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.

Are you thinking about working with an Online Business Manager but you aren’t sure what it’s all about? A little planning and understanding will help you choose the right Online Business Manager for you. 

Working with an Online Business Manager can be business changing.

Making sure you choose the right Online Business Manager for you helps to avoid turnover. And will get you the most out of your OBM partnership.

Meet Tish. She's a coach who works with families to help them through the world of Special Needs services.

Most of her coaching programs are offered online. She’s grown a very steady pace over the last couple of years.

She's hired a VA and someone to produce her podcast.

She even has a go-to graphics designer.

Unfortunately, she’s starting to find herself spending a lot of time working with each of her team members. She is often frustrated by helping them understand what she wants. 

Recently, Tish attended a Mastermind group, virtually - of course. She heard from several different members about their experiences working with online business managers.

She was intrigued by the possibilities. But after listening to the varied experiences of her peers, she left feeling confused and overwhelmed. 

It seemed like a great solution but she didn't trust that it wouldn't be another bad outsourcing experience.

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

Know What YOU Need

Online business managers are a really great way to help coaches build and grow their coaching business without adding extra hours to their workload.

In fact, OBMs usually relieve you of work so you have more time to do the things that you choose to do.

But not all online business managers are created equal. If you don’t know what you are looking for, you may end up with more of a mess than you bargained for.

Let’s explore a little more about what you need to know to find the right online business manager for you. 

What IS An Online Business Manager Anyway?

You’ve heard the term but you may not have a good understanding of what an Online Business Manager, aka OBM, is or what he or she does. 

OBMs are a category of freelancers typically known as Virtual Business Managers.

The terms Virtual Business Manager and Online Business Manager are often synonymous. However, there is a slight difference between the two.

While both can help manage businesses remotely.

Online Business Managers focus on managing online businesses. 

An online business could be an e-commerce site, affiliate marketing, vlogs or blogs, SaaS (software as a solution) companies, or digital products, just to name a few.

With this large variety of online businesses, it’s easy to see how the world of Online Business Managers is growing at exponential rates!

Know What To Expect

What does an online business manager, um, well, manage?

There is often some confusion regarding the role and responsibilities of an OBM.

A great OBM is best utilized to manage projects and teams, not to perform most of the tasks.

While there may be some tasks that an OBM will perform simply because they can, many of the tasks will be outsourced to other experts.

Currently, Tish is acting as the business manager.

She’s in charge of making sure each person knows what to do, how to do it, and that they get it done. 

And this is where you start to see that not all OBMs are created equal.

One of the reasons that different people have different experiences with their OBMs is because they have different expectations than the OBM does. 

What Do You Do Well?

Part of the problem is that OBMs vary greatly in their expertise.

Many OBMs will come to you with prior management experience in specific key areas such as social media, content creation, or administration, for example. 

There’s a reason that traditional businesses have specialized positions. They have Office Managers, Production Managers, Marketing Managers, HR managers, etc…

It’s because each area of business has its own set of skills and challenges.

But, typically, there is one main general manager who handles the management of the entire company. 

Most often, an MBA is the ideal candidate for the general manager position.

Master of Business

Let’s look at it in terms of the MBA, from Wikipedia: 

The Master of Business Administration (MBA or M.B.A.) degree originated in the United States in the early 20th century when the country industrialized and companies sought scientific management.[1] The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounting, applied statistics, human resources, business communication, business ethics, business law, business strategy, finance, managerial economics, management, entrepreneurship, marketing, supply-chain management, and operations management in a manner most relevant to management analysis and strategy.

If your business is exclusively online, your online business manager can serve as your general manager. 

While you may not require your OBM to have an MBA degree, you are looking for someone with equivalent work experience.

Choose What to Delegate

If you work with both online and offline aspects of your business, your online business manager may only manage one part.

Good OBMs have a wide base of knowledge without going deep into any one area.

This varied experience allows them to help with the overall management of the online elements of your business.

If you simply need someone who is great at social media and can manage social media marketing for you, then you’d want to hire a social media manager, not an online business manager. 

Clarify Your Expectations

But those expectations should be made clear in the interview process and discussed when things change.

Trouble may also happen when a business owner expects their online business manager to manage things outside of his or her areas of expertise.

Think of asking an HR manager to manage production.

Often, the OBM is not upfront with their client to let them know the request is not a good fit.

Matching Expertise With Projects

Having conversations early, and often, will help to make sure everyone is having the best possible experience with the greatest possible results.

As a business owner, your job is to guide your team and focus your time on doing the things that only you can do.

When you hire a virtual assistant, you are choosing to delegate tasks.

When you work with an OBM, you are delegating projects.

Which projects you delegate will be determined by your OBMs areas of expertise.

Choosing The Right OBM For YOUR Needs

With there being such a huge discrepancy in the quality of online business managers, how do you hire the right one? 

How do you choose the right online business manager?

How do you ensure their experience is well-suited for your particular project management needs?

Write a clear job description

Depending on how you do your hiring, you may or may not be posting an actual job description somewhere.

But even if you don’t, a well-written job description will help you to have a clear idea of what your needs and desires are. 

