Should You Hire Employees or an Online Business Manager? The Complete Decision Guide for Small Business Owners

You’re lying awake at 2 AM again, mentally running through your to-do list. Client onboarding that needs to happen. Social media posts you haven’t scheduled. That project management system you keep meaning to set up. Team members waiting for direction. And oh yeah—you still need to actually do the work that brings in revenue.

Sound familiar?

If you’re a small business owner who’s reached the point where you can’t do everything yourself anymore, you’re probably wrestling with a critical question: Should I hire an employee, or is there a better option?

At Wasson Management + Marketing, we’ve worked with over 40 small businesses facing this exact decision. And here’s what we’ve learned: hiring a traditional employee isn’t always the answer—and it’s often not even the best answer.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about when to hire help, what kind of help actually makes sense for your business, and whether an Online Business Manager (OBM) might be the smarter, more cost-effective solution you’ve been looking for.

By the end, you’ll have clarity on your next steps and confidence in whatever decision you make.

The Moment Every Small Business Owner Faces: When DIY Stops Working

Let’s start by acknowledging the truth: you’ve probably been doing way too much for way too long.

You started your business because you’re great at something—coaching, consulting, design, fitness, beauty services, professional services, whatever your expertise is. But somewhere along the way, you became the CEO (making strategic decisions), the operations manager (keeping everything running), the marketing director (getting clients in the door), the customer service rep (handling inquiries and issues), the bookkeeper (managing finances), the HR manager (if you have any team members), the tech support (when things break), and still the person actually delivering the service or product.

This isn’t sustainable. And deep down, you know it.

The question isn’t whether you need help—you do. The question is: What kind of help is right for your business right now?

Understanding Your Options: Employees vs. Online Business Managers

Before we dive into how to decide, let’s make sure we’re crystal clear on what each option actually means.

Traditional Employees: What You’re Actually Signing Up For

When you hire a traditional employee, you’re bringing someone onto your team with a formal employment relationship. This comes with significant responsibilities and costs beyond just their salary.

What’s included when you hire employees:

Financial Obligations: Base salary (obviously), payroll taxes (employer portion of Social Security, Medicare, unemployment), benefits (health insurance, retirement contributions, paid time off), workers’ compensation insurance, and potentially overtime pay, bonuses, and raises.

Administrative Responsibilities: Running payroll (or paying someone to do it), filing tax documents and compliance paperwork, managing benefits enrollment and administration, tracking time off and sick days, performance reviews and management, and potentially HR issues, conflict resolution, and termination processes.

Physical and Logistical Needs: Workspace (if they’re in-office), equipment (computer, phone, software licenses), training and onboarding time, and management and supervision.

The Real Cost: Most experts estimate that the true cost of an employee is 1.25 to 1.4 times their base salary when you factor in all these additional expenses. A $50,000/year employee actually costs you $62,500-$70,000 when you include everything.

The Commitment: Hiring employees is a significant commitment. It’s not easy (or cheap) to let someone go if it’s not working out. You’re making a long-term investment in a person who becomes part of your business structure.

Online Business Managers (OBMs): A Different Approach

An Online Business Manager is a professional operations expert who works with you on a contractual basis—typically as an independent contractor or through an agency. They’re not employees; they’re strategic partners who specialize in operations.

What makes OBMs different:

No Employment Burden: They handle their own taxes, insurance, and benefits. No payroll setup or management needed, HR compliance issues to navigate and no office space or equipment requirements.

Specialized Expertise: They’re operations professionals—this is what they do all day, every day. They bring experience from multiple businesses and industries. This means they already know the tools, systems, and best practices. They can hit the ground running without extensive training.

Flexibility: Work can be scaled up or down based on your needs. Can be hired for specific projects or ongoing support. Typically work remotely, offering location flexibility. Can often start faster than traditional hiring processes.

Strategic Focus: OBMs work at a strategic level, not just task execution. They identify problems and create solutions proactively. They understand business operations holistically. They’re focused on systems and processes that improve your business.

The Real Cost: OBMs typically charge $50-150/hour or monthly retainers of $2,000-$8,000+ depending on experience and scope. While this might seem expensive hourly, when you compare the total cost to hiring an employee with similar expertise, OBMs are often significantly more cost-effective—especially when you factor in the value of their specialized knowledge.

The Commitment: Contracts are typically month-to-month or project-based, offering much more flexibility than employment relationships. If it’s not working, you can adjust scope or part ways much more easily than with an employee.

The Signs You Need Help: Is It Time to Hire?

Before we get into whether you should hire an employee or an OBM, let’s make sure you actually need to hire help at all. Here are the clear signs it’s time:

Sign #1: You’re Spending More Time Managing Operations Than Growing Your Business

Take an honest look at how you spent last week. How much time did you spend on strategic planning and business development, high-value client work that generates revenue, building relationships and partnerships, or creating new offerings or improving existing ones?

Now compare that to time spent on scheduling and calendar management, responding to routine emails and messages, coordinating team members, troubleshooting technical issues, managing projects and following up on tasks, or administrative tasks that anyone could do.

If operational tasks are dominating your time, you need help. Your highest value is in strategy, relationship-building, and the unique expertise only you can provide. Everything else should eventually be delegated.

Real Example: The Overwhelmed Fitness Coach

Sarah is an incredible fitness coach who runs one-on-one sessions, group classes, and online programs. She’s amazing at motivating clients and designing transformative workout programs.

But behind the scenes, it’s chaos. New clients don’t get onboarded smoothly. Social media posts are rushed and inconsistent. Team members (video editor, graphic designer) aren’t clear on priorities. She’s spending 15+ hours per week on administrative tasks. She’s exhausted and considering quitting.

