What’s an Online Business Manager?

According to Tina Forsyth, the author of Becoming an Online Business Manager, the official definition of an Online Business Manager (OBM) is:

A virtually based support professional who manages online based businesses, including the day-to-day management of projects, operations, team members, and metrics.

An OBM isn’t a virtual assistant who performs tasks. He or she is a professional business manager who runs the company’s daily operations to give the owner energy and time to focus on strategic growth. The OBM gives the owner permission to be the Visionary and serve her clients, plan the company’s growth and future, and use her gifts to their fullest potential.

The OBM keeps all the balls in the air as the Integrator of the business. Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters first defined the Integrator role in their book, Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination that Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business. The Integrator harmoniously combines the major functions of the business (sales, marketing, operations, and finance), runs the organization, and manages day-to-day issues. This role is literally the glue that holds the people, processes, systems, and strategy of the company together.

The Integrator creates space so the business owner, the Visionary, can fully step into the CEO role and do what she’s called to do-change the world.

Finding an Integrator for your business would take a big load off your mind and off your plate, wouldn’t it?

I help women business owners who need that time and space. For the past eight years, as an Integrator in my clients’ businesses, I’ve had the great honor of making someone else’s vision happen.

Undeniably, the most crucial role of a company following the production is the distribution and logistics of the final goods so that they reach the end consumers at the right time. Clearly, logistics and delivery both have an unmatched role to play in the performance of the business. Hence, a steadfast and seamless mechanism for your goods distribution will ensure that your customers are satisfied with you. While the system of logistics and distribution varies with companies depending on the kind of products they deal in, optimizing it means following some discrete approach. However, here are discussed some easy and tacit ways to simplify distribution operations to make sure customers get a satisfying service.

Resource efficient packaging

Most of the times, courier and delivery services companies deploy a uniform packaging system, irrespective of what they are distributing. Many times, we see a simple consumer good, which is not as fragile as an electronic item, arriving with layers of packaging. So, you need to make sure that your packaging do not become excessive and as per the product nature from you logistics service provider. This way not only wastes will be reduced but also the costs of packing.

Bring forth new delivery options

Just not the products but there are many things that matter in delivery like the weight, dimension, nature or type of product, or whether it needs cold storage. While all this have a huge impact on the customers’ satisfaction and state of the product when it will arrive at them, you need to find out whether you own delivery system have options to take care of all the aspects well.

Turning on automated processes for delivery

Another way you can assure that your delivery systems are fulfilling all expectations of customers is automation. Tracking of delivery route, time and vehicles/driver details, will help customers relax back while their orders are out for delivery. This further reduces the random calls and inquiries from the customers regarding their products.

Picking a logistics and delivery partner

The most befitting way to streamline your logistics and delivery mechanism is joining hands with a full-fledged delivery and courier services company who will help you through and out. From special handling of the products to warehousing management, products packaging to dispatch, doorstep deliveries to customers services, they will be in charge of all.

You need to realize that the logistics role is hard and it is that significant part of your business, which can hold back your customers providing them right delivery facilities. Whichever business you are into, just make sure your logistics support is well optimized and automated to get your products aptly to your end customers.