Workable.com offers some great tips on writing a good job description.

For example, they suggest clearly describing tasks without using jargon or vague descriptions.  

Interview Several Candidates

Hiring well takes time.

Don’t look at the first few resumes, have one interview, and offer the job on the spot.

From our experience, the first candidate usually looks pretty good until you interview several more!

Take your time. Make a list to help you evaluate the prospects, and check out our article on online business manager interview questions you can ask.

Ask for Referrals

Referrals are generally going to provide glowing reports about your potential candidates.

It can be tricky to know what questions you can and can’t ask.

However, when you’ve nailed down a few key questions, you can get the 'inside scoop' on what your candidate may not share with you.  

Check Social Media 

We hate to admit this but checking what your candidate is posting on is such an important step these days.

There are stories everywhere of employees who said or did something, shared on social media, and ultimately damaged the reputation of the company.

While we can’t avoid ALL of these situations, we can minimize them by reviewing social media profiles before hiring.

Do a Careful Review

Hopefully, you took some great notes on each candidate up to this point.

Virtual A Team potential candidate ranking system.

We've identified the skills and traits that are most important and rate them throughout each step.

This helps take the guesswork out of hiring and makes the process less subjective.

That being said, gut instinct is something we measure but it's only one part of the overall candidate rating. 

Interview Again

That’s right. The best companies will tell you to conduct more than one interview with your top-pick candidates.

The second interview is an opportunity for you to chat with a candidate when they are more relaxed.

It gives you the opportunity to clarify their answers to any outstanding questions you might have.

It also gives you another chance to ask more granular 'pocket questions' to further evaluate if this is the right Online Business Manager for you. 

Red Flags

If you’ve never hired an Online Business Manager before, you may not know what to look out for.

Here are some red flags that may signal a less than ideal candidate:

• A Yes Ma’amer - This is the person who agrees with everything you say all the time. While an OBM isn’t a coach, he or she should be able to give you ideas or call you out when something doesn’t fit with your goals. They are there to help you grow your business and sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know.

• Negativity. It’s rare to see this in an interview when prospects are on their best behavior so if it does come out, you know it will only get worse. 

• Short Answers - While not everyone is going to be thoroughly expressive in an interview, someone who is able to talk through ideas and concepts with you will likely be a better long term fit.

• REALLLLLLLLYYYY LONG Answers - on the flip side, if someone is extremely long-winded, that may use up a lot of your time.

• Someone who is JUST LIKE YOU!  - One huge trap coaches fall into is getting along so well with someone because they are just like them and then hiring them. You don’t want or need a clone (as much as you think you do). You need someone who compliments your abilities and can pick up slack in areas you aren’t great in.

That’s a Wrap!

The right Online Business Manager can help to relieve a lot of the overwhelm of managing the online areas of your business.

Take your time in finding the right fit.

Experience the greatest return on your investment by determining your exact needs. And investing time to find the 'right-fit' OBM who will compliment your skills and can help you manage your online business needs 

Have you ever walked into a candy store and been mesmerized by the numerous flavors available? Some sweet, some sour but there is always something there to satisfy each person’s taste buds.  

Social media can make you feel like a kid in a candy store. There are so many brands to choose from; something is always available to capture your interests. With so many options for consumers to choose from, brands have to work hard to make their social media pages stand out from their competitors.

Many people claim to be social media experts. However, few have the skills and expertise to help a brand achieve amazing returns from its social media investment. You should, therefore, be very selective about who you choose as your social media manager. 

The hiring process isn’t as simple as visiting a freelancing website, such as UpWork, and hiring the first person who sends a fancy proposal. Virtual A Team has spent years vetting social media manager candidates and we believe that we have created a valuable list of social media manager interview questions to aid in this process.

Social Media Manager Interview Questions

Ask the right questions and understand the answers you are looking for. This will lead you one step closer to weeding out the best person for the job. We’ve separated the interview questions into three categories:

1. Experience
2. Strategy/ Problem-Solving Skills
3. Knowledge Acquisition

Experience

The phrase, “Experience teaches wisdom” never grows old. That doesn’t mean that a newbie social media manager won’t do a good job. Yet, you’ve got a lot riding on the success of your social media strategy. Your business needs more leads and your brand needs a strong voice in the digital arena. 

Anyone you hire should be able to prove their worth. Even this person has only successfully built a social media presence for his or her personal brand, the experience is important. Here are a few social media manager interview questions that you can ask to gauge a candidate’s level of experience. 

Describe your most successful social media campaign. How did the campaign help the brand you were representing?

This question determines whether the candidate has a proven track record. You want to know how the candidate executed the strategy from beginning to end. Most importantly, your social media manager has to be a strategist who can glean insights and use them to improve campaigns. 

Describe your most memorable experience as a social media manager.

Not only does this social media manager interview question test a candidate’s experience level, but it also tests the candidate’s ability to convey a story. Effective storytelling is important for achieving strong results on social media. As a result, someone who provides a drab response may not have the necessary storytelling skills to pack a punch.  

Which social media channel(s) would you recommend for this business? Explain your choice.

