What is an Online Business Manager & How to Know If Your Business Needs One

Running a business is a challenging task. It requires hard work, dedication and, most importantly, time. With increasing competition, it’s become necessary for businesses to keep up with ever-changing market trends and technology updates. That’s where an Online Business Manager (OBM) can help.

What is an Online Business Manager (OBM)?

An OBM is a professional who specialises in managing and developing businesses for clients. They can help you with various services, such as brand building, market research, SEO, web design, content creation, PR and more.

They will give you the most freedom when you’ve already established your standard processes and systems as they help to improve and refine them.

In cases where you’re looking to establish new systems and ways of operating, an OBM can work with you to plan and develop, sharing the workload and supporting you with strategy and decision-making.

Why should I hire an OBM?

There are so many different reasons why hiring an OBM is the right move for your business, especially if you’re in a period of growth and change.

1. Increased Efficiency

An OBM can help you increase the efficiency of your operations by providing the latest tools and technology to streamline processes. They can also provide a better customer experience and create an automated system to handle common tasks, like customer support and payment processing.

2. Cost Saving

Hiring an OBM can help you save money in the long run. They can help you manage projects more efficiently, which can help you reduce operational costs. Additionally, an OBM can prevent costly mistakes by implementing proper systems and quality controls when scaling your business.

3. Professional Perspective

An OBM can provide a professional perspective on managing operations and developing strategies to increase revenue and growth. They can also provide suggestions on how to use the latest technologies and offer valuable advice on how to market the business.

4. Increased Productivity

An OBM can help you increase the productivity of your team. They can implement the right tools and processes to ensure that tasks are completed on time. By identifying bottlenecks and eliminating inefficiencies, an OBM creates streamlined workflows that allow your team to focus on high-value activities.

5. Expertise

An OBM has the expertise to help you reach your goals. They can provide you with strategic advice on developing your business and reaching new markets. Look for an OBM with proven experience in your industry or similar business models, as they’ll understand the unique challenges you face

What should I look for in an OBM?

An OBM should have an operations, leadership and/or project management background.

You need someone who is a self-starter, someone who is able to use their initiative, work independently, make decisions, and follow through to make things happen. You also need an all-round good communicator: someone who writes, talks, listens well and is at ease talking to a wide variety of people. Someone straight to the point who will hold you accountable to be organised and communicate efficiently and concisely.

You should also consider your own skills or, more importantly – your skill gaps. The right OBM for you will have complementary traits and skills.

You should expect to see a long list of capabilities when it comes to the tools and systems they use. Think about everything you use to run your business and ensure the OBM can manage all that and more.

Finally, personality is a big one. If this is someone you’re going to trust to help you run your business and make management decisions, you’ll need to have a strong, healthy working relationship.

How much does an OBM charge?

Rates and packages vary from OBM to OBM, and the type and level of support you’re looking for will affect how much you pay. At the end of the day, you get what you pay for. 

There are three common ways of pricing an OBM type of service:

• A fixed project fee
• A monthly retainer
• An hourly rate

Currently, there are no definitive guides or industry comparisons around how much OBMs charge.

Our own research suggests that hourly rates start from around €45 and can increase to €130 or more, depending on experience and skills.

Monthly Retainer packages typically start from around €700 per month up to €3000 and more as responsibilities increase.

Final words

From streamlining operations and reducing costs to providing expert guidance and increasing productivity, an Online Business Manager offers the professional perspective and hands-on support that allows you to focus on what you do best while they handle the complexities of business management.

Whether you’re looking to refine existing systems or establish new processes entirely, the right OBM will complement your skills, match your working style and help your business to scale sustainably.

Ready to take your business to the next level? Enquire with us today at KADA Managment to discover how we can support your unique business needs.