What if a virtual business manager was your secret weapon to building your dream coaching business?

Are you a rock star woman coach looking to elevate your coaching business to new heights? Meet your new secret weapon: the Virtual Business Manager (VBM)! More than just a professional partner, a VBM can be your business bestie. She can provide invaluable support to help you scale your coaching business. Oh, and do that while ensuring you keep your sanity intact!

In today's digital age, the role of a VBM is increasingly essential. Especially for women coaches who are juggling multiple hats. How can having a VBM can change your coaching business by being your best friend on your journey.

What Exactly is a Virtual Business Manager?

A virtual business manager is like your co-captain in the busy coaching world. This is an environment where time is really important and being efficient is key. Imagine this: you're steering your coaching ship through the challenging journey of entrepreneurship. Your focus is on the destination. Your VBM is right there with you, helping steer the ship smoothly with skill and expertise.

But what exactly does a VBM do, and how can they help propel your coaching business to new heights? Let's break it down:

Master of Operations:

At their core, VBMs do many things. They are masters of operations. They easily manage the varied responsibilities that keep your coaching business running smoothly. VBMs are logistical wizards who ensure that everything operates like a well-oiled machine. Need someone who can schedule client sessions? Check! What about managing calendars to coordinating events and handling administrative duties? Check! Check!

Strategic Visionary:

VBMs can also be strategic visionaries. They can help you chart the course for your coaching business's long-term success. They aren't business coaches but they have a lot of experience working with businesses like yours. Virtual Business Managers can work closely with you to develop business plans. They'll be there to help you set strategic goals. They'll help set up initiatives that drive growth and profitability. With their keen analytical skills and forward-thinking mindset, they help you stay ahead of the curve and capitalize on emerging opportunities in the coaching industry.

Tech-Savvy Guru:

Technology plays a crucial role in streamlining business operations and enhancing efficiency. VBMs are tech-savvy and well-versed in a wide range of tools and platforms. These systems are designed to optimize workflows and maximize productivity. Tech systems can include project management software, automating email campaigns, or leveraging analytics tools to track performance metrics. Your VBM can help you harness the power of technology so you can grow your coaching business to new heights.

Client Relations Extraordinaire:

As a coach, your clients are at the heart of everything you do. VBMs understand the importance of nurturing those relationships. They can serve as the primary point of contact for client inquiries. They ensure every interaction is seamless for your clients. This can include scheduling appointments and managing communications. Your virtual business manager will provide a positive and supportive environment. Your coaching clients will experience trust, loyalty, and satisfaction. All because your VBM has strong communication skills and a client-centric approach.

Financial Steward:

Managing finances is a critical aspect of running any business, and VBMs excel in this domain as well. Virtual Business Managers will keep a watchful eye on your financial health. They can track invoicing and billing to help you maximize profitability. They can help ensure that your coaching business remains financially sound and sustainable for the long haul.

A Virtual Business Manager is more than just a support system for your coaching business. They're your strategic ally, operational powerhouse, and secret weapon for success. You'll gain the freedom to focus on what you do best by entrusting your business management needs to a VBM. Your role as a coach is to coach, inspire, and empower others to achieve their full potential.

And now that you know WHAT a Virtual Business Manager is, let's talk more about why you need one.

Why Women Coaches Need a Virtual Business Manager?

Let's get something straight first. Ladies, we aren’t singling you out here. It’s not like men don’t need VBMs and women do. But the relationship between a woman coach and her virtual business manager is very different than between men and their VBMs. So what is it that makes VBMs so powerful in helping women coaches build their businesses?

Virtual Business Managers are Time Producing Wizards

As a woman coach, your time is precious. You could spend all your time drowning in administrative tasks. Or you can work with a VBM. Your VBM will then take care of ALL the details. Yep, that means more time for you to work on what matters most.

Virtual Business Managers Offer Strategic Support

Your VBM isn't just a task manager; they're your strategic partner. It's easy to confuse a virtual assistant with a Virtual Business Manager. If you aren't sure of all the differences, check out our article here or this feedback on Quora. VBMs help you with responsibilities rather than just tasks. You'll get strategic help with marketing, systems, client services and more. With their expertise, you can navigate the complexities of entrepreneurship with confidence.

Virtual Business Managers Help Balance the Work/Life Scale

Self care isn't just a nice to have. If you aren't caring for yourself, you can't care for your clients. Balancing work and personal life is crucial for women coaches. Women don't compartmentalize as well as men do so it's even more important that we focus on balance. A VBM helps lighten your workload. This gives you the freedom to spend time with loved ones, pursue hobbies, and recharge your batteries—because a happy coach is a successful coach!