This question tests how well the candidate understands social media. Some social media platforms are better suited for certain brands than others. The candidate should also be able to explain how the chosen social media network can work for your brand. Also, the candidate should explain how each platform would be used differently. Social media marketing isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy.

How do you know whether social media content is successful?

Successful social media campaigns include share-worthy content. A good social media manager has an eye for this type of content. He or she knows how to post it to gain traction. Ask for samples of share-worthy content that the candidate has already posted. The samples will help you see what the candidate considers share-worthy content.

What metrics do you use to measure a successful social media campaign?

Social media managers will be able to show that their campaigns are yielding results. Look for someone who knows to focus on engagement and leads. They are the two most valuable metrics in the social media marketing sphere. Good social media managers know how to find these metrics and how to use them to quantify results. 

What social media management tools do you use?

Efficient social media managers use social media dashboard software.  HootSuite, Buffer, and HubSpot help to monitor multiple campaigns and track metrics. For this reason, your social media manager should have experience using one (or more) of these tools. 

Why are goals important for a social media campaign?

Goals are important for any marketing strategy. They give you something to work towards. Goals also provide a clear picture of what will be done and how success will be measured. You want to make sure that your social media marketing goals and your business goals align. A good social media manager will help you do that.

Strategy/ Problem-Solving Skills

Successful social media management requires strategic planning and strong problem-solving skills. It isn’t about uploading a post, crossing your fingers and hoping for the best. A skilled social media manager is a strong problem-solver and strategic thinker. These questions will help you identify these qualities in the candidates you interview.

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

What would you do to improve our current social media strategy?

In response, you are looking for the candidate to be able to clearly articulate issues. In addition, they should demonstrate strong problem-solving skills designed to help you achieve the best results. An experienced candidate will know what works and what doesn’t. Therefore, they will understand the best strategies to apply to your business.

How do you handle challenges that can occur on social media channels?

Social media is not a perfect world. As a result, there will be many fires that your social media manager will need to put out. An astute social media manager will help you develop best practices to put out these fires and keep your social media strategy on the right course. 

How do you handle negative comments on social media? 

Not all comments warrant a response. Some negative comments require immediate action to address the customer’s grouses. On the other hand, other comments are best left unanswered. A good social media manager knows the difference. 

How do you use social media as a customer service tool?

Many customers reach out to the brands they love via social media. Therefore, the social media manager has to have the patience and knowledge necessary to address customers’ queries. However, some candidates may only want to focus on the marketing aspect and ignore the customer service component.

Have you ever had to handle situations where a brand’s social media presence was being portrayed negatively? 

It’s important to know how the candidate will handle situations where the brand is portrayed negatively on social media. This social media manager interview question tests whether this person thinks critically and is solution-oriented. The answer isn’t to respond with more negativity and belittle the naysayer. It’s critical for your social media manager to know how to counteract these negatives with positive responses.

How do you allocate budgets for social media advertising?

Social media advertising can be pretty expensive if it isn’t properly managed. However, an effective social media manager has a strategy for judiciously spending on social media ads. This strategy includes close monitoring of the ads to determine where too much money is being spent so that adjustments can be made.

Knowledge Acquisition

Finally, you'll want to learn about how your candidate looks at continuous learning. Social media, like any other technology-related industry, is continuously evolving. Specifically, what was relevant two years ago may not be relevant now. You need a social media manager who keeps up with the constantly changing landscape.  

How do you keep up with the changes in the social media management industry?

Strong social media managers remain current and can make recommendations about new social media best practices that will benefit your business. This helps you stay ahead of your competition and remain relevant to customers.

Have you received any noteworthy certification?

Having some form of certification shows that the candidate is interested in continuously seeking knowledge. For instance, someone who has a certification may be more likely to listen to podcasts and take online courses regularly. HubSpot Academy offers free social media management certification. EdX also offers courses where a user can pay for a verified certificate. If they so desire, anyone can easily access up-to-date training and verified certification.

What limitations have you found with social media?

This question uncovers whether the candidate is aware of social media trends and how they affect current digital marketing practices. A knowledgeable social media manager will know that social media isn’t perfect and doesn’t reach all demographics.

Wrapping the Social Media Manager Interview

A social media manager is one of the best investments you can make for your business. However, this investment can be costly if you choose someone inexperienced, lacks problem-solving skills and isn’t interested in keeping up-to-date with the current market trends. The questions described in this article can help you find the right social media manager to take you to new heights.

You’re a coach working on overwhelm. Although it’s difficult to admit you need help, you’ve begun to realize that you need a virtual assistant.  The thing is though that you don’t want any ol’ virtual assistant. You want a star, a team player, a problem-solver...someone who delivers results. You want to take your time and ask the best virtual assistant interview questions that will get you the most qualified and best fitting candidate.

A bit of anxiety creeps in as you consider how best to approach finding the right virtual assistant. Someone can look good on paper but be the complete opposite when put to work. Therefore, it’s important to separate the weeds from the thorns from the get-go by creating a solid hiring process that has three steps:

1. The W-H-O Interview
2. Onboarding
3. Probationary period

This article focuses on the W-H-O process for interviewing virtual assistants that will help you select the right virtual assistant. This interview strategy divides the interview questions into three categories: the who, the how and the overcomer. Asking the questions in the right way can help you learn more about a virtual assistant candidate than you would using traditional interview questions. Here’s how it works.

