One thing that naturally accompanies business growth is having to hire new people to support you. This is super exciting but, friend, it can also be as equally as overwhelming!

Especially when there are so many different types of people you can bring on and trying to figure out who does what and which role is best for your business is A LOT.

Which is why I’m writing this blog! To help you distinguish between some of the most common online roles that provide support to business owners like yourself. 

Yep, I’m talking about Virtual Assistants (VA), Tech VA, Online Business Managers (OBM), and Business Operations Consultants (Ops Consultants). 

I’ll be breaking down the general responsibilities of each role and what (in my opinion) type of person would be most beneficial to your business based on what you need! 

Let’s compare

I’m going to talk about all 4 roles in the blog from a slightly different position than you may not have seen before. I’ll be comparing the role of a VA with an OBM and Tech VA with Ops Consultants.

I know what you’re thinking, surely we should be comparing VA and Tech VA? But in reality, although the nature of their jobs are similar because they are there to take tasks off your plate, when it comes to determining what role is the right addition to your business, we need to compare VA with OBM and then Tech VA with Ops Consultants. 

Because which you need will depend on the type of help you’re after and the level you’re currently at in your business. So let’s get started! 

VA or OBM?

Let’s start with the basics…A VA is more of a doer and an OBM role is more managerial. 

One big thing to remember is that a VA is not a manager and they often need more direction and instruction than an OBM. This isn’t a bad thing! But it is something that will have a pretty big influence on what you need in your business!

The first question you need to ask yourself if you’re choosing between a VA and an OBM is what tasks will you need this new hire to perform?

To figure this out, here is my biggest tip: Spend a few weeks writing down all the tasks you do and track how much time you spend on each. You can also write down what tasks you like and don’t like doing as well as what you want to focus more on going forward.

Knowing this is a great starting point when it comes to making a decision! 

If the tasks you spend the most time on are things like admin work, marketing, or social media management, a VA is probably a better fit! 

But like I said earlier, only hire a VA if you’re very clear on your vision and the exact tasks that you need to be done because they are the people who will help you perform these tasks. 

Also, remember that each VA is not created equal either. This is when knowing what type of tasks you need help with comes in handy!

Think about whether they are more marketing or more admin based. Do you need them to be more creative or analytical? You can then search for a VA who specializes in these areas. Of course, skill sets can cross over but you need to be aware of what you’ll need them to do to find the exact right person! 

On the other hand, if you spend more time managing projects and your existing team, an OBM is probably more up your street! An OBM’s job is to oversee the day-to-day in your business and help you prioritize and manage so you can focus on the big picture stuff! 

An OBM might also be a better fit than a VA if you feel you can’t keep track of your to-do list and need someone there to tell you what to do each day! 

Tech VA or Ops Consultant? 

The role of Tech VA and Ops Consultants is similar to the role of a VA and OMB…just with different responsibilities in different areas.

By this, I mean that a Tech VA is more of an implementer to tasks you already know you need them to do and an Ops Consultant is someone who can help you identify the areas of your business you need to improve (with instructions as to how) and prioritize. 

There is one simple question you can ask yourself to ultimately determine whether you need a Tech VA or an Ops Consultant in your business….

Do you already know the ops work that needs to be done in your business?

If the answer is yes, then a Tech VA is much more likely to be a better fit! 

This is because an Ops Consultant is there to audit your current systems, workflows, and processes and highlight any areas of improvement, looking at what systems/workflows/processes need to be built. Granted, some can then implement everything they recommend for you (so that’s worth looking into!) but typically, they’re there to inform you on what to do next. 

So the reason a tech VA is better if you answered yes to that question is that they’re there to implement everything you need. To help you set up things like Dubsado or create Zaps for you!

However, if the answer is no, I can’t recommend getting an Ops Consultant enough before hiring that Tech VA. You don’t want to make the same mistake that one of my clients did! 

She hired a Tech VA to set up some systems before hiring me as her Ops Consultant and once I’d completed my audit, she realized she had asked her Tech VA to set up a few systems that weren’t the best fit for her business or for what she wanted to achieve so she had to start again.

Which role is best suited for your business

Now it’s time to decide which type of person will be the best addition to your team! 

If you’re looking for someone to delegate tasks to, know exactly what tasks you need to do each month, are perhaps in the earlier stages of your business, and don’t need anyone to help manage teams or projects…then a VA is for you!

If you already have a team, spend the majority of your time managing people and projects, and need more time to focus on the big picture OR need someone to manage your daily workload…then an OBM will be a good fit! 

If you have no clue what processes, systems, or workflows you need to implement in your business to help elevate and streamline…then an Ops Consultant is the right choice! 

If you know exactly what technical elements you need set up in your business and have specific workflows and processes already mapped out…then a Tech VA is the person for the job! 

So there you go! I really hoped this helps you find some clarity around who your next hire may be. 

And if you did decide it was an Ops Consultant…I may be the right person! I specialize in streamlining and elevating your business by implementing workflows and processes that take your customer experience to the next level! Ready to create a business that always impresses and generates raving fans? Let’s get started!