Virtual Business Managers are Like Yogi's, Adaptable and Flexible

 Whether you're scaling your business or facing unexpected challenges, your VBM is there to adapt and support you every step of the way. As nurturers, women tend to step up when they are needed. That means we need our team to be flexible and adapt. Virtual Business Managers can handle changing priorities and ensure your business runs smoothly, no matter what curveballs come your way.

Virtual Business Managers Offer that Fine Tailored Fit

 Every woman coach is unique, and so are their business needs. Your VBM provides personalized solutions tailored to your specific goals and challenges. Your to-do list may include social media management, content creation, or financial planning. Whatever your needs, they've got you covered.

Virtual Business Managers Are In It for The Long Run

 Just like you support your clients' growth journeys, your VBM supports yours. It's their job to stay updated on industry trends, tools, and technologies. This is important to make sure your business stays relevant in the evolving coaching landscape.

Your Virtual Business Manager, AKA Your Business Bestie

In many ways, a Virtual Business Manager is like a best friend in the realm of entrepreneurship. A best friend offers unwavering support, encouragement, and assistance in both good times and bad. A VBM serves as your trusted confidant and ally in the world of business. Here's how a VBM embodies the qualities of a best friend:

Trust and Reliability

Like a best friend you can always count on, a VBM is there for you when you need them most. Your VBM isn't just a contractor; they're part of your team. They are dependable, consistently delivering high-quality work and meeting deadlines without fail. VBMs can hand urgent tasks, troubleshooting issues, or providing valuable insights. You can rely on your VBM to have your back no matter what.

Shared Goals and Vision

Best friends often share common goals and dreams. A VBM aligns with your vision for your coaching business and works tirelessly to help you achieve your objectives. They take the time to understand your aspirations, values, and priorities. They actively collaborate with you to turn your dreams into reality. Together, you form a dynamic duo united by a shared sense of purpose and ambition.

Honest Feedback and Guidance

A best friend isn't afraid to tell you the truth, even when it's not what you want to hear. Similarly, a VBM provides honest feedback and constructive criticism to help you grow and improve as a business owner. VBMs can share suggestions for process improvements, point out areas for optimization, or provide valuable insights based on their expertise. Their feedback is always delivered with your best interests at heart.

Emotional Support and Encouragement

In the rollercoaster ride of entrepreneurship, having emotional support is crucial, and a VBM provides just that. Need some words of encouragement? They have you covered. How about a pep talk during challenging times? Yep, they can be there. Or maybe you need a listening ear when you need to vent or brainstorm ideas. They are there for that too. Their unwavering belief in your abilities and resilience helps you stay motivated, inspired, and focused on overcoming obstacles and achieving success.

Celebrating Successes Together

Real life best friends celebrate each other's victories, big and small. VBMs also rejoice in your successes as if they were their own. Are you celebrating landing a new client or reaching a revenue milestone? Your VBM will be celebrating with you, cheering you on every step of the way. Their genuine excitement boost your joy and reinforce the bonds of friendship and partnership between you.

What Women Coaches Should Look for in a Bestie!

You usually don’t get to interview for a personal bestie in the real world but you definitely DO get to hand-select your virtual business manager bestie. For this reason, there are several key qualities and attributes that you will want to consider. Here's a list to get you started:

Experience and Expertise

Look for a VBM with a solid background and expertise in business management, preferably with experience in the coaching industry or related fields. They should possess a diverse skill set encompassing operations, strategic planning, client relations, and technology proficiency.

Alignment with Your Business Values

Seek a VBM whose values align with your own and who shares your passion for coaching and personal development. A strong alignment in values fosters a deeper connection and ensures that your VBM understands and respects the unique culture and ethos of your coaching business.

Proactive Communication

Choose a VBM who excels in communication and demonstrates proactive communication skills. They should be responsive, accessible, and transparent, keeping you informed of progress, updates, and any potential issues that may arise.

Problem-Solving Abilities

Opt for a VBM with strong problem-solving abilities and a resourceful mindset. They should be adept at identifying challenges, developing creative solutions, and implementing strategies to overcome obstacles and drive results.

Organizational Skills

Select a VBM who possesses exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail. They should be able to effectively manage multiple tasks, prioritize responsibilities, and maintain meticulous records to ensure smooth and efficient business operations.