The WHO Process - Virtual Assistant Interview Questions

The Who

The first set of virtual assistant interview questions will help you learn more about the individual. The person you’re hiring isn’t a robot. This virtual assistant is a human being with a unique set of character traits, interests and skills. It’s important to get to know who the person is holistically before trying to understand what the person can do.

How would you describe the journey that has led you to where you are today?

This question helps you understand the candidate’s background. It also shows you how many personal details this person is willing to share. You aren’t trying to establish a friendship, but getting to know where this person is coming from equips you with the knowledge you need to help the person grow. 

Remember that you’re the leader of your business and, as a transformational leader, you have a responsibility to help each person who enters your team become the best version of himself or herself.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

This virtual assistant interview question gives you a good sense of the values held by the candidate and how those values may impact his or her work. For instance, someone who responds with “I like to party. You only live once right?” may not be reliable when it comes to meeting deadlines. Having a good time is great but it becomes a problem when it hampers the person’s ability to work. This question can help you quickly identify some red flags. 

On the other hand, someone who says, “I barely have time to sleep between kids, house, and work.” probably isn't a good fit either. They may be constantly battling fatigue and overwhelm and miss deadlines regularly.

What type of work are you really good at?

Virtual assistants can complete a myriad of tasks such as appointment scheduling, booking flights and finding the right freelancers to work on projects. There are some crucial differences between a virtual assistant and an online business manager. Don’t expect the virtual assistant candidate to do the work of an online business manager. 

Additionally, this question helps you identify the virtual assistant’s strengths. This candidate may be strong in areas where you really don’t need help. On the other hand, this candidate may be strong in an area where you need help but weak in other areas where you need help. You don’t want to set the person up to fail by assigning tasks that render the candidate inefficient. 

What is your favorite communication medium?

Some people prefer emails, others prefer calls. It’s important to know whether the candidate’s preferred communication medium conflicts with your own. It can become overwhelming for an introvert who prefers email communication to communicate with you via phone calls daily. And it can be very annoying to receive constant text messages for non-urgent matters if that’s not your style.

Sure, a good team player is flexible and adjusts to the client’s expectations. They will also help create an effective communication strategy that works for both parties. However, you can develop a healthier working relationship if you both have the same preferred communication medium.

What timezone are you in? 

Time zones are crucial in the world of remote work. Working with a virtual assistant who is 10 hours ahead of you can be challenging especially when you need to have video or phone calls.  Time zone may not matter if the tasks you need the virtual assistant to complete are time independent. However, it can become a major problem if these tasks are time sensitive. 

Online business owners are superheros. Turn on your laptop, monitor your website and social media pages, deal with client work or online transactions, create lead generating material, interact with online freelancers...so much to do, so little time. They don't even have time to think about why they need to hire an online business manager!

Are you tired of being a superhero for your business? Your passion is limitless and you spend every waking moment pouring your heart into making your business successful. Batman is your alter ego. (Ladies, bear with me, it works better if I use Batman instead of an awesome female superhero like Wonder Woman).

You put on your cape daily and conquer the challenges for your business like a boss. But you transform into some semblance of Bruce Wayne (minus the wealth and fame) in the few moments when you’re able to catch a breath so that you can live a little. 

You dream of the day when you can strike a balance. You dream of the day when that freedom you set out to achieve by becoming an entrepreneur is finally yours. If this is you, then it may be time to hire an online business manager. 

There’s good news! An online business manager can be your own personal Alfred Pennyworth and help you achieve this seemingly impossible feat.

Courtesy: https://www.scoopwhoop.com/Quotes-By-Alfred-Pennyworth/

What are the benefits when you hire an online business manager?

When you know what an online business manager does, it’s easy to understand how you can benefit. There are five main benefits of hiring an online business manager:

• Saving money
• Saving time
• Getting unique insights
• Avoiding a human resource nightmare
• Increased chances for business success

An online business manager can help you save money.

How much money and time are you wasting trying to perfect areas of your business that you know very little about? Hire an online business manager to help you get things right from the get-go. The money you invest in paying your online business manager pales in comparison with the money you’ll lose due to your inexperience.

Save time and hire an online business manager.

Time never seems to be on your side as a busy online entrepreneur. And it’s the one thing we never get more of. An online business manager can help you find more time to pursue growth opportunities by:

• Being the middle-man between you and the online freelancers you hire. Heck, you don’t even need to be involved in the hiring process if it isn’t absolutely necessary. It can be time consuming to onboard online freelancers and monitor their work, especially when you’re working with multiple freelancers across numerous teams.
• You will have someone who you can trust to keep the business’ best interests at heart. So, you can focus on growth opportunities and leave the finer details to your online business manager.

An online business manager’s experience provides useful insights. 

Experience teaches wisdom. When you hire an online business manager, you get and individual who's experience provides a unique, current and relevant perspective that can help your business thrive. You will be amazed by the interesting ideas he or she presents. Your business will only get better.

