You’re Ready for Help. But Do You Need a VA or an OBM?
A conversation with OBM Sammy Bohannon about finding the right kind of support
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
What is this interview series?
When we first start a business, it’s all DIY, all the time. We’re piecing together what we need as we go.
And then we hit a point where we know we need help. But we don’t have the words for what kind of help to ask for, especially in the online business or solopreneur space. We’re not hiring an employee but…something. Just, what word do we even Google? And what can they do for us??
That’s the gap this interview series From DIY to Supported: A Series for Solopreneurs and Business Owners Who Know It’s Time for Help, But Don’t Know What to Google is meant to fill: giving you the vocabulary and clarity to understand what support roles exist that can help you.
Think of it as support pros, explained — interviews to help you find the right kind of help.
Interview Introduction
This interview is with Sammy Bohannon, an online business manager (OBM) whose work I didn’t even know existed a year ago. Sammy clarifies the difference between an OBM and a VA, what an OBM actually does, and how to know if you’re ready for one.
Also: Sammy is deeply organized and supportive. Like, “already had a shared doc created before I even asked for one” organized. You’ll hear her thoughtfulness and intentionality throughout this interview. She’s exactly the kind of person you want when you’re ready to get your operations under control.
Interview with Sammy Bohannon
1. How do you describe the work you do and who you do it for?
I am an online business manager with a team of virtual assistants who provides operational and administrative support to small business owners with teams of less than 10. Collectively, my team and I take over routine tasks, daily operations, and even team management to help business owners grow their business on their terms without having to make sacrifices.
2. What’s your origin story when it comes to OBM work?
In my former life, I was an English Language teacher for multi-lingual learners. I taught in the public schools for 6 years. I loved my students, but my mental and physical health could no longer take the strain of being a teacher and all that was required of me (which was completely and totally unrealistic for one human being).
I began an online tutoring business, but I’d lost my passion for actually teaching and I was spending my entire day planning. When it came down to it, I just wasn’t making enough for the hours I was putting in and I hadn’t figured out how to market myself, so my business crashed and I knew it was time to move on.
Some friends that I’d helped with tech issues told me about virtual assisting and suggested that I looked into it. A few months later, in June 2022, Bohannon Virtual Solutions was born.
I quickly realized that I knew how to do a lot of things and that I was learning at a quicker pace than other people I knew doing virtual assisting. Another virtual assistant that I’d met started talking to me about what an OBM was and after I researched it, it was clear that’s exactly what the work I was doing fell under.
And so I officially changed my title to OBM. And here we are, several clients and a couple of team members later!
3. What’s the difference between hiring a VA and hiring an OBM? A lot of people don’t quite know where the line is, so how do you explain it?
A lot of people do not know the difference between a VA and an OBM and what their responsibilities should be. So often, we find responsibilities put on VAs that are way out of their scope, their pay range, and what they comfortably know how to do.
A VA is an implementor. They take ownership of daily tasks and get them done. These tasks are almost always things that are repetitive in nature or have a repeated or understood process.
An OBM is an operator. They manage the overall operations of the business and strategize about next steps. They also relay that information to any team members and oversee completion of daily activities and/or other projects. OBMs often have decision making power in the business and act in place of the business owner if needed.
I often refer to myself as a co-pilot or co-navigator in that I listen to what the business owner needs and I then take that information and use it to both shape my work and the business as a whole.
4. How can a business owner tell if they’re ready for an OBM, and what should they be looking for when it comes time to hire one?
I’m going to answer this question in 2 parts.
A business owner is ready for an OBM if they find that they need someone to help them with the business itself and not just specific, defined tasks. They are ready to bring in a partner to take decision-making and daily management off their shoulders so they do not have to sacrifice what they love just to keep their business running. Furthermore, they want to stop managing the business and start leading it.
When it’s time to hire an OBM, the biggest thing I personally would look for is someone who has the same beliefs as I do. This is someone who is going to be working very closely with you and will be making decisions on your behalf. If they don’t think similarly to you or have similar viewpoints, that is going to show whether they are talking to your team, talking to clients, or even just building out your workflows. You want to know you can trust this person wholly.
5. Your business seems deeply rooted in your personal values, like flexibility, family, and intentional design. How have those values shaped the way you run your business and support your clients?
I grew up in a tight knit family. We did not have much growing up, but we had each other. My family couldn’t make first impressions by our cars, our homes, or our clothes, but we could with our values and how we treated other people.
My mother’s number 1 rule was the “Golden Rule” and I’ve always tried to follow it. It shows up in my business in every way from how I choose which clients to work with to how I treat them and their business.
Likewise, I find that talking about my values and what’s important to me draws in people with similar values as myself. And that allows me to create wonderful relationships with my clients that I wouldn’t otherwise be able to have. We connect on a different level, allowing me to better understand them personally and their motives for business, which in turn allows me to be a better leader within their business.
I could talk about this forever, but my values deeply shape who I am and who I want to become. I consider them when I make most of my decisions and that includes my business and how I treat and show up for clients.
I am not, nor have I ever been, religious, but I have strong personal values that guide my actions and my decisions because I want to be the best version of myself and if I’m not that person in every aspect of my life, including business, then I’m not being the person I want to be. It’s really deeply rooted in my personal experiences and desire for personal growth.
6. Bookkeepers and OBMs often support the same clients in different but connected ways. How does having a bookkeeper in place support or enhance the work you do for your clients?
Having a bookkeeper is so fabulous as an OBM. The majority of OBMs are skilled at operations and tech, but not necessarily finances and money. Personally, I know very little about taxes, how a business should maintain their books, and the like. I actually try to avoid bookkeeping tasks because they are not amongst my strengths.
Having a bookkeeper tell me what receipts to keep, how to document expenses and payroll, and how to best collect information for a client makes sure that I gather all the correct information and have it all in place come tax season.
Then, the bookkeeper can input whatever is necessary based on the information I and the business owner send over and provide us with insights on revenue and profit.
This allows me to provide better guidance and strategy to business owners who are hoping to implement new systems or invest in something new. It allows me to better provide suggestions on what our next best move is in regards to spending, whether that be on tools or on help.
7. Where can people learn more about you or get in touch?
The best place to connect with me is my email list. I send weekly emails on Wednesdays to my list with insights on creating new systems, delegation tactics, and making time for what’s important to you. I’m also on LinkedIn a few times a week!
Sammy’s Bio
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Sammy Bohannon is an online business manager (OBM) with a team of virtual assistants (VAs) who provides operations and administrative support to small businesses with teams less than 10. Collectively, Sammy and her team take over routine tasks and manage your team and operations to help you grow your business on your terms without having to make sacrifices.