Tech-Savviness

Ensure that your VBM is technologically proficient and comfortable utilizing a variety of tools and software platforms. They should be able to leverage technology to streamline processes, automate tasks, and enhance productivity in your coaching business.

Client-Centric Approach

Look for a VBM who prioritizes client satisfaction and demonstrates a client-centric approach in their work. They should be courteous, professional, and empathetic in their interactions with clients, ensuring a positive and seamless experience at every touchpoint.

Adaptability and Flexibility

Choose a VBM who is adaptable and flexible in their approach to business management. They should be able to pivot and adjust to changing priorities, timelines, and circumstances, ensuring that your coaching business remains agile and responsive to evolving needs and opportunities.

Professionalism and Integrity

Seek a VBM who embodies professionalism and integrity in all aspects of their work. They should adhere to ethical standards, maintain confidentiality, and operate with honesty, transparency, and respect for your business and its stakeholders.

Compatibility and Chemistry

Finally, consider the personal compatibility and chemistry between you and your potential VBM. Building a strong rapport and connection is essential for a successful partnership, so trust your instincts and choose someone with whom you feel comfortable, supported, and aligned with your vision for your coaching business.

By prioritizing these qualities and attributes in your search for a Virtual Business Manager, you'll be well-equipped to find the ideal partner to support and empower you in growing your coaching business to new heights of success and fulfillment.

As women coaches, having a Virtual Business Manager isn't just a luxury; it's a necessity. They're more than just a professional partner; they're your business bestie—the one who has your back, supports your dreams, and helps you conquer the entrepreneurial world with grace and confidence. So, if you're ready to take your coaching business to new heights, it's time to welcome your VBM into your entrepreneurial journey. Together, there's no limit to what you can achieve!

Could virtual services for coaches be the answer to your overwhelm? Will hiring a virtual assistant really help you grow your business?

If you aren't new to coaching, you've probably already heard of virtual assistants but are these and other virtual service providers the key to building the business of your dreams?

As you begin to grow your coaching business, it's common to hit that point where you have more on your plate than one person can handle. There's working with clients, managing the day-to-day, and handling future growth. It's easy, and natural, to start to feel overwhelmed. So you start looking into a virtual assistant. Maybe you do a search on the internet or even ask around on some of your social media groups.

But is that the best way to go about getting help? And what are the first things you should outsource?

Virtual services exist that make running a business much simpler. However, it's important to understand how to identify the services that would be better outsourced and those that would be better kept in-house. Here’re some tips that you can follow.

3 Tips for Knowing When to Outsource Virtual Services for Coaches Like You

1. You are spending too much time on tasks unrelated to the core services of your business.

This can often be a tough question to answer because some coaches are stuck on the idea that, “If you want things done right you must do them yourself.”  This is a common mistake in business. Whether you ARE the expert in an area or have no experience at all, hiring and training right can prove that others can do the job as well, and sometimes better, than you can.

The reality is that you’ll spend far more over time trying to do your bookkeeping, marketing, or admin yourself rather than outsourcing those tasks to an experienced virtual services for coaches provider. 

Take some time to identify the tasks that are the biggest time wasters in your business and outsource them to someone who does them better. Time wasters can be things that take you much longer than they should because you don't know the systems or processes well enough to do them quickly. They can also be the things you are constantly procrastinating because you just don't like to do them no matter how good you may be. 

And even if you can do something faster than someone you hire, it doesn't mean you should. The key to overcoming overwhelm and developing a track record of success is letting go so you only do the things that ONLY YOU CAN DO!

 2. Does performing this function highlight your expertise?

The tasks and projects that you outsource may depend heavily on the nature of your coaching business. 

As a coach, there are specific things you have to do yourself. Planning and executing your coaching programs, for instance, is essential for your business’ development. But there are many different moving parts to creating, marketing and executing a coaching program. Yes, you will need a strong website and systems to make it happen. However, that doesn’t mean that you need to hire a team of IT professionals full-time.

On the other hand, if you are a business coach who teaches others how to create a brand, then you may want to do the brand development of your program yourself.

Outsource the parts of projects that don't highlight your expertise to someone who provides virtual services for coaches. 

3. Is it a service that is only needed a few times throughout the year?

Coaches often do annual or semiannual launches. Since these only occur a few times a year, at most, it makes sense to outsource these projects to a virtual services for coaches company. They'll bring a level of knowledge and expertise to the project so you don't have to spend a lot of time learning skills you'll only use once in a while. 

6 Top Virtual Services for Coaches to Delegate

Virtual services are available in a wide variety of skills. There is a service that offers a solution to almost every problem a coach faces. Here are some of the virtual services you can consider when choosing where to get started.

