Knowing when to hire an Online Business Manager (OBM) can be a challenge. Hiring one too soon may not provide enough work for them and may become a strain on your budget. Hiring too late can be disastrous if your business is already beginning to fail.
Here are a few signs that now may be the right time to hire an OBM:
• Organizing and streamlining operations seem like a pipe dream.
• Your income has plateaued and you need help rising to the next level of success.
• You have a good team, but managing them is draining.
• You want to be the visionary not the worker bee.
• Incomplete projects are getting in the way of progress.
• A busy schedule forces you to decline opportunities.
• You’re tired of being “in charge” of everything.
These are just a few things that signal it’s time to change your business role. Because you are unique, your signals may vary from other business owners. As you consider when to hire an Online Business Manager, remember that shifting from the worker bee to the queen bee mindset is the quickest way to make positive changes for you and your business.
Defining Your Needs
Hiring the right OBM is vital to a strong, healthy working relationship. You simply cannot afford to pick the first person you meet and assume they’re the right person for the job. The first step in finding the right OBM is defining your needs. This includes:
• Hiring for where you’re headed, not where you currently are
• Ensuring you have measures of success in place
• Knowing what to outsource & what needs your personal attention
• Knowing who to hire for each aspect of the business (tech, marketing, etc)
• Setting & clearly communicating your expectations for your support team
Your Vision
Having a clear picture of where you want your business to be in 6 months, 1 year or even longer is vital to succeeding. Once you have your goals laid out, you and your OBM can discuss how to get there. At this point, you have measurable goals that your team can work towards and that you can monitor to ensure they’re being met.
If you get stuck on your long-term goals, you might want to consider hiring a mentor or coach to help you over this hump before you proceed with hiring your OBM. While your OBM may be talented, they aren’t mind readers and they certainly should not be making these important decisions for you or your business.