A Virtual Assistant or an Online Business Manager? Which one do you need for your business?
There have been a few times when clients have hired me to be a Virtual Assistant (VA), but expected me to perform Online Business Management (OBM) tasks. So to eliminate the confusion, here’s a simple breakdown of the difference of the two.
Virtual Assistants (VA)
VA’s are implementers. They handle tasks within the day-to-day operation of the business and will generally do what they are assigned.
They also require direction. If there isn’t a task assigned to them in a project management tool, don’t expect it to be done.
Each VA has their own expertise. So it’s very important to know what type of assistance you need to make sure you hire the right VA with the skills you need. Some examples of VA tasks are inbox management, social media management and graphic design.
Since VA’s are task oriented, most VA’s do a smaller amount of work for a larger amount of clients. This varies of course depending on the needs of your business.
Online Business Manager (OBM)
OBM’s are strategists. They will work by your side and will help manage your team to make sure projects are getting done. Your focus as an entrepreneur should be thinking about the next phase of your business and not about the steps it takes to get there. That’s where an OBM comes in. They will take all of your ideas and work with the team to get it completed.
OBM’s are more project and management oriented. Since their primary role is to help manage your business, they look at your business from the inside out to improve efficiency and make processes more streamlined.
Since OBM’s need more time to really understand your business, they do more work for fewer clients. The result is a person that knows your business just as well, or sometimes even better than you, so that you have more freedom to do the things you do best.
To recap: The main difference is that VA’s implement the tasks that need to be done while OBM’s work with you at the high-level and work with your team to make sure your ideas become reality.
So before you hire, ask yourself:
What kind of assistance do I need in my business? Do I need someone to complete tasks, or someone who can serve in a managerial role, overseeing projects and communicating with a team?
Your answer will all depend on where you are in your business and your goals to scale.