7 Things You Can Do If You Can’t Hire an OBM Right Now

Hiring an Online Business Manager (OBM) will be a game-changer for your business. But if it’s not in your budget or plans right now, don’t worry — you’re not doomed to have a chaotic or disorganized business forever.

I’ve had clients come to me with no idea what they needed help with, and I’ve had clients come to me with a little preparation first. What I’ve found is that preparation sets them up for faster success and smoother transitions into the changes we create together.

Duh, right? But I tell you this to emphasize that if you can’t hire an OBM right now, there are a few things you can do in the meantime.

Before Hiring an OBM Step #1: Set up a PM System

Whether it’s ClickUp, Asana, Trello, or Notion, having a centralized platform to manage your tasks is a lifesaver. The goal? To sit down at your desk each morning with your coffee and see everything you need to tackle for the day — without hunting for Post-it notes.

You’re going to start the day on a much better note (no pun intended). 

And listen, I know it’s going to take some time to get used to your project management platform at first. It’s a new platform, and a learning curve is to be expected! But keep at it, and eventually, you’ll feel the difference.

Before Hiring an OBM Step #2: Set Up a Metrics Tracking System

We’re emotional beings, so sometimes we feel like making rash decisions — like setting everything in your business on fire and watching it burn to the ground. We’ve all been there.

But the goal is not to stay there. Creating a simple metrics tracking spreadsheet can help you focus on facts, not feelings, when you’re having a not-so-great week in your business.

Keep track of numbers like revenue, website traffic, email subscribers, or social media growth on a monthly basis. That way, when you’re tempted to pick up the matches, you can refer back to these numbers and see that things are working in your business.

And if they aren’t, you’ll still have these numbers to guide you toward intentional, data-driven decisions instead of emotional ones.

Before Hiring an OBM Step #3: Do a Financial Audit

Are you still paying for Loom even though you haven’t recorded a video in six months? *wink wink*

If you’re not using a software or subscription anymore, it’s time to let it go. 

Take a look at everything you have, run through your bank statements, and check the subscription tab on your iCloud account. There’s bound to be something there you can cut, and you’ll probably even find things you forgot you were subscribed to (yes, go ahead and cancel that, too!).

Take a look at your team costs too. Evaluate whether you’re maximizing the value of your current tools and team members. If you find that you aren’t, consider alternatives that might help you make the most of those resources — like using a cheaper PM system to help your virtual assistant organize projects.

Before Hiring an OBM Step #4: Delegate, Delegate, Delegate

Spend a week tracking your time and identifying at least three tasks you can delegate. These could be things like social media scheduling, email management, or customer service.

And if it’s something you hate doing? Definitely pass that off. You’ll end up spending more time on tasks like that because you’re dragging your feet to do them. Give them to someone else and free up more time to do the things you enjoy — and that will move your business forward.

Before Hiring an OBM Step #5: Start Creating SOPs

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) aren’t glamorous, but they’re an important part of smoothing out ANY business backend.

Every time you do something in your business that you’d eventually like to delegate, write it down step by step. If you’ve already delegated certain tasks but don’t have them documented, now’s the time. (P.S. You can use a tool like Tango to make it WAY faster!)

When you’re ready to expand your team, these SOPs will make onboarding new hires — or passing off tasks to an existing team member — so much easier.

Before Hiring an OBM Step #6: Organize Your Cloud Storage

I know it’s probably super scary in there, but you can get help with it. 

Whether you have files stored on Google, Apple iCloud, or another platform, set aside a little bit of time each week to organize and keep your files tidy. Of course, this is something I highly recommend handing off to your VA. 

It’s an easy win — something you know you don’t have time (or the desire) to do, but that your VA will happily tackle.

Then, when you need to access a document in the future, you won’t have to play “Where’s Waldo” looking for it. (You and I both know how much time that can easily eat up!)

Before Hiring an OBM Step #7: Audit Your Marketing Platforms

This is something I do with every new client because we all forget about it. 

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day and forget to update things like broken links, social media bios, or phrases like “girl boss” in your welcome sequence from six years ago.

Taking even just 20–30 minutes every six to eight months to fix these things will make a big difference in the long run.

The first time, there may be a lot of overhauling. But every time after that gets easier. And that’s the point! Consistency with this task ensures you aren’t spending hours doing it every time it’s on your to-do list.

Get Ready Now and Be Prepared Later

You may not be able to hire an OBM right now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t run your business like a well-oiled machine. By implementing even just a few of these tips, you’ll see a difference in the way you operate. Then, when it’s time to make that hire, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running!

And when the time’s right, shoot me a message to see how we can work together. Just save this webpage under your favorites tabs in the meantime so you’ll have the link when you’re ready!