Knowing when to hire a VBM or virtual business manager is something many business owners struggle with.
While hiring a virtual assistant is often an easy decision because your to-do list is out of hand and you’re fed up with overwhelm, bringing on a VBM is a bigger commitment both financially and emotionally.
Here’s a few of the indicators we see in prospective clients who are ready. If you find yourself reading, and nodding, chances are you’re ready now!
Before we start, if you’re not completely sure what a VBM does we cover everything you need to know in this article, what does a Virtual Business Manager do?
Are you keeping up with the rate your business is growing?
Have you done such a great job managing your business that you can’t keep up with how fast it’s growing? Your business should give you more freedom, not just in terms of money but also time. If your schedule is so busy that your social life and free-time is becoming increasingly non-existent, or you’re having to turn down opportunities you would otherwise jump at the chance to do, then you’re well overdue for some help.
A VBM will significantly free up your schedule so that you can prioritise time for meaningful work, something you can’t do completely on your own.
Are you still wearing as many hats as when you started your business?
Think back to when your business was a start-up and you had to wear every hat in your organisation. When it’s just you (or you and a very small team), you end up pulling way above your weight to get your company off the ground. But then things start picking up, and before you know it you’ve grown to a point where you have a full team to share the load. As your business evolves, it’s crucial that your workload shifts too.
During the infancy phase of your business, it’s normal for owners to cover a long list of responsibilities. Everything from strategy, marketing, branding, content creation, social media, customer service, SEO and website maintenance on top of bookkeeping, recruiting, onboarding, payroll and admin. Now I’m exhausted just listing all of that, so having to manage these jobs on a regular basis is unbelievably draining.
VBMs are highly proficient at project managing and organising your team. The reality is no one can handle all of the day-to-day duties a business needs to survive and thrive, whether you are trying to do it on your own or with a small team. Your VBM manages all of the moving parts, so you don’t have to.
Here’s a resource we provide for our VBM Academy students: Why Clients Are Willing to Pay Top Dollar for a VBM. Explaining the value a VBM provides and where clients often are when they realise they are ready. Here’s a link to the download for your reference.
Are you frustrated by your (fantastic) team?
If you’re stressed out by an overwhelming schedule, it’s common to get annoyed by the constant flow of questions and requests coming from your team. When you have too much on your plate, it doesn’t matter how great and talented your team is when you’re struggling to give them the support they need. Even though you love your team, when you’re inundated with questions on top of problems, it can be hard to appreciate them.
The reality is your team needs and deserves someone who they can turn to and expect a quick turnaround for answers and solutions. An VBM seamlessly slips into the manager role, they can effectively tackle tracking the progress of projects, scheduling meetings, chasing staff or clients up and explaining (creating!) processes and systems.
Remember, a huge part of their job is being good with people, they act as a bridge between you and the rest of your team. So you get the best of both worlds.
Are systems and organisation not your thing?
Not all of us are naturally gifted when it comes to organisation and staying in the loop of the latest productivity tools, and that’s okay! Maybe you’re more naturally inclined to work among organised chaos, or you think systems are a waste of time partly because you don’t know where to start. A VBM, however, is tech-savvy and structured, which makes them a specialist in finding ways to organise, streamline and automate your business in a way that makes sense to you. Not only does this help you put out fires faster (or avoid them altogether) but it’s yet another way that an VBM will reclaim your time with efficient workflows.
A VBM, otherwise known as an integrator, is the perfect compliment to your visionary skills.
Are you financially ready for more help?
You’ve hit the jackpot and scaled your business to financial success. Maybe it’s been a goal of yours to have an VBM, but you just couldn’t afford it until now. Once you’ve hit your financial milestone (e.g. six-figure annual income) and have secured a consistent income, you might finally be stable enough to bring one on board. It’s also worth noting that until you’ve grown your business to this point, you may not even have enough work for an VBM to do that would make their contributions worth the expense.
A VBM on average spends 40 hours a month on your business, so the cost is higher than other outsourcing parties (like a VA) since the value is significantly higher. Shortly after hiring your VBM, you should notice benefits like more time on your hands, increased productivity across your business, and in the long run you’ll realise that the investment saves you money as well.
You know that (great) saying, you have to invest money to make money? Investing in a VBM is in essence taking your business to that next step.
Alternatively, you may have scaled your business to strong financial position but reached a plateau where your growth has stalled. This shows that you are probably ready for an VBM, you can’t handle all the management responsibilities independently because your business is too big for just you at the helm, and this is slowing the growth of your company.
Are you committed to a vision for your business?
As a (great) business owner you have a clear vision for your business, you know what you want to achieve long-term. You might even have a coach or mentor supporting you to reach these goals, but you could be stuck on the steps it will take to get there. A VBM will commit to providing you with clarity and helping your plan your journey to turn your vision into reality.
VBMs aren’t just task-tickers or a tool you can use to save time, but a partner to bounce ideas off. They see the big picture while also being detail-oriented, which makes them great at strategising, delegating and getting tasks completed on time. They’re someone who will hold you accountable and be accountable back to you.
When is the right time to work with a VBM?
Did you find yourself relating to the points we raised? If so feel free to book a discovery call with Justine to discuss your particular needs, she’ll happily answer the questions you have about working with a VBM.
If you’re not there yet or have found other solutions, then as always, thanks for reading 🙏
I hope we demystified more about when is the right time to work with a VBM for you.
