OBM vs Director Of Operations: What’s The Difference?

Growing a business relies on a combination of big ideas and practical processes to help make those ideas a reality. Most business owners are mired in the day-to-day running of their company, which means they often struggle to get their heads ‘above the water’. Even if you’re the most creative person on the planet, having an exciting idea and being able to execute that idea are two very different things.

The gap between having ideas and being able to put them into motion is what makes the entire field of operations so useful to small businesses. Sooner or later, most founders need to reach out to an operations professional for help in planning and executing the practical steps involved with growing a business.

An Online Business Manager (OBM) and Director of Operations (DOO) are two popular job titles you might look for when seeking practical help – but which is right for you? To see which best fits your requirements, you need to understand what each title means and what value it represents to you as a founder.

What is an Online Business Manager (OBM)?

Online business managers are responsible for actively managing the people and processes within a business. They are the most ‘hands-on’ form of augmented resource you can get, generally taking the reins for project management, task delegation and procedure implementation.

Also, an OBM usually gains hands on experience through management positions with increasing responsibility.

The goal of an OBM is to free up your time as a director, taking care of the practical steps on your behalf so you can focus on the bigger picture.

What is a Director of Operations (DOO)?

Whilst an OBM is a managerial-style role, a DOO has more experience and strategic authority to make executive-level decisions on behalf of the CEO / owner.

A Director of Operations is practical and pragmatic but applies those traits to the overall strategy of a business rather than getting bogged down in the everyday execution. The DOO will work to establish a long-term vision and strategy for your business based on your ideas, plotting out ways to grow and aligning your resources to meet that vision by setting and monitoring goals and KPIs.

DOOs can also provide financial management, helping you implement budgeting strategies, cost-efficiency measures and more to improve the overall financial landscape of your business.

Which is right for you?

When you’re looking for help with operations, deciding between an OBM and a DOO is usually a question of scale. If you’re a smaller business that is struggling with the day-to-day management of core tasks and you’re feeling overwhelmed as an owner, an OBM can provide the vital support you need.

As you begin to scale and grow, however, even the most skilled OBM can’t deliver the over-arching strategy required to drive organisational success. Instead, a scaling business needs the support of an executive-level thinker that can design an operational system which impacts every aspect of the business.

In summary, an OBM manages the day-to-day whilst a DOO focuses on growth strategy and business development, making high-level executive decisions.

So, whilst both an OBM and a DOO can help your business grow, trying to compare the two roles is ultimately a falsity. Where an OBM is a practical role that acts in a managerial capacity, a DOO is an executive-level function designed for big-picture transformation.

If you’re a growing business and you need support with your strategy, I can help. You can find out more about who I am and how I work here, or arrange a call to talk through your business and your requirements to see if I can help.