Graphic Design

Attractive visuals form an important part of branding. A graphic designer will, therefore, be an important member of your team.  However, it is highly unlikely that you will have a consistently high volume of work for him or her to complete. This means that hiring a graphic designer as a permanent member of your team won’t be the best use of your funds.

It's tempting to hire a virtual assistant as a generalist to handle everything from your basic admin to things like graphic design. Most virtual assistants, though, won't have that range of skills. It's better to let your virtual assistant do admin related tasks and then find freelance graphic designers who you can hire on an as-needed basis.  You’ll find that you save a lot of money and time without compromising on the quality that you need.

When looking for a good graphic designer, consider these important points:

• Experience - While Canva has come a long way as a graphic design tool for social media posts, experienced graphic designers will have skills in more advanced programs such as Adobe. Graphic designers have a deeper understanding of color theory, font styles and even psychology so that the graphic elements you are asking for will enhance your brand and message.
• Portfolio - Do they do the kind of graphic designs you need? Some graphic designers only do logos while others specialize in websites or print design. What are the types of projects you are looking for and does your graphic designer specialize in those areas.
• Accessibility - There's nothing more frustrating than needing something done by the end of the week and not being able to reach your graphic designer because the power in their country is unpredictable.  (Ask us how we know that one). Make sure you work with someone who's internet and electricity are reliable and they are available based on the hours you need. It's important to understand what you might be getting when someone who provides virtual services for coaches works in other countries.

Task and Appointment Scheduling

Task and appointment scheduling is one of the quickest and easiest virtual services for coaches to delegate when they are just getting started. Virtual Assistants are often one of the first people a coach will hire and they tend to have the core skills for this type of work.

Virtual assistants are often adept at the use of scheduling software and project management tools common in the coaching industry. Your virtual assistant can use these tools to call to confirm client or prospect appointments, follow up on tasks or manage other details on your behalf.

Travel arrangements can also be scheduled. A virtual assistant can schedule flights, accommodations, car rentals…essentially any aspect of traveling.

Content Creation and Management

Content is what establishes you as an expert in your field. This might consist of podcast episodes, blog posts, e-books, free webinars or courses, videos for social media and your website, etc... All successful coaches use a variety of content marketing strategies to make their brand visible to their target audience. And yet, it is a time consuming and often difficult process that requires content creators with deft skills and experience. This makes it excellent virtual services for coaches to delegate.

Marketing forms a huge part of your coaching business. If you aren't already producing consistent content to market your coaching skills, it will be an important next step.

A content marketing manager might be just the right person to add to your team. This person’s role is to make sure that all content pieces (whether written or visual) appropriately depict the brand. They help to create and implement a comprehensive content creation schedule. He or she can also help you get the most out of the content created and ultimately allow you to reach a wider audience. While some content managers can also create the content for you, this typically falls to you as the expert or to an expert content writer.

Social Media Management

If content on your podcast and blog are like the marketing signs IN your store...

Then social media is like the billboard outside enticing people to come in.

If your social media content isn't well managed, it will be like having a billboard in Death Valley, CA. There won't be many visitors.

Social media changes, ALL...THE...TIME! Don't make it your career to keep up on all those changes. These are excellent virtuals service for coaches to delegate so they can free up more of their time and focus on what matters most.

Event Planning

Coaches, regardless of their niche, often host events (whether virtual or in-person) occasionally. Event planning is a highly detail-oriented process that can distract you from the core needs of your business. It may be something that you believe you can do yourself, but carefully consider the time you would lose when you could be spending that time attracting more clients.

You want your events to be the talk of the town for the right reasons. Consequently, your event planner should:

• Have great interpersonal skills
• Be able to manage time effectively
• Make stellar organization a priority
• Be flexible and have a contingency plan
• Have a track record of success in planning and executing similar events
• Be creative and innovative
• Have a passion for planning

Client Relationship Management

Building positive client relationships is crucial to business growth. You may not have a large client list when you start out so it's tempting to handle the management yourself. However, outsourcing the following client relationship management functions can help you establish even stronger relationships and provide a higher level of professionalism to your business:

• Manage invoicing and payments
• Follow up for schedule appointments
• Send thank you cards

What Should you Look for in a Virtual Services for Coaches Provider?

Now that you’ve jumped onto the outsourcing bandwagon, it's time to understand what to look for in an outsourcing partner. Here’re a few things that should be at the top of your checklist:

     1. Experience

Is it OK to hire someone that doesn't have experience with your programs or in your niche?

