What is the difference between a Virtual Assistant and an Online Business Manager?
Bright Cat Business Solutions
Helping non-techy business women by sorting their admin, wrangling their tech & giving them time to grow their business.
If you’re the owner of a small business, you know how important every minute of each day is.
Working across different areas of the business, co-ordinating team members, helping address any issues that crop up – it can be easy for your day to get away from you. Have you ever looked at your watch and realised it’s the middle of the afternoon and you’ve only ticked off half of your ‘to-do’ list?
If you find this happening regularly, you might want to consider how a Virtual Assistant (VA) or Online Business Manager (OBM) might help you and your business.
Hiring a VA or OBM can be a great way to improve your efficiency and productivity without breaking the bank. They provide an ideal solution for businesses that don’t have the budget or office space to hire a full-time assistant or business manager.
Curious?
Let’s take a look at the difference between a VA and an OBM and how they might be beneficial for your business.
What are the main differences between the two roles?
The main difference between Virtual Assistants and Online Business Managers are the ways in which they can help and support your business.
VAs are more focused on administrative tasks, while Online Business Managers are focused on business management and planning.
Think of a VA as an administrative assistant, who is assigned admin tasks by the business and just happens to work remotely. A VA is task focused and does the work.
OBMs might be best thought of as a business owners ‘second in command’ – someone who works alongside you to make sure the business runs smoothly. They plan, organise and co-ordinate others across the business to deliver day-to-day operations, while you focus on strategy.
What does a Virtual Assistant typically do?
A Virtual Assistant can support your business by completing a variety of administrative tasks and recurring work.?
Every VA has different experiences, competencies, and areas of specialism.
But common tasks that a VA might complete include:
领英推荐
What does an Online Business Manager typically do??
Every online business manager will have their own unique work experience, employment history and areas of specialism.
It’s important to have any conversations up-front about the areas of your business you need support on, and whether the OBM has the relevant commercial experience.
But typically, an Online Business Manager might help you and your business by supporting in the following areas:
How much do Virtual Assistants and Online Business Managers charge?
When you understand the different ways that a VA and an OBM can support your business, you’ll appreciate that there is a significant difference between the level of responsibility in the two roles.
This translates to a significant difference in hourly costs.
If you feel that a Virtual Assistant is going to be the right fit for your business and you’re looking at someone that is UK based, anticipate an hourly rate between ￡25 and ￡50 per hour.??
If you feel your business needs the senior support of a UK based OBM, you should anticipate an hourly rate of between ￡50 and ￡120 per hour depending on experience. Some OBMs have a network of supporting specialists and may agree a higher hourly fee based on bringing in a tailored team of experts into your business.
Where do I find a good Virtual Assistant or Online Business Manager?
If you’re looking for an experienced VA or OBM that has been supporting the work of high-achieving business leaders for over 15 years – you’re in the right place!?
I work as both a Virtual Assistant and an Online Business Manager, depending on the needs of your business.
So, if you’re curious about how a VA or OBM can help you, just drop me an email or book directly into my calendar and we can arrange a 45 minute no-obligation chat.