The human resource requirements of a full-time employee are unnecessary.

Typically you hire an online business manager on a contractual basis. Therefore, you won’t be responsible for employment taxes, benefits and other human resource concerns. This is quite different from hiring a full-time manager.

The main goal is to help your business thrive.

An online business manager has the best interests of your business at heart. Consistent communication, transparency and leadership are second-nature for an effective online business manager. You will get a highly valuable team member who will help you take your business to the next level. 

Who is an online business manager?

An online business manager helps virtual entrepreneurs govern and monitor the daily operations of a business. This person plays a critical role for a small business in many ways.

Managing teams

If you know that building a team is important to your business goals but managing people isn’t your strong suit, you absolutely NEED to hire an online business manager. Your OBM can help you work with your other team members. From graphic designers, website developers, copy writers and more. If you are building a sizable team, it helps to have someone manage all of the different members for you.

Managing Operations

From accounting to customer service, there are a lot of things to manage in a growing online business. These are the “weeds” of your business. They need to be taken care of but it’s not the best use of your time if you plan to continue to grow. 

Hire an online business manager to help you manage the details so you can focus on the big picture.

Download our Insider's Guide to Outsourcing for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

Monitoring Goals and Keep you Accountable

Were you excited about not having a boss to report to when you chose to become an entrepreneur? Is not having a boss leaving you without the accountability you need to succeed?

You have goals for your business but how good are you at monitoring those goals? Are you keeping up on the metrics you need to so that you can see the progress your business is making? 

Are you easily distracted by other ideas and shiny objects?

Your online business manager can help you track your goals and make recommendations when those goals are getting off track. Your OBM can serve as your accountability partner helping to keep you focused. It’s like having the best benefits of a boss without getting yelled at for not performing!

Give you a Break

Have you ever wanted to go on a month long vacation to Thailand or Bali but you knew that your business couldn’t last a week without you? An online business manager can help you totally unplug from your business so that you come back with brilliant new ideas and are ready to hit the ground running.

How do you know when you need an online business manager?

There are many things that you are asked to invest in as a business owner. How do you know if now is the right time to invest in an online business manager? This one is a lot easier than you might think. Hiring an OBM can free you up to make even more money to invest in those other opportunities. 

Ask yourself:

• Have I started to resent my business because of all the things I don’t love to do?
• Am I constantly feeling overwhelmed and need some help?
• Do I feel more like an employee that a business owner?
• Am I inexperienced in a particular business area that will help my business grow?
• Am I missing out on growth opportunities because I’m focused on day-to-day operations? 

Look closely at how you feel when you answer those questions. The answers will reveal to you whether it's time to hire an OBM or if you can wait it out.

What is the difference between an online business manager and a virtual assistant?

Virtual Assistants are often hired to do the work of an online business manager but the roles are very different. Hiring the wrong type of person for the job can lead to frustration and disappointment.

A virtual assistant’s role is specific to the tasks you assign. However, an online business manager is responsible for overseeing your business. Therefore, they have a lot more on their plates. The table below summarizes the main differences between an online business manager and a virtual assistant.

Is an online business manager expensive? Remember, though, these are just titles. You may get lucky and find a virtual assistant that can perform the work of an online business manager. 

An online business manager brings a greater set of skills to the table than a virtual assistant. Therefore, their rates are typically higher than that of a virtual assistant.

Some OBM’s will only work on a fixed monthly rate, similar to a salary. They generally will only work with two or three clients at a time while giving much more time and attention to those clients.

Other OBM’s will work on an hourly rate. Those rates tend to be around $60 to $75 an hour. 

You can check out Virtual A Team’s Online Business Manager packages here.

What are the qualities of an effective online business manager?

An effective online business manager is:

• Experienced
• A leader (experience leading remote teams is helpful)
• An effective communicator
• Driven by results instead of emotions
• A good multi-tasker
• Able to pay keen attention to details
• Loyal
• Trustworthy
• Committed to helping your business succeed

How can you find an online business manager?

Virtual A Team has a team of effective online business managers who can help your business coaching or life coaching business succeed. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.

Putting It All Together

Courtesy https://www.scoopwhoop.com/Quotes-By-Alfred-Pennyworth/

Batman couldn’t save Gotham City without Alfred hanging out behind the scenes and successful business owners don’t do it on their own either. An online business manager is essential for any online business owner serious about business growth. You will get someone who you can trust to oversee elements of your business so that you can get the time you need to pursue growth opportunities and establish a healthy work-life balance. Hire an effective online business manager today by contacting Virtual A Team. 

When you decide to hire interns, you have to weigh the pros and cons of adding young inexperienced workers to your professional environment. Finding new team members or freelancers for your business can be stressful but it doesn't need to be that way. Each intern arrives with a distinct set of skills, knowledge and ideas. There are many options and you can never be 100 percent sure about who will be the right pick.

Internship was created as a way to solve this dilemma. The history of internship dates as far back as the 11th century when apprentices were hired to learn various trades such as carpentry, masonry and agriculture. Internship as we know it today began in the 20th century when students were given opportunities to gain hands-on experience in their chosen professions. The idea to hire interns was developed as a way to bring practical experience into the curriculum.