There's a good chance you'll find a lot of applicants that don't have a lot of experience with your specific tools or in your niche. For example, a content creator that specializes in articles on health and beauty may not be a great fit for your topic of money mindset. Or a website designer who has always used Wix might not be the right hire for your Kajabi website creation. This is often the case when looking at providers with lower hourly rates. Just like in the medical field, it's more expensive to get a specialist. You probably wouldn't get a nose job from someone who's worked in pediatric medicine for a few years and now wants to do plastic surgery too. And, if you decided to, you probably wouldn't pay them the same rate as someone who's specialized in nose jobs for 20 years.

It's totally OK to hire someone with less experience and skill as long as you understand what you are getting. You can't expect them to have the knowledge that a more experienced person will. They also won't be as fast as there is often a steep learning curve (that you are likely paying for). You'll also be investing more of your time to get them up to speed. All of these things will factor into the overall cost.

Now, if you have a routine task that you have already outlined a clear standard operating procedure, it may be perfectly OK to go with someone that isn't highly experienced.

     2. Flexible

Anyone you outsource business to should be flexible enough to meet your unique demands. This makes communication integral to creating a successful working relationship. Your expectations should be made clear from the get-go and you should also make it clear that there may be instances where flexibility must be exercised.

    3. Good reviews and social media presence

Customers paint a clear picture of the true service a company provides. You have to go beyond the fairy tale picture painted on the company’s website. Check out the social media pages and read the discussions people are having about the company or individual. If something doesn’t seem right, they might not be a good fit for your brand.

In this day and age, a person or company that is aligned with yours is a direct reflection of your business. Take some time to review the social media posts and content (just be careful when using this information for hiring individuals) posted by the company. If their values do not align with yours, it could come back to haunt you.

Ready to get started?

If you are finally ready to start outsourcing virtual services for your coaching business, the next logical step is to understand what tasks to outsource and who to outsource to. A great place to start is with these six focus areas:

• Graphic design
• Scheduling
• Content management
• Social media management
• Client management
• Event management

And if you want to say yes to a little bit of all of them, then a one-stop-shop for virtual services like Virtual A Team may be the best option for you.

Note: This article was originally published on April 30th, 2019 and updated February 5th, 2024.

Are you ready to hire an OBM? These online business manager interview questions will ensure you get the right fit.

So much to do, so little time.

Entrepreneurship is your passion but trying to handle everything alone has become overwhelming. You need help!

The pressure chamber that you’ve enclosed yourself in is crushing you, forcing you to gasp for air. Can you find someone who can save you?

Here’s a thought. The right online business manager acts as your right-hand; the Alfred to your Batman. He or she saves you from being crushed by this pressure chamber. It takes great skill to be an effective online business manager. This is in part because managing teams is a critical component of the role. Hire the wrong person and you can end up in a nightmare instead of a fairytale.  Focus on the importance of online business manager interview questions when interviewing potential online business manager candidates. 

You need an online business manager who doesn’t only view the position as a job. You'll want to look for someone with qualities focused on passion, hard work, innovation, and a commitment to achieving the company’s vision. It’s less about having an MBA and more about working with you to help business growth.

Thus, you don't want to ask just any questions in the interview. You'll want to know the right online business manager interview questions. It may be tempting to simply look at a resume and some portfolio work and say, “This is awesome! You’re hired!” In fact, this is often the technique used by entrepreneurs who hire remote workers. The real danger is that you could spend a lot of money on someone you shouldn’t have hired in the first place.

Interview questions help you learn more about who the person is and whether he or she is the right fit for your team.

We can group interview questions for online business managers into three categories:

• Get to Know You Questions

• Operational Questions

• Situational Questions

The right online business manager interview questions

It’s important to get to know each candidate without diving too deep into personal details. Your goal is to learn more about this person’s motivation and experience level. You can also find out the value he or she can bring to the organization.

What inspired you to become an online business manager? What do you like about the job?

It’s good to start the interview with this question. It helps you identify the candidate’s motivation for pursuing this career path. A candidate who has a passion for this type of work is more likely to push through challenges that come with the job.  On the flip side, a candidate who is motivated by a paycheck will give the bare minimum required to get the job done.

How long have you been an online business manager? What is the greatest lesson that you have learned through your experience?

Experience is only beneficial if the person has learned from it. Sometimes, someone with no experience can be better than someone who has experience. That's because the former is more trainable than the latter. Identifying if the candidate has experience is helpful. but the real benefit is pinpointing how much this person has learned from experience.

