Frequently Asked Questions - How we Provide Small Business Support

---

An Online Business Manager (OBM) is a professional who oversees the day-to-day management of your business, focusing on operations, team management, project planning, and ensuring systems are running smoothly. The OBM’s role is to ensure that the business owner can step back from daily operations and focus on growth and strategy.

While a VA typically handles individual tasks like scheduling, email management, and administrative support, an OBM is responsible for higher-level management, strategy, and overseeing projects and teams. An OBM takes a leadership role, managing VAs and other team members to ensure the business runs smoothly.

An OBM handles strategic planning, project management, team management, system implementation, and process optimization. They focus on big-picture tasks that ensure the business is operating efficiently, as well as managing key metrics and keeping the business aligned with its goals.

Hiring an OBM allows business owners to focus on high-level strategy and growth by delegating daily operations, project management, and team oversight. OBMs create efficient systems, manage team productivity, and ensure the business is aligned with its goals, freeing up the business owner’s time.

If your business needs someone to manage daily operations, streamline workflows, and lead teams or projects, an OBM is the ideal choice. A VA, on the other hand, is better suited for handling specific tasks, such as scheduling or email management, without taking on broader operational responsibilities. Many businesses start with one or two VAs—such as one managing general admin tasks and another focused on social media management—before deciding they need an OBM to oversee everything.

Example scenario: in some cases, a business may hire an OBM for a single 3-month retainer to focus on a specific priority, such as hiring a VA. During the strategy or audit session, this priority would be identified, and the entire project plan for those 3 months would be dedicated to achieving that goal. 

Whether you need an OBM or a VA depends on where your business is in its growth journey and the level of support required.

An OBM helps scale your business by implementing efficient systems, optimizing workflows, and managing projects that contribute to growth. They take care of day-to-day operations so you can focus on strategic decision-making and expansion.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by daily operations, managing projects, or team oversight, and you want to focus more on growth, hiring an OBM might be the right step. OBMs are ideal for businesses that are ready to scale or need more structured management to support their goals. If you’re unsure, the best course of action is to book a no-obligation call to discuss your needs and determine if an OBM is the right fit for your business.

FRBS offers two core service packages: the VIP Day package and the Business Management (Retainer) package. Both packages are tailored to streamline operations, create effective systems, and provide ongoing support for small businesses.

The VIP Day package is a one-time, intensive service that provides you with a 90-day roadmap and actionable steps to achieve your goals. The Business Management package is an ongoing service where we manage your operations, systems, and team, with regular evaluations and adjustments every 90 days.

Free Run Business Services uses a collaborative approach, working closely with clients to define project goals, timelines, and deliverables. Depending on the client and their needs, we’ll either use traditional, Agile, or a hybrid of approaches to ensure that projects are delivered efficiently and effectively.

The Strategic Action Day is a one-day intensive service where we create a detailed, 90-day action plan for your business. We’ll review your goals, processes, and challenges, and map out actionable steps to achieve success. You'll walk away with a clear strategy and know exactly what needs to be done, by whom, and when.

The Retainer package includes ongoing business management support, including strategy calls, system implementations, project management, team oversight, and regular progress updates. We work together in 90-day cycles, adjusting our support as your business grows and evolves.

We work in 90-day contracts to allow flexibility and adjust to your business needs as they change. The first 90 days involve more support as we set up systems and processes, and subsequent cycles are customized based on your needs at the time.

The operations audit is a deep dive into your business’s current systems, goals, challenges, and workflows. We assess what’s working, what isn’t, and how to optimize your operations. You'll receive a detailed report with recommendations.

Our strategy calls are designed to re-evaluate your business goals, systems, and progress every 90 days. We’ll adjust your plan(s) as necessary and ensure you’re on track to meet your goals. These calls are also an opportunity to troubleshoot challenges and plan ahead, particularly as your business grows.

We start with a zero-pressure discovery call to see if we’re a good fit. If so, we move into the operations audit, followed by creating a detailed proposal for your first 90 days with us, focusing on your top 3 priorities. From there, we begin implementing systems and supporting your business.

Absolutely! We understand that business needs can change, so you can easily transition between the Strategic Action Day package and the Retainer package. We can also adjust the level of support within the Retainer package. However, please note that increasing the level of support (i.e., adding more hours) depends on our current capacity to take on additional client work.

We offer flexible payment plans based on the services you choose. Payment schedules are typically discussed during the proposal stage, and we accept payments via PayPal or e-tranfer.

We can adjust the level of support you receive as needed, whether it’s adding more time during a busy period or providing extra resources during a big project or launch.

Yes, Free Run Business Services can offer customizable, on-demand OBM services based on your specific needs. We can provide hourly consultations or project-based support; however, this is highly dependent on the scope of the work, timelines, and urgency. The best way to know if we can be of service to you is to book a no-obligation call and discuss your needs. If we cannot help you, we may be able to help you find what you do need.