Learning by doing is the foundation of internship. Interns have no experience beyond what they learned in textbooks. They enter with bright eyes and bushy tails but also with a sense of timidity. With this in mind, what should you do if you are considering an internship program for your business?

Pros and Cons to consider when you hire interns

Internships provide several benefits for both the intern and the employer. But there are also disadvantages. Here are a few that you should consider when you hire interns.

1. Enthusiasm - or not

Pro: Interns tend to have a high level of energy and enthusiasm. They are eager to learn and want to get the most out of the experience.

Con: Not all interns have this level of enthusiasm. Some can be sullen and eventually become a drain on regular staff. They aren’t there to learn but to get the credits so they can move on to their “real” jobs. They can also put your business in a negative light. Not exactly what you had in mind when you had the idea to hire interns.

 2. Cost

 Pro: Some interns are willing to work for free so that they can list the work experience on their resumes.

Con: Some interns won’t work without some form of stipend. If they realize they are doing a lot of work for no pay, they might not be an asset to your business.

3. Knowledge

 Pro: Interns come with up-to-date knowledge. When you hire interns, you're hiring a digital natives, which could be a huge advantage to your business!

Con: While they have the knowledge, they don’t have the skills. Interns are inexperienced so you will spend a lot of time and money on training.

4. Experience - or lack of

Pro: Hiring an intern costs less than hiring someone with more experience and education.

Con: You get what you pay for. An intern’s lack of experience means that you have to be very careful about the tasks assigned. You may not necessarily get the quality you desire and may have to coach the intern so that the right quality of work is produced. Be willing to put in a lot of extra training time when you decide to hire interns. 

5. ROI

Pro: You can gain a loyal employee. All the training and time you put into honing an intern’s skills can pay off in the long-term if you decide to hire him or her full time. This is one of the lesser thought of pros when you hire interns. 

Con: You may not get a good Return on Investment (ROI) because the intern may never work with your company.

6. Availability Issues

Pro: Interns are in school and learning some new strategies that you can use in your business.

Con: An intern probably does not have a very flexible schedule. If the internship is during the semester, there are some hours or entire days when the intern will have classes.

7. Area of Expertise

Pro: Interns tend to do one area really well. They are specialists.

Con: Interns lose interest if you want them to do everything and more. An intern isn’t there to do everything from getting your coffee to picking up your dry cleaning.

8. Inside knowledge

Pro: Interns come from your local area. This can work to your advantage if you are a local based business since they would have first-hand knowledge about the unique characteristics of your area.

Con: Hiring interns can be awkward if your office is your home.

An Intern or a Freelancer, Which is the Better Deal?

There’s a good chance you are considering hiring an intern because you want to avoid hiring full-time employees. Interns aren’t the only solution to this problem. Online freelancers can help you get the job done for a fraction of the cost. In fact, Virtual A Team has a team of highly experienced freelancers in various industries who can help you with a wide range of business processes. Here are 5 benefits of hiring an online freelancer versus an intern.

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

Experience

There are several freelancer platforms that feature some of the best and most experienced freelancers in their respective industries. These freelancers understand industry standards and know how to elevate your project so that you get the high-quality output you need. You don’t have to waste time training an inexperienced person.

Not sure where to find the best freelancers? Virtual A Team already has a highly experienced team of social media marketers, writers, web developers, executive administrators, graphic designers, project managers, virtual assistants and video producers who are eager to fulfill your needs.

Flexibility

Freelancers have more flexible schedules. Some even work on weekends. This flexibility can help them finish your projects within a reasonable timeframe. It also makes it possible for you to schedule progress report meetings and consultations that suit your schedule.

Fair Payment

A freelancer’s rate will be less than a full-time employee’s rate. The freelancer may charge more than an intern, but that increased cost is worth every penny because you gain someone with experience. You also will spend little or no time training this person to fit in with your company’s routines and practices.

Remote Work 

Online freelancers can work from anywhere in the world. Therefore, you don’t have to make accommodations for them at your company’s location like you would if you had hired an intern.  You don’t have to worry about them eating out the food in the lunch area or sending your utility bills through the roof.

A Wider Pool

Your pick of interns will be limited to what the colleges and universities in your area can provide. Online freelancing tears down international borders. You can hire the best talent from anywhere in the world. Let’s say that you need a software programmer to create an app. India is known to have some of the best software programmers in the world. Virtual A Team can help you find an online freelancer with the right experience to help you create this app.  There are no limits on where an online freelancer is located.

How do you know the best choice?

 The answer to this question ultimately lies with you. Interns are better suited for people who:

• Are passionate about helping others grown and excel.
• Would like to onboard full-time employees in the long-term but want to train and select the best before doing this.
• Know what they need done and are willing to spend the time mentoring

Online freelancers are better for people who:

• Want to cut through the crap and get quality output from someone with more experience
• Are not sure about exactly what they need and would benefit from someone with experience who can provide guidance
• Have neither the time nor the patience for mentorship

How to Create a Stellar Internship Program

You may have decided that hiring interns is your best option. The next step is creating a stellar internship program that is mutually beneficial to your company and the intern. Here are the steps that can help you make this happen.

