Are you spending more time on the daily struggle of ticking off tasks than proactively growing your business? Have you been telling yourself for months (or even years 😬) that you’ll get around to all those business-building plans ‘when things slow down’? If you answered yes, it’s probably time to start working with an online business manager (OBM).
An OBM is like your partner in crime. We’re here to help you plan, delegate, and strategies so you can take your business to the next level (whatever that might look like for you).
Whether you’re a business of one or an emerging empire, an OBM can help you go from worker bee to queen bee. Not because you want to rule the world but because to grow, you have to become the leader your business needs you to be.
So, if you’re sick of being bogged down by day-to-day tasks but don’t know how to pull yourself out of the trenches, this post is for you.
Here are 5 ways working with an online business manager will help you become CEO of your business.
1. Reclaiming your time
One of the biggest challenges my clients have when they come to me is that they simply ‘have no time’ to work ON their business. Well, I don’t mean to be rude, but no.
You have time. You’re just not using it well. (Harsh, but the wholehearted truth your OBM will deliver.)
If you want time to work ON your business, you have to find the time. Reclaim the time. Make the time. And that’s what I can help you do.
Because (for example) if you’ve spent an entire day chasing up a supplier who overcharged you, that’s simply not an effective use of your time. Not only does the task waste precious hours you don’t have, but it’ll also drain your energy. And when you’ve been getting the run-around on a doubled-up invoice all day, you’ll hardly have the desire or brain space to plan out that new service offering you’ve been meaning to launch.
Reclaiming your time is the first step in preparing you for CEO life.
Delegating tasks
Think about all the tasks you do in a day. In a week. In a month. Do you really have to be the one to complete all those tasks?
A big part of what I do to help my clients claw back their time is to help them figure out which tasks they could delegate or outsource. I can almost guarantee it’s more than you think!
Here are just a few tasks most business owners could delegate to someone else:
- Following up with suppliers and staff to make sure deadlines are met.
- Managing your diary and setting appointments.
- Entering invoices and expenses into your accounting software.
- Managing your inbox so you only see what you need to.
- Creating batches of social media posts and scheduling publication.
As your OBM, I’ll help you identify the tasks that you could (and, let’s be honest, should) outsource to specialists or in-house team members.
2. Improving Productivity
Implementing efficient processes and systems is a vital part of being the CEO for your business. But many busy business owners never seem to find the time to implement these important productivity improvements.
But that’s not always your fault. It’s easy to get bogged down in an inefficient process because it’s how you’ve always done it. Or because you don’t have the time to figure out a better way to do it. (It’s a bit of a Catch-22, isn’t it? You don’t have enough time to find a way to make something take less time! Aargh!)
But never fear. Your trusty OBM is here! When you work with an OBM like me, you’ll have someone who can help you find ways to improve the efficiency of your time management, . Together, we’ll put in place better business productivity and smooth-running systems so you can focus on the bigger picture of growing your client base.
Read more about productivity: 5 steps to make your productivity expectations match your reality.
3. Building the right team for your business
Once we’ve worked out which tasks you need to delegate and how we can improve your productivity, the next step is finding the right people to help achieve your business goals.
While everyone wants a brilliant business unicorn who can do everything from bookkeeping to social media to graphic design to website maintenance to customer service, the reality is that unicorn doesn’t exist.
And while some people tell you they can do it all, they often do a few things really well and kind of muddle through the rest.
But you don’t want muddling through! You want the right people, at the right price, with the right expertise to support your business growth. And as your OBM, I’ll help you find it.
Helping you outsource to experts.
Now that you know which tasks you must delegate, an OBM will help you find the right specialists and experts to take on each piece of work. By outsourcing to specialist professionals, you’ll get quality work with fewer revisions.
As a professional OBM, I have a vast network of And I only recommend people who I know, hand on heart, can deliver great work for my clients.
4. Improving operations and team management
Whether you have an existing team or your OBM is helping you build one, we can manage your operations for maximum productivity. Using communications systems like Slack and project management tools like Asana, an OBM ensures everyone has the information they need to deliver their work to you on time, on budget, and on task.
As your online business manager, I’ll guide and support your team members to make sure they’re performing at their best. Together, your team and I will take care of the day-to-day delivery of deadlines, so you can focus on the bigger picture and work in your zone of genius.
5. Being a trusted business adviser to your CEO
While you might think your business is too small to call yourself CEO, it’s not too small to need the function of a CEO. Whether you put CEO on your email signature or not, you’re the person who’s responsible for the success (or not) of your business.
As the leader, you’re responsible for strategic direction, growth, sustainability, and day-to-day operations.
That’s A LOT. (No wonder you’re so tired!)
But you don’t have to be CEO alone. And you can’t do it all. Working with an OBM gives you a partnership that takes much of the operational and strategic pressure off. So, you can focus on business development and growth.
Offering strategic support and guidance
Working with an online business manager isn’t only about managing day-to-day tasks and improving productivity. We also offer strategic support and goal-setting guidance.
As a trusted partner, I’m a sounding board for my clients. We bounce ideas around and set business goals to ensure we’re on the right track. With my decades of business experience, I bring an outside perspective and valuable feedback to help you make better decisions.
Running a business can be lonely, but with me as your OBM, you have a business buddy in your corner. And I’ll be there to back you up and give you the confidence to know you’re heading in the right direction.
Holding the fort when you need a break.
When was the last time you took a break from your business? Finding time to take a break is one of the hardest things for busy business owners. It’s too easy to just keep going. And research shows even when you get a holiday, only 5% of small and medium enterprise owners ‘never’ check work emails while away.
Taking a break can improve your mindfulness, well-being, boost your brainpower, and make you more productive. But how can your business survive without you?!
When you work with an OBM, it can. At least for long enough for you to recharge and refresh. Or long enough to attend that conference (maybe you could even be a speaker).
When your are in tip-top OBM-style shape, you can get away and let someone like me hold the fort while you’re gone. It’s one of the absolute BEST benefits of working with an online business manager!
Read more about working with an OBM: What does an online business manager do?
Providing the space and grace for you to grow as CEO
As you can see, an OBM is like your second business brain, helping you get your operations in order, your team in place, and your business growth booming.
But perhaps most importantly, as your OBM, I also give you the space and grace you need to grow your business and your role as the leader of it.
It’s not only the practical and strategic support I’ve outlined here. As your OBM, I’m sitting right by your side for the ride on that business rollercoaster.
And I’ll be there to give you tough love and unwavering honesty. As well as the forgiveness and understanding that comes when you collaborate with a trusted partner. And as CEO of your business, perhaps that’s what you’ll need most of all.
If you want to know more about how I can help you go from worn-down worker to supercharged CEO, book a FREE discovery call with me.
