Posts Tagged ‘Online Business Manager for Speakers’

Welcome back to “What Can An Online Business Manager Do For Me?” Last week I shared with you how an Online Business Manager (OBM) shows up for you in your online business my managing your virtual teams.

This week:

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Managing Your Operations

• Review of the key systems needed to run a business, including customer service, billing, communication, back-ups, marketing, follow-up and delivery
• Creation of processes, tools and players for key systems within the business
• Implementation of automated business tools & software to manage various systems
• Creation and maintenance of your Standard Operating & Procedures (SOP) Guide
• Management of all client payments and collections process
• Management of systems access and login information
• Ensuring there is an effective backup system in place for all information (including the business owner’s computer!)
• Establish decision making guidelines for team members

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If you have any questions about working with an online business manager, please feel free to schedule a free 30 minute consult with me.

Copyright 2010 | International Association of Online Business Managers
Used with Permissions

Welcome back to “What Can An Online Business Manager Do For Me”?

Last time I shared with you how an Online Business Manager (OBM) shows up for you in your online business my managing your projects.

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Managing Your Virtual Team

• Identify team needs based on current business goals and projects
• Create measures of success for the role
• Determine what type of specialist would be the best fit
• Craft job posting/details
• Blast opportunity out there via various networks
• Filter initial responses and review portfolios
• Setup interviews
• Narrow choices after initial interviews and request proposal
• Setup second interview (if necessary)
• Check references from other clients
• Review proposals from preferred candidates
• Making the offer to selected candidate
• Ensure there is a signed contract in place for all hires
• Create communication plan with new team members
• Get them proper information and/or training for their role
• Regular reporting on measures of success for their role
• 90 Day Review (for long term) or End of Project Review (for project only)
• Keeping the team motivated in their work
• Handling team challenges as they arise
• Managing the team budget and expenses

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If you have any questions about working with an online business manager, please feel free to schedule a free 30 minute consult with me.

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copyright 2010 | International Association of Online Business Managers | Used with permissions

Approximately 6 weeks ago I released my first eBook, “Grow Your Online Business To New Heights With An Online Business Manager – What You Need to Need Know First”.

As a follow up to that book, I want to share with you a new series called, “What Can An Online Business Manager Do For Me?”

I know that your time if valuable so each week I will share with you in small bites (this post will be the longest) all the ways that you can partner with an OBM to grow your businesses to new heights of manageability and profitability.

The official definition of an Online Business Manager (OBM) is:

A virtually based support professional who manages online based businesses, including the day-to-day management of projects, operations, team members and metrics.

However I like to look at the role from a bit of a different angle – what is the purpose of an Online Business Manager beyond ‘what they do’?

The role of the OBM boils down to one simple thing:

To free up the business owner so that you can focus your time and energy on the things that only YOU can do in your business.

This includes all business building activities like marketing, sales, working with clients, product development, strategic alliances and big picture business planning – all of which are essential to the growth of a business.

You need to be spending your time here – everything else can be managed by an Online Business Manager.

Most business owners look to hire an OBM when they simply cannot grow their business anymore being the only one in charge. You’ve reached the point where you have a solid business plan, revenue is flowing in and you are tired of being the one who has to “take care of everything.”

In order for you to take your business to the next level you need to pull yourself out of the day-to-day management activities and focus on growth.

Note: The role of the Online Business Manager is to delegate and not do. Although they may not be the one actually “doing the work” they are the ones responsible for establishing and managing the team that does.

Over the next several weeks I will share with you all the ways that the professional services of an Online Business Manager can bring invaluable rewards in the management and growth of your online business in the following areas:

Managing Projects

Managing Your Team

Managing Your Operations

Tracking Your Metrics

Managing Your Revenue Streams

Managing Your Website

Managing Your Ezine Schedule

Managing Your Launches

Managing Your Affiliate Programs

Managing Your Joint Venture (JV)
Partnerships

Managing Your Speaking Engagements

Managing Your Marketing Implementation

Finally, Freeing up your time so that you
can focus on what you do best in your business and creating balance between
work and play.

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Managing Your Projects

• Creation of a project plan, including time line, process, people and other resources
• Setup and maintenance of an online project management tool
• Delegating details of the project to various team members
• Communication of project status and ongoing details to all players
• Following-up with players as necessary to ensure that “stuff gets done” on time
• Managing the budget for the project
• Handling challenges for the project as they arise, with a focus on finding a solution quickly

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If you have any questions about working with an online business manager, please feel free to schedule a free 30 minute consult to answer any questions you may have.

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Copyright 2010 | International Association of Online Business Managers, Used with Permissions

It takes a leader to create momentum. Followers catch it.  And managers are able to continue it once it has begun.  But creating it requires someone who can motivate others, not one who needs to be motivated.  All leaders face the challenge of creating change in their organization.  Just as every sailor knows that you can’t steer a ship that isn’t moving forward, strong leaders understand that to change direction you first have to create forward progress.  Without momentum, even the simple tasks can seem insurmountable.  But with momentum on your side, the future looks brighter, obstacles appear small, and trouble seems temporary.

