Many business owners are tempted to do everything on their own, even if doing so eats up their time, resources, and energy. The good news is that in 2021, there are effective ways to get help that don’t involve hiring a full-time assistant. If you’re ready to take your business to the next level – and to relieve your workload – consider getting a virtual assistant (VA) or an online business manager (OBM).
VA vs OBM: What’s the difference?
VAs and OBMs are similar in many ways, but there are key differences as well. Both OBMs and VAs are:
- Remote
- Dedicated to supporting your business
- Able to help with various requests and projects depending on your needs at the moment
VAs are task-oriented workers that are similar to in-person assistants. They can handle all sorts of projects, such as scheduling events, running social media accounts and groups, managing email inboxes, handling data entry, and helping business owners maintain a schedule. When working with a VA, it’s best to assign them tasks and to make your expectations clear – their focus is on execution, or getting the job done. They aren’t expected to be “idea” employees that think about the big picture of business growth and strategy.
OBMs, on the other hand, are goal-oriented. They can take an owner’s vision for a business and craft solutions that help achieve that vision. OBMs excel at project management, human resources, metrics analysis, and operations. They ensure that systems are in place to achieve desired outcomes, and they design fixes for inefficiencies that could be costing you time and money. OBMs are the ultimate right hand man (or woman) for a business owner.
Depending on your needs, you can have a VA and an OBM since they have different strengths and areas of focus.
How would a VA and an OBM approach the same project?
Let’s say that a VA and OBM are helping you launch a consulting service as part of your existing business. The split of responsibilities might look like this:
OBM:
- Create a strategy around marketing the consulting service
- Delegate tasks to employees who will be assisting with the new offering
- Set up tracking methods and metrics to assess the performance of the new service
- Make strategic recommendations to you, the business owner, about improvements that should be made
VA:
- Keep a calendar of consulting appointments
- Send reminders to people before meetings as well as follow up emails
- Schedule social media posts and emails to advertise the new service
- Remind you of upcoming appointments or changes to existing consultations
As you can see, both OBMs and VAs have important roles – but their responsibilities are different.
How can you determine if you need a VA or an OBM (or both)?
Sometimes it’s tough to tell when you need help, or what kind of help you can benefit from. Reflect on your business frequently and think about what’s needed. Are you drowning in tasks each day and barely able to handle your current workload? Could you benefit from someone who can keep you on track and tackle tasks that you don’t have time for? If so, it might be time to hire a VA.
On the other hand – are you able to handle your daily tasks, but can’t make time for high-level planning? Does your team need additional leadership help to get organised and to achieve goals? Is your progress stalling out because you need a visionary to join your team? If so, it’s time to hire an OBM.
If you want assistance from an OBM with proven results, get in touch with REAVA Solutions. We’d love to show you how we can take your business to the next level.