Step #1: Have a clearly defined goal for the program.

Think carefully about what you want to achieve. Here are some questions that can help you narrow down your objective:

• Is it your way of giving back to the community to support your corporate social responsibility goals?
• Are you looking to hire the best talent from the program full time? Does this mean that the internship will become more like a competition?
• Do you need some fresh ideas to take your business to the next level?

Your objective will shape what the internship program looks like.

Step #2: Ensure that you are following all the labor laws.

There are some clear guidelines that you should follow if you want to offer an unpaid internship. Review these guidelines and determine whether your should offer a paid or unpaid internship.

Step #3: Create a job description.

No one should be working for your business without a clear understanding of what is expected. Don’t leave it to a verbal agreement; a clear job description should be prepared in black and white. Both you (or your human resource representative) and the intern should sign it so there is evidence of a mutual agreement.

Step #4: Assign each intern to a mentor.

Remember that internship is primarily about creating a hands-on experience that puts theory into practice. Leaving your interns to fend for themselves makes it harder to create this learning experience. It can even cause them to become frustrated. Ensure that each intern has a mentor within your company who can be their go-to for advice. A mentor should ideally not be assigned to more than 3 interns.

Step #5: Give the interns work to do.

This point may be obvious from steps 3 and 4. However, it is so important that we had to discuss it separately. Interns aren’t there to hang around idly and chit-chat at the water cooler. They are eager to learn and want to apply their knowledge. Create opportunities for them to do this. Of course, you aren’t going to give the intern major projects to work on. However, you can:

• Invite the intern to planning sessions
• Include your top interns in client meetings
• Assign interns to tasks that they can complete based on their present skills
• Help the intern collaborate with your team and find the best place to use his or her skills

Step #6: Show appreciation.

Reward sweetens labor. In fact, workers are more motivated when they feel appreciated. Any intern should leave your program feeling empowered and ready to face the challenges of working in the real world. Some ways to show appreciation include:

• Congratulating (in an encouraging way) the intern when something is done right.
• Having an awards ceremony at the end of the program.
• Providing cash incentives to interns who meet certain targets.

Putting It All Together

Companies can benefit from hiring interns or hiring online freelancers. Your choice depends on the amount of time both you and your staff can commit to helping interns grow and learn from the experience.

Only consider hiring interns if you:

• Can create a stellar internship program.
• Believe that your business can benefit from local talent.
• Have the time and resources to support the intern’s learning curve.
• Are committed to community development.

Online freelancers provide an easier way to get the work done faster and at the right quality, especially if it’s a freelancer hired by Virtual A Team.

I am so happy to write today’s post! After I describe who a content creator is and how they help businesses and bloggers grow their online presence via content marketing, the expression will be “Hey, I need a content creator!”

Why is a Content Creator Critical for Success?

Content creation is closely involved in every part of the Internet and data. Think about it; the Internet contains a vast catalog of content. Content is what we save, tag, share, and consume. Also, it's what we consume on social media.

Quality content turns potential audience members and resolute purchasers. As the saying goes — behind all viral content is a talented content creator.

If we want good content for marketing goals, we need a good ‘content creator.’ 

The Importance of Quality Content

Brands and businesses have witnessed better Return of Investment (ROI) using quality content creation as an approach. 

When we say content, we're referring to all visual and written material we use to interact with our target audience.

Content includes written materials like articles, landing pages, blog posts, email newsletters, instructional videos, Instagram stories, and so much more.

It's vital for most businesses, irrespective of offerings and scale. Content can help our businesses rank higher in Google search result pages.  It also lets us reach potential audiences regularly. That said, here are some key reasons why content is vital for our brands.

• It's Important for Branding

Content creation is a good way to market our brand and our business values. Social media content marketing (blink) can allow us to be less formal and playful. Great, right?  This connects potential clients and our brand.

Social media contents can highlight the tender side of our business. On the other hand, long-form articles allow potential customers to know how our products can solve their issues.

• Content Helps Us Target Potential Clients

The essential step in digital content creation is knowing who our audience is. Professional content creators understand the consumer's persona. They know their pain points, who they are, and the kind of content they want.

Producing good content frequently can help us reach our target audience. Good content provides solutions and helps rank our content on Google's result page. 

Content helps us reach our target audience and create a relationship with them. Further, sharing user reviews and guest posts can help boost our credibility and build trust.

Hiring a technical writer to craft a comprehensive guide to our products shows our audience that we care. It shows that we want to help them learn how to use our products before they buy any.

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

• Boosts Traffic and Visibility

It's no news that content is a great way to maximize the number of visitors to our site. Yes, visual marketing adds a human touch to our marketing tactics. But written content also helps rank high in search engines.

By carrying out keyword research in a niche, we can write articles that boost our visibility. We advise starting with tools like Ahrefs to perfect the keywords that work well in a niche. After getting the keywords, plug them into Buzzsumo or Clearscope to make most of the content performance.

•  It Can Save Time and Money

Professional content writers can create new content effectively and faster than most business owners.