My heart skipped a beat when I read these words from John C. Maxwell, the Maxwell Leadership Bible during my morning devotion time.  Thoughts sprang to mind of how I sometimes struggle with momentum and most important how my clients struggle with momentum.

During this last couple of years, it has become very clear to me, as an entrepreneur and a service provider, that a primary pain that I have witnessed in my consults and clients is one of momentum.  The pain of trying to build and grow a business while struggling to create and keep momentum.  Many people start a business with a passion, a passion to serve the world sharing their gifts and talents, but they didn’t bargain on having to actually build a business at the same time.  Every day they are faced with the challenges of time, money, work-life balance, strained relationships, insufficient skills, and need support and don’t know what they need or where to get it.  All of these things can cause us to stop in our tracks and not move forward – loss of momentum.

While it is tempting to wait for the next new superstar hire or bright and shiny program to magically create the momentum we need in our business, it is not always the wisest strategy.  We are the leaders of our own business destiny.

It does not matter what kind of business you run, or what kind of organization you lead, the number one key that will determine your level of your success will be momentum.

One definition of momentum is the “force or speed of movement”.  It will decide how high your business will go and how quickly you will get there.

Momentum, by its nature, requires a lot of upfront push to get the ball rolling.  Here are a few things that I have learned that can help you create positive and life giving momentum to you and your business.

1. Get clear –

• What is important to you?  What are you passionate about? How do you want to serve others in powerful ways? What do you want to achieve? How do you want to distinguish yourself from your competitors?

2. Write down your goals, mission -

• After getting clear on what you want, create a mission statement for you and your business.   Next, write down your goals to help solidify that which you have gotten clear on.  Create the steps needed to push forward, give yourself a target date, and don’t forget to write how you will know that you achieved it.

3. Put away the notion of perfection –

• Growing up in a home with impossible expectations, I lived most of my life chasing after illusive perfection.  Every now and then it can still rear its ugly head, but I have learned to strive for excellence, not perfection. When you are waiting around for things to be perfect before you move forward, you don’t move– that’s the other side of momentum.

4. Take control of fear -

• Fear is a major killer of momentum.  Afraid to fail, afraid to succeed -we simply don’t move, we become paralyzed.  We were not designed to walk in fear, but to walk in freedom.  Freedom is where energy, creativity and focus live.  Make no mistake, I know very well that this is a difficult emotion to acknowledge, accept and embrace.  Fortunately, when we acknowledge the fear and its hold on our lives that keep us from where we want to go and meant to be – fear miraculously begins to loosen it hold on us and freedom begins to show up almost saying, “I can’t wait to show you all the great things that are in store for you”.

5. Put one foot in front of the other -

• As Nike’s campaign commanded us “Just do it”!  Take that first step, complete that first task, even when you don’t feel like it.  Make the commitment to move forward.  Each step that you take and complete will propel you to the next step.  It is extremely energizing to our spirits to” just do it”. I am reminded of the little ditty from Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer that runs on television during the holidays, “put one foot in front of the other and soon you will be walking across the floor, put one foot in front of the other and soon you will be walking out the door”.

6. Stay positive, seek inspiration

• Read books, listen to audio programs and watch videos that will uplift and inspire you – not only related to your industry, but related to life and managing life with more freedom.  Inspirational books of faith and courage, and biographies of others who have gone before and succeeded.  Too many times we fall into false thinking that we are the only ones that are being challenged in certain areas.  Great news – not so!!

7. Create a circle of trust -

• Create a small group of select people that you trust to share your journey as an entrepreneur with.   Confidants that you can bounce ideas and challenges off of without the fear of being judged and betrayed.  Personally, I found early on in my business that I needed to create a circle of trust with fellow women business owners.  Typically people who are not entrepreneurial in nature do not really get us and the challenges we face every day as business owners and service providers.   When I need a strong kick in the pants I know that my circle of trust will tell me the truth – in love of course.  When I leave those conversations I feel stronger for myself and for my clients.    I also feel strong and powerful enough to return the favor when my circle of trust peeps are in need of a kick in the pants – in love of course.

8. Get a support team for your business, you don’t have to do it all, you shouldn’t do it all -

• Hire a business coach, maybe even a personal coach to help you clarify and set goals and business plan for success.  In your business, spend time on only those activities where you must to deliver personally to your clients, such as coaching or speaking, and leave the rest to other professionals such as online business managers, virtual assistants, copywriters, web designers – you get the picture.    You can’t do it all yourself without losing momentum.

9. Embrace momentum –

• In John C. Maxwell’s book “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”, he says that, “Momentum is really a leader’s best friend. Sometimes it’s the only difference between winning and losing.”  I can’t really add more to that – kinda says it all!

I hope that you have enjoyed this article and pray that it has been an inspiration to you – maybe even a kick in the pants.  Please feel free to share with me your comments, thoughts and struggles around momentum or any other struggle you are having in your business in the box below.   It will be my pleasure to share back.

Quite simply put, an OBM succeeds when you succeed! They have a passion for working with business owners to accomplish their growth goals.  You will find that many OBM’s have a wide variety of experience; like me, many were former corporate employees who have chosen to take their vast knowledge to a new playing field – their own online business. They are naturally motivated and compelled to take not only their own business but yours to new heights of profitability and manageability!