by Valerie Jennings
Are you losing sleep over worrying whether a phone call was made, an event planned, an email was replied to, or a complaint was addressed? Let’s face it, most business owners do. At the early stages of a business venture, when money is ALWAYS the issue, most business owners are in the habit of doing everything for their business. Many business owners can easily get caught in a routine of doing everything themselves so that it never occurs to them that it may be more advantageous to hire an Online Business Manager (OBM) than to run all the aspects of the business on their own.
Today, OBMs are trained to handle all of the day-to-day activities of a business, as well as special projects such as promoting events, launching products, scheduling social media, finding JV partners, hiring employees and so much more. Whether you have a traditional or virtual business, these professionals can help grow your business faster than ever. These are not the average run of the mill employees; these are “partners” in your business.
Most OBMs see themselves as advocates for your business. Their main duty is to make sure the business succeeds and grows. For this reason, it is important when hiring your Manager that you take the time to "date." Get to know the person that will be helping you with this next step in your business. Make sure there is a good fit between you, and most of all that you can really trust this person.
Just think how nice it will be to be able to sleep all night without worrying about your business; to concentrate on growing the business without spending time and energy on the day-to-day tasks and problems that occur in every business. Just think about how great it will be when you can re-gain control over your business instead of your business running you.
A great place to start your search for an Online Business Manager would be the International Association of Online Business Managers. This site allows you to learn more about the profession and has many helpful resources, including an online quiz to find out if you are ready for an OBM. There is also a Job Posting board to help you find and hire your OBM. All members of the organization are either in the process of being certified or are certified OBMs.
There are many other individuals that are available for hire; just do an Internet search for Online Business Manager or check freelancing job sites like Elance.com. Keep in mind that you will need to verify the skills of the professionals you find on these sites.
Finding an Online Business Manager is not a difficult task, but keep in mind that not every business is ready for this next step. Most Online Business Managers charge upwards of $50.00 an hour plus many ask for profit incentives as well. For this reason, most say the best time for hiring an Online Business Manager is after your company is earning $100,000 or more (the "six-figure" mark) in revenues. This is just a guideline, though. If you feel your company can afford to hire an OBM sooner, consider it. The truth is, only you can decide when you and your company are ready to make the investment in an Online Business Manager.
Valerie Jennings is a managing partner in Your Virtual Assistants, whose primary mission is providing Online Business Managers, Social Media and Internet Marketing Services to Women Coaches. Download "100 Ways an OBM Can Help Your Business" or schedule a free phone consultation.
During the first three months of my business, it was the hardest I suppose. I tried the online business when I realized it was never easy. I do it alone. I don’t have my workers for me because I thought I can handle it myself. I was wrong because I cannot respond to all their calls, messages and orders.