Client Spotlight: Leveraging an OBM in Your Web Design Business
Running a web design business means juggling clients, projects, deadlines, and sales, and usually all at once! That’s where an Online Business Manager (OBM) comes in.
By handling operations, project management, and team coordination, an OBM allows you to focus on the creative work you love while keeping your business organized and scalable. Hiring an OBM can streamline your processes, improve client satisfaction, and free up your time to grow your web design business the way you want to.
It can be hard to envision what your design studio or web development agency would look like with an Online Business Manager in the mix. This blog will examine the work my team and I performed in the first 30 days for a client.
Keep in mind that not all OBMs are the same so I can only speak for my business and what we do. I recommend creating a checklist of your needs and interviewing several OBMs before making a choice to be sure you team up with someone who can help.
You might be thinking:
What is an OBM?
How do I know if I’m ready for an OBM?
Do I need an OBM if I don’t have a team?
I hope this example of the first thirty days working with a Squarespace Web Designer will give you insight into whether you need one in your business.
Client A Highlight: Solo Web Design Studio
Client A is a one-woman show and came to me knowing she needed help organizing her tech and her processes.
She didn't feel organized and client timelines were running behind. She wanted to charge more but knew her operational processes needed to match the quality of her design work before she could.
Her main goal was formalizing her client process and transitioning her current clients over to the new process. (Client A is on my standard Full Monthly Retainer.) Here is what we did during our first month together.
Created her Business Assessment + first 90-day Plan [all clients get this]
The business assessment covers my observations of your business after hearing it from you, reviewing your questionnaire answers, and poking around in your operations. This is the chance for both of us to ensure we are on the same page.
It includes:
Concerns
Observations
Goals
Team
Tech assessment
My objectives
The metrics we'll track together
The value I plan to bring
Based on the business assessment, I create a 90 day plan of action. This covers everything the Lunimae team will do during the three months. These are scheduled based on the impact to your business and your goals. The higher priority items are things that make your work easier, your client's experience better, or increase your profit margin.
Laid out her current process and ideal future process for all offers
We begin sketching out your process map during the onboarding call but after diving into the backend of your business, we expand on it. This leaves us with a current state process map, then we create what we would want it to look like in an ideal world. The differences between the two maps help shape the business assessment and 90-day plan.
Organized Asana and created realistic templates for future projects
In this case, Asana was fairly new and was primarily a checklist. We cleaned up outdated items, added sections in certain areas, and built templates for each offer based on our future state process.
These templates provide a timeline, assignments, and can have tasks linked to SOPs ensuring a consistent process for both the client and your team. While ClickUp is my preferred project management (PM) tool, Asana is a good tool.
Took over client reminders to help keep projects on track
The Lunimae team jumped right in and started dropping friendly reminders to clients as due dates approached. This helps many of our clients from feeling like they are badgering their clients.
As a seasoned Project Manager, I can make sure everyone is on the same page and explain the WHY behind the request. It also helps that I can reinforce boundaries for you, the business owner. It's often easier for someone else to help do that, especially if you've gotten into the habit of saying yes to every client request.
Creating new timelines for current projects in Asana
We took a look at the current clients behind schedule, talked about their circumstances, and decided together how to get them back on track. Then we calculated the correct timelines and updated the project in Asana.
Created Client Onboarding guides
To start clients off on the right foot and try to avoid project delays, we expanded on the onboarding processes in place. This included a multi-page packet built in Honeybook with information on the timeline, client expectations, communication protocols, tutorials for accessing Asana, and next steps.
Created proposal templates in Honeybook
Before starting with this client, they had sent proposals in a PDF form with a Honeybook Invoice. We switched Honeybook over from legacy to the new SmartFiles and built out eye-catching proposals that included all the details, contract, and invoice. Not only does this help us send out proposals quickly after discovery calls, but it also makes it easy for a client to say Yes.
