The O.B.M Reality
- Jun 10, 2022
- 5 min read
Ever wonder if an Online Business Manager is something you should concern? How exactly do you know if you should go with a Virtual Assistant or invest with someone who can help grow and support you and your business as you grow? Let’s dive into that question with some signs that it just might be time for you to add an OBM to your team. In this article we will discuss
Content
1. Striking Time
2. Closing the barn door after the horse is gone
3. Frozen it time
4. The Quick-sand effect
5. The Bog Effect
1. Shrinking Time
Are you finding that your business is growing while your own free-time is shrinking and now everything is one big blur?
Most of us started our business to create more freedom in our lives. Freedom of time, money and choice. So are you now finding as your business grows are you actually working more and work is creeping if not down-right squatting and now you have less time? If you are on the ‘working more time’ side of things you certainly aren’t alone…
I’ve talked to business owners who have shared how they are actually working more hours in their own business than they ever did in their ‘old job’. And are wondering how they ever got this way. But it doesn’t have to be this way… as business owners we have the ‘freedom of choice’ to be able to make changes in our business, including hiring the right help to get stuff off your plate. But sometimes we get stuck, sucked down by the overload saying “as soon as things get in order”. Danger Will Rogerson!!! Here is a huge tip off.
This is exactly what an Online Business Manager is for – their main focus is to free up the business owner so that they can focus their time and energy on the things that only THEY can do in their business.
2. Trying to close the barn door once the horse is gone!
You are not able to follow leads or accept new opportunities because you are having to turn away them because you are so busy! It sounds great in theory but not in reality. Turning business away is the slippery slope of what is in store.
This is a real by-product of the first point. That you are so busy that you can’t take advantage of the opportunities that are coming your way. Have you found yourself saying “I would love to do X and know it would be a great new revenue stream… but I simply don’t have the time for it right now… “
An Online Business Manager knows how you feel and gets what you are trying to accomplish. They are after all a “Business Manager”. By being able to feel comfortable about “the manager” handling the day to day tasks can be a relief. They 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! Online Business Managers are focused on implementation, and can help manage the process of bringing new strategies, projects and revenue streams from concept to launch.
3. Frozen it time
Your job description has not changed since you started. This is not a good thing! Why? You ask? Because not grown whether as a person or a business is the kiss of death. Are you still doing the same things you were doing when you started your business? When we first start our businesses and we normally have to wear many hats? You were the bottlewasher, paper wranglers, maid and the webdesigner. Trying but it was worth it, it was your baby.
Now things are different. That your business is growing, are you still doing the same things as you when you started?
Are you still updating your own website?
Are you still managing your shopping cart?
Are you still answering all your customer service emails?
Are you do your own social media?
Are you managing your comments?
Are you balancing the books?
Any successful business owner will tell you as your business grows your role will (and should!) change. Online Business Managers can nicely ‘tap you on the shoulder”’ when it comes to you doing some of these things and “no - go do something else”… by 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. The Quick-sand Effect
If I have one more inruption I will lose my mind? Sound familiar? You have a great team, but you are in your own little space, hard at work and your are motoring along and then you get “that”. You find yourself frustrated, always stopping by “the question”.
This is one of the top complaints from business owners today. They have a great team of virtual assistants, techie folks and such. They feel like someone is always tapping them on the shoulder with a question or request. Constantly frustrated by how much time their team needs from them. Now you are at the point do you manage or do you work? And if you manage? How do you work? You are seeing the quicksand effect.
The thing is, every 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. Can you really afford to not work and manage? You it! Just like in tag, they will hunt you down. However, if there is not an Online Business Manager on your team who do they turn to? You – the business owner.
As a colleague of mine so eloquently shared: “My VAs were doing a fine job – it was ME who was unhappy managing them.” Most owners really don’t enjoy being managers, that is not why they started their own business. Look at this as a blessing and realize that now you are in a place where you can get help. You have experience and the work to seek out an Online Business Manager. Make them become the key point of contact for your team – all questions, requests and such go to the OBM instead of you. And voila! You now have reclaimed your time and are back on track to your goals.
5. The Bog Effect
We all have been there. You get stuck at $X revenue and can’t seem to get past that point! And it starts that circle, that makes you feel like you're in that movie “Groundhog Day”. The movie was funny, but not so for your business. When you find yourself stuck at a certain point in revenue there is usually one thing getting in the way – generally it can be you!
This 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 DOING of your business.
Start to ask yourself as you go about your day – how many things do you need to do before you can actually work?
If the person does X? (with X being the many things you spend your time on each day.) Can I focus on my work?
I am betting that there are many things on your to-do list that could be passed along to someone else on your team. An Online Business Manager can help with that process by delegating and managing those tasks on your behalf.
So now you know what an Online Business Manager was created to do, is this something that you can use to your advantage?
To find out more, just give me a quick shout! I’d love to speak with you today!
Comments