between the two…
What does a Virtual Assistant do?
A VA (Virtual Assistant) tends to be task-focused. VAs usually complete general admin tasks, but some VAs specialise in a particular area, e.g. social media content creation.
A VA usually takes a narrow view of the business, completing tasks that they’re given (by you) and focusing just on those tasks. VAs are directed and delegated to and usually work on a time basis, paid for the number of hours they spend on your business tasks.
VAs are support with the doing - they’ll do the things you don’t have time for.
A non-specialist VA will usually perform tasks like:
Inbox management
Scheduling appointments
Data entry
Creating slideshows or PDFs or other visual content
Bookkeeping
Marketing services
Systems or tools management
Supporting with client project management
What does an Online Business Manager do?
An OBM (Online Business Manager) takes a bigger-picture view of your business, focusing on top-level strategy, business management and helping your business hit your goals.
Unlike a VA, an OBM doesn’t do the doing-part of your business - an OBM helps you strategically decide what needs to be done to grow your business and oversees your business’ progress.
An OBM is strategy-focused, while a VA is task-focused. An OBM is there to partner with you in growing your business, rather than doing the legwork to get it done. While an OBM obviously needs management and support from you as a business owner, an OBM will take the initiative and plan for your business’ future too.
An OBM will tailor themselves to your needs, but will generally do things like:
Operations management, including setting up and overseeing the systems, tools and processes your business uses
Project management, including keeping projects on track and having a big-picture overview of your business’ capacity
People management, including managing internal and external team members, hiring, onboarding and performance reviews
Do you need a VA or OBM?
So, now that we know there is a difference between a VA and an OMB, how do you know which one your business *actually* needs?
If you’re snowed under with admin tasks right now, it’s tempting to think, “I just need someone to do this stuff for me - I need a VA”. And that’s sometimes the right solution.
But it’s not always right.
So how can you know which one’s best for you?
Ultimately, only you can know. But here are some pointers to get you thinking more objectively about whether a VA or an OBM is the best thing for your business.
“Help, I’m overwhelmed by admin!”
If you’re slowly being suffocated by never-ending to-do lists, reminders, notifications and emails popping into your inbox every 30-seconds, a VA could quite easily take most of that pressure off your hands.
A VA can come into your business and manage your schedule, manage your inbox, help you take care of DMs and emails and reconcile your bank account - and all those little tasks that never seem to make it to the top of your brain.
But is there a simpler way to handle that admin overwhelm?
Maybe.
If your business isn’t currently making the most of technology and tools or systems and processes, a lot of that overwhelm you’re feeling right now could be taken off your plate by a well-chosen automated system that handles things for you.
With a system like Dubsado (come on, we knew I couldn’t go a whole blog post without mentioning my love for Dubs!) in place, you might not need a VA to handle those tasks. Dubsado can do things like:
Automatically respond to enquiries
Update calendars with reminders and scheduled events
Allow clients to book appointments straight into your calendar
Automatically send invoices
Send proposals and contracts at the click of a button
And, Dubsado can also take care of onboarding new clients, managing projects and offboarding clients too.
Sure, Dubsado can’t do everything - but before you jump straight into needing a VA for your admin tasks, it’s definitely worth taking the time to think about how you can use technology to ease your woes! If you’ve still got specific tasks that are draining you and holding you back, a VA is definitely the right solution - but once you’re already using technology to your advantage.
Want to know more about Dubsado?
Read ‘The Beginner’s Guide To Dubsado (and how it can take you from overwhelmed to killin’ it, fast)’
“Help, I can’t grow my business!”
If your business is doing well and you’ve been going steady for a little while, you’re probably reaching the inevitable point most business owners reach: desperately wanting to grow but not having the time or knowledge or resources to do it.
You’re hitting an income ceiling. Because it’s just you in your business and you only have one pair of hands. You can’t take on any more clients, because you just don’t have enough time to. You want to make more money, you want to launch new products and services and make a bigger impact on the world - but you just can’t.
In this situation, a VA could be helpful. A VA could take some tasks off your hands to give you a little bit more time and brain space to think about the bigger picture.
But there will be a limit to how helpful that will be.
Even with a VA onboard, you’re still the money-earner in your business. It’s your time and skills that determine the balance in the bank, so even with a few extra hours saved from admin tasks each week, you’re probably still not going to have the time or energy to bring in new clients.
This is where an OBM can be a lifesaver.
Bringing an OBM into an established business will help you to see where your business is bottle-necking itself. With a fresh, objective pair of eyes on your business, you can begin to streamline your processes, systemise every backend operation and prepare your business for growth.
With those foundations in place and someone by your side who knows how to get strategically from where you are right now to where you want to be, you’ll be able to grow in a way that’s sustainable and doesn’t rely solely on you doing the work all the time.
Whether it’s creating SOPs ready to bring in new team members, setting up automated systems (like Dubsado) to manage internal processes, or strategically mapping out your growth plan for the next year, an OBM will help you figure out what needs to be done, rather than just taking some tasks off your plate.
“Help, I’m ready to hire a team member!”
Hiring your first internal team member is a BIG DEAL. But it’s also terrifying. And it can sometimes do more harm than good…
If you’re at the stage where you’re ready to bring in someone to help you deliver client projects, whether that’s a junior designer, a freelance copywriter, or an apprentice of some kind, it’s important that your business is in good shape first.
Being a one-person business has its advantages, but one of the disadvantages is that 99% of the knowledge needed to run your business lives in your head. If that knowledge is only in your head, bringing a new team member or even a VA into your business can be challenging - because it’ll be entirely down to you to train them, show them the ropes, and bring them up to speed with how things are done around here.
You’re bringing in a new team member to help handle your workload - but the onboarding of your new team member adds to your workload. Which isn’t what you wanted!
Now consider how different that picture could be if you had an OBM on board already.
An OBM would help you prepare for a new team member by:
Creating detailed SOPs for every process in your business
Streamlining your BTS processes to avoid wasted resources
Setting up tools and systems to help you communicate effectively with your team member
Creating onboarding documents and processes to support your new team member
There will still be things you need to do to welcome your new team member into your business - but the process will be much less stressful and time-demanding on you than it otherwise would be.
So, ready for an OBM?
If you’re nodding along with all of that, thinking “Yes! I wish I had an OBM in my life” - you’re in luck.
Because I am that person!
As an OBM, I help ambitious, creative business owners manage their businesses in a way that supports their goals, increases their freedom, and creates the foundation for sustainable business growth.
Being an OBM means I’m obsessed with tech, big-picture planning, and helping you take your business to the next level. My Right Hand Woman service is where I do this for you - taking whatever you’re struggling with right now and turning it into solutions that actually work, so you can fall back in love with your business.
Sounds sweet, right?! Get some of that Right Hand Woman goodness for your business by booking a call with me!
(And, if you’re still not sure whether you need a VA or an OBM - book that call anyway! I’ll always be completely transparent if I don’t think I’m the best solution to your problems and will let you know if you’re not quite ready for an OBM!)