Built an inquiry funnel automation in Honeybook
Nothing says red-flag like inquiring about a service and hearing crickets. To ensure potential clients feel good from the start, we built in automation that takes over after anyone inquires. This ensures they know we got the inquiry, allows them to book a call, and sends an extra note if the call is more than a few weeks away.
Honeybook email templates
Email templates are incredibly useful on those days when you just don't have the words. We set up a series of templates and then have clients add their own flair to ensure nothing sounds like a cookie-cutter template.
Weekly meetings to track progress and accountability
The weekly meetings are a great place to take account of project status and review work that's been completed. We also spend this time looking at your tasks and creating realistic due dates.
Our Monthly CEO Strategy Call
The monthly calls dive deep into a specific topic that requires more than just a few minutes of discussion. This might be flushing out a new offer, talking about launch strategy, reviewing goals and analytics, or assessing time management and work scheduling. It is whatever is most crucial that month.
Slack Support
We chat almost daily in Slack to ask questions, check-in on progress, or just say hi. If you need a quick eye on an email you're about to send, or aren't sure how exactly an automation works, just ask.
After 30 days
By the end of our first month Client A felt confident in her onboarding experience, had time to begin working on updates to her own website, and solidified her vision for a new offer.
"Getting everything templatized in Honeybook and having the pre-written emails has been super helpful. I don't know where I would be if we didn't have at least some formal stuff in place like we do now." - Client A
How an Online Business Manager Benefits Your Web Design Business
An OBM is your right-hand woman, helping with things like operations, streamlining workflows, and overseeing projects, so you can focus on your creative work. With her on your team, your business will run more efficiently in these areas:
Project Management
A project manager ensures due date reminders are sent out, project timelines are realistic, and communication is clear between clients and the designer.
Business Strategy
While a coach will help you identify where you want to go and the struggles you might face internally, an OBM will help you get there. This is a partnership that ensures your big vision has a path mapped out to make it a reality. They will strategize with you on the best tools, processes, and plan to get where you want to go.
Client and Lead Communication
Not only will an OBM support communication when it comes to project management, but also from the first contact.
Tool Management
Technology is ever-evolving and an OBM will help you stay on top of it. They will set up tools in the best way for your business and keep it maintained.
Internal Scheduling
Some days we just want someone else to tell us what to do, and that's exactly what an OBM can do for you. Based on current client projects, internal projects, and ideal work week, we can set up a daily schedule that doesn't require you to jump from task to task and hope you haven't missed anything.
Hire Your First OBM
An Online Business Manager can be an invaluable partner for web designers. By allowing an OBM to handle the operations, you'll be freed up to devote your energy into the creative design process. A symbiotic working relationship allows both to play to their strengths. Designers benefit from having a dedicated manager guiding projects smoothly, acquiring new clients, and setting clear expectations.
By leveraging an OBM's strategic expertise, web designers can focus on honing their technical skills while avoiding the pitfalls of scope creep, missed deadlines, overwhelmed clients, and business operations outside their wheelhouse. The end result is happier clients, more consistent work, and a design practice equipped for sustainable growth.
If you are considering hiring soon, you might be interested in my Quick-Start Guide for Your Next Best Hire. This guide provides an in-depth look at the hiring process along with templates. Download it for free.
FAQs About Hiring an OBM
What skills are needed for OBM?
An OBM needs a mix of operational, leadership, and technical skills to best serve small business owners. Specific OBM skills will depend on the tasks you want to outsource.
What jobs are best suited for OBM?
OBMs are ideal for business owners who run service-based or creative businesses. You might have multiple team members, contractors, or remote workers. If you’re managing multiple projects, clients, or launches simultaneously, or want to focus on revenue-generating or creative work rather than operations, an OBM is for you.
How much should I pay a business manager?
It depends on experience, scope, and industry. Clarify expectations upfront to get an accurate quote from OBMs you interview. In general, the going rate is $50-$150 per hour.