They can build products in a particular context. Also, they can accent how specific offerings can ease pain points and provide solutions for customers. By saving us time, we can concentrate on building our business.

• Better Return on Investment (ROI)

A content creator can help ensure that the material we develop delivers the highest ROI. Remember, content creators are not equal. So we may employ many writers to meet our company's needs like:

• A social media content writer for creating viral or appealing content
• A web designer for designing infographics
• A digital media for using the information developed by a content writer

What is a Content Creator?

A content creator contributes information to digital media or any other media (link). They target a specific audience in particular contexts. Additionally, a content creator provides the following:

•       Email newsletters
•       Blog posts
•       Video marketing
•       Social media copy
•       Graphic design
•       eBooks...and so much more!

Further, they build offline content like client packets, brochures, and so much more.

Their goal is to take our opinions and turn them into valuable content for our business. All we need to do is send them a project brief and ask them to complete it.

We can give them complete control and trust them to develop content for our business.

Why Hire a Content Creator?

To many, hiring a content creator is irrelevant. Why hire a content creator when we can write our own content?

It's simple! Content creators specialize in creating content regularly.

If we don't want to manage two job roles simultaneously, it's best to hire a professional content writer. Meeting a complete content strategy requires full attention.

If we want to reap the benefits of creating content, it shouldn’t be a box to check on our list. We need someone enthusiastic about developing our brand.

We also need someone that can produce working strategies and carry out those strategies.

Still not satisfied? Read on to learn why hiring a content creator is important:

• It’s Cost-Effective

We don't  often come across ways to save money and grow our business. But hiring a content creation agency or a freelance writer will save us training cost and time. Content creation has the largest percentage of outsourced content marketing.

Some content creators may be expensive, but you can devise a strategy before hiring them. The strategy includes the type of content we want and what we’re willing to pay. Remember that behind a successful content marketing strategy, is quality content.

We can get an affordable deal on Upwork or Fiverr. But never compromise quality for affordability. You’ll end up doing more damage than good.

• It Saves us Time

Content writing goes beyond producing blogs at our convenience. It requires time to craft high-quality content since it involves a whole lot more than just sitting down and writing.

It's is a blend of research, proofreading, editing, and formatting to create high-ranking content important to our business.

If we don’t have the time to learn the latest SEO techniques for 2019, a content writer can take care of that.

• Quality Content Preserves our Brand

Hiring a content writer to give our brand a voice will provide audiences with a unique perspective.

Content creators will learn about our company, and what it's about. They'll learn the intricate details of our business identity. Next, they'll transform it into a conversational piece to pass to our audience.

Furthermore, regular content will keep our online presence current. Uploading new material on all platforms will help rank our website high on Google search.

Convinced yet? If yes, that's great! But before we employ a content creator, we need to know what we want. We must define our goals so that we can relate them:

What kind of content do we need and how do we want to sell our brand?

Do we have a budget?

Do we want to outsource?

If we can answer these questions, it will point us in the right direction.

Creating quality content is more than an article or blog. What happens when we spend a few minutes scanning through articles? It's possible that we'll soak in vital information.

In essence, good content speaks directly to our target audience. A content writer knows what's essential to our audience.

Their words reach past the time we use reading their content. Sometimes we don't even know it.

Expert content creators search for things that are at the core of what they're selling and highlight that.

The Dos Equis example...

Dos Equis wasn't linked with anything interesting until a daring mascot came in. If we place creativity at the top of a content strategy, we'll reach buyers without over-promoting our brand.

Nanette Burstein (a content creator) changed the negative meaning of “like a girl” in the Always marketing campaign. The content she developed linked Always with female empowerment. She used it to empower women while selling a lot of feminine products.

Metro Trains had a straight forward message for travelers. It says: don’t mess around on trains. Their content creator designed a video portraying “Dumb Ways to Die” with an appealing jingle and matching attractive characters.

The outcome? About 160 million views (if not more) on YouTube. They had successfully communicated their message.

Content doesn't have to be connected with what we're selling. It involves creating content that interests our target audience. Indeed, creating relevant content reaches beyond our products and services. In the end, we’re developing a relationship between our brand and audience.

Picking a Content Creator

We often prioritize content creators with expertise in a specific industry. It's simpler to teach a writer branding style and voice. But it's hard to bring them up to speed on expertise if they don't know the subject.

We advise using writers with experience in your niche. If a company specializes in advanced technology, get a writer with a college degree in technology. For other businesses, a college degree may be an extra benefit, not a prerequisite. Draft a list of essential qualifications. Remove writers without these qualifications.

Don’t Underrate the Value of Marketing

Yes, content marketing is that important, don’t underestimate it!  Content creation concerning inbound marketing, SEO, and brand awareness can help grow our business. Likewise, don’t trivialize the value of hiring a content creator to manage it all.

A content creator can craft about 5000 words of content daily. And even more!

That's not all...

The content will be suited for SEO and written for consumers to engage with. If we want to reap the benefits of inbound marketing strategy and achieve brand awareness, we need a content creator!

It's that simple.

Related Articles

Wondering about the difference between a content writer and a copywriter? Find out right here.

Read using a video marketing assistant here and what you need to know before hiring a writer here.