Do you consider yourself to be a leader? What would you say is your strongest leadership quality?

Your online business manager will be leading teams. When you allow your online business manager to make decisions on your behalf, you no longer serve as the bottleneck in the process. For this reason, trust is crucial.  If you understand someone's strongest leadership quality, you will better understand their strengths. It can even help identify a preferred leadership style.

What is the greatest challenge that you have faced leading teams? How did you overcome this challenge?

This question shines a spotlight on how this candidate leads. You don’t want someone whose leadership style is completely different from yours. But, you also need someone whose strengths complement your weaknesses. This question helps you determine whether this candidate can strike that delicate balance.

How have you helped another organization achieve its vision?

This question also relates to assessing the candidate’s level of experience. It helps you know whether someone has taken the time to truly understand the goals of a business.  You may also learn a little about someone's problem-solving abilities. Or discover some of their willingness to take initiative.

What tasks or areas of business are you most equipped to handle?

People work best in their areas of strength. You want your online business manager to have a good knowledge of all areas of your business. She should be able to adapt quickly and help you with anything at a moment’s notice. But, this approach can become draining and demotivating. 

Operational Questions

These questions look closely at the candidate’s work style and constraints. This section gives you insight into if someone's preferences or constraints will fit in with your business structure.

Tell me about a recent experience learning a new online tool or system?

Your company may use specific programs unique to your business. Some online business managers will prefer to working with their own programs. How they answer this question will help you find out if they are willing and able to learn your systems.

Remember, someone doesn't need to be a certified expert in your systems or tools to do their job. Unless that job requires high levels of customization. Then you might be looking for a specialist rather than an online business manager.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

What do you understand about the company’s vision, mission, and goals?

All team members should understand what the company stands for and where it’s going. Someone who hasn’t taken the time to do some basic research into your business may not care about more than just a job. You want someone who is deeply interested in your business and wants to help it grow.

This question may also help you find out how willing a person is to go above and beyond the expected. If they've taken the time, before an interview, they will put in that same amount of time AFTER the interview.

What timezone are you in and what hours are you available?

Time zones are tricky when hiring remote workers. It isn't crucial that all your freelancers be in the same time zone. But having your online business manager 14 hours ahead can make it impossible to manage the daily details of your business.

Do you only accept calls or emails at specific times?

It’s important to be respectful of the communication preferences of team members. For instance, some people may be okay with random calls to talk business throughout the day. But others may prefer a text message to find out if now is a good time to talk. It’s important to know these things and make sure it works with your style.

What communication channels do you use?

There are a lot of communication methods these days.

• What’s App
• Zoom
• Skype
• Slack
• Email
• etc...

Situational Questions

These questions suggest scenarios and ask the individual to offer solutions on the spot. They assess the candidate’s problem-solving skills.

• You are managing a team of writers for a content marketing project. One of the writers is constantly missing deadlines but produces a good quality piece. How would you motivate the writer to meet her deadlines so that the project’s progress isn’t hampered?

This question will help you determine the person's interpersonal skills. You'll also learn a little more about how he or she would think as a leader. You can change the question to reflect a specific situation in your business. The goal is to determine how this person would deal with a situation that affects the team’s workflow.

• You manage a project that has a tight deadline using a limited budget. How would you ensure that the project is effectively executed despite these constraints?

The candidate’s problem-solving skills are on full display here. You’ll quickly identify if the candidate has experienced this challenge before. You'll also get a sense of his or her quick thinking abilities.

• The business’s website crashes for several hours. I am on a long-distance flight and, therefore, unreachable. The customer service manager calls you to address the issue but it’s 1 am in your local time. How would you handle this situation?

Your online business manager should always be available should the need arise. You don’t want someone who closes off from the rest of the world and is unavailable during crisis moments. This fact highlights the importance of ensuring that the candidate is in the right time zone. A major time difference decreases availability.

• You disagree with something I’ve said. How would you express your opinion?

You don’t want someone who’s a “Yes” man. But, you also don’t want someone who is abrasive and challenges everything you say. A good online business manager will be strong enough to respectfully challenge your opinion when he or he is confident that there is a better way. Hiding in a corner or talking behind your back doesn’t solve any issues and only causes more harm than good.

The Virtual A Team Can Help You Find an Online Business Manager

Virtual A Team has extensive experience working with teams for our clients. We provide online business managers who have the knowledge and expertise you need. Contact us today so that we can get you started today.