Sarah needs operational support so she can get back to coaching—the thing she’s actually great at and that generates revenue.

Sign #2: Customer Experience Is Suffering

Your customers are starting to notice that things aren’t running smoothly. Warning signs include taking 24+ hours to respond to inquiries, missing emails or messages entirely, customers asking “Did you get my email?”, inconsistent service delivery where some customers have great experiences and others don’t, quality varying depending on how busy you are, follow-ups not happening consistently, new clients being confused about next steps, not receiving important information, or the process feeling disorganized.

If your customer experience is suffering, you need help urgently. Customer experience is your reputation. Losing customers because of operational issues is one of the most preventable—and expensive—problems a business can have.

Real Example: The Busy Aesthetician

Maria runs a successful aesthetics practice. She’s booked solid with appointments—which is great! But customer experience is slipping. Client wait times have increased. Follow-up communication after treatments isn’t happening. Appointment confirmations are inconsistent. The front desk is overwhelmed and making mistakes.

Happy clients are starting to leave negative reviews about poor communication. Maria is at risk of losing the reputation she’s worked years to build. She needs someone to implement systems for scheduling, automate follow-ups, and train front-desk staff—but she doesn’t need a full-time employee. An OBM could fix these issues without the commitment and cost of hiring.

Sign #3: Things Are Falling Through the Cracks

You know that sinking feeling when you realize something important didn’t get done? If that’s happening regularly, you need help.

Common things that fall through cracks: deadlines get missed, important emails go unanswered, projects stall halfway through, follow-ups don’t happen, invoices don’t get sent, content doesn’t get posted, contracts aren’t signed, and renewals aren’t processed.

If you’re constantly playing catch-up and firefighting, you need help. This is a sign that you don’t have adequate systems or support to handle your current workload. Adding more clients or projects will only make it worse.

Real Example: The Successful Business Coach

Jennifer is phenomenal at helping clients scale their businesses. Her programs deliver incredible results, and demand for her services is high.

But operationally, things are falling apart. Client onboarding takes weeks instead of days. Team members aren’t sure what they should be working on. Launch preparations are always last-minute and stressful. She promises things to clients and then forgets. Important tasks wait for her approval, creating bottlenecks.

Jennifer is the bottleneck in her own business. She needs operational support to create systems, manage the team, and ensure nothing falls through the cracks—so she can focus on coaching, which is where her value truly lies.

Sign #4: You Can’t Scale Without More Infrastructure

You want to grow. You’re ready to grow. But you know you can’t take on more clients, customers, or projects without something breaking.

Scaling red flags include: you’re already at capacity and working evenings/weekends, taking on one more client would push you over the edge, you don’t have systems that could handle increased volume, you’re manually doing things that should be automated, and your team is maxed out with no room for more.

If you want to scale but lack the infrastructure, you need help. Trying to scale without operational support is like trying to drive faster in a car that’s already falling apart. You need to fix the foundation before you hit the gas.

Real Example: The Growing E-Commerce Business

Tom runs an Iowa-based e-commerce business selling specialty food products. Sales have tripled in the past year—amazing! But order fulfillment is chaotic and error-prone. Inventory management is all manual spreadsheets. Customer service inquiries are overwhelming. Shipping times have slowed down. Negative reviews are starting to appear due to mistakes.

Tom wants to keep growing, but he knows the current systems can’t handle more volume. He needs operational expertise to implement better inventory management, streamline fulfillment, and create customer service systems—but he’s not sure if he needs a full-time employee or if an OBM could help.

Sign #5: You’re Not Ready for the Financial Commitment of Full-Time Employees

Maybe you need help, but hiring employees feels risky because you’re not sure revenue will stay consistent, your business has seasonal fluctuations, you’re still in growth mode and cash flow is tight, you need specialized expertise you can’t afford full-time, or you want flexibility to scale support up or down.

If you need help but aren’t ready for the commitment and cost of employees, an OBM might be perfect. OBMs give you access to high-level operational expertise without the financial burden and commitment of employment.

Employees vs. OBM: How to Decide What’s Right for Your Business

Now that you know you need help, let’s figure out what kind of help makes sense. Here’s a framework to guide your decision:

You Probably Need to Hire an Employee If:

The role requires 30-40 hours per week of consistent work, physical presence in a specific location, being available during specific set hours, handling sensitive information that requires an employment relationship, front-line customer service in-person (receptionist, retail staff, etc.), or hands-on service delivery that can’t be done remotely.

Your business has consistent predictable revenue to support salary and benefits, needs someone who’s embedded in day-to-day operations full-time, has the infrastructure to manage employees (HR, payroll, benefits), and is ready for the long-term commitment of employment.

The type of work is execution-focused tasks (rather than strategic operations management), specialized technical skills for ongoing full-time work, or roles like full-time receptionist, in-house bookkeeper, retail staff, or technicians.

Examples where employees make sense: a physical therapy practice needs a full-time front desk receptionist, a restaurant needs kitchen staff and servers, a retail store needs sales associates during operating hours, or a growing company needs a full-time bookkeeper to handle complex finances.

You Probably Need an OBM If:

The role requires strategic operations management and systems thinking, flexibility in hours worked (could be 5-20 hours per week), specialized expertise in operations, project management, or business systems, remote work capability, or creating and implementing processes and systems.

Your business needs operational expertise but not 40 hours per week, has variable revenue or isn’t ready for full-time salary commitment, can benefit from someone who’s worked with multiple businesses, or needs help quickly without a lengthy hiring and training process.

The type of work includes process creation and optimization, team coordination and project management, system implementation and automation, strategic operational planning, client onboarding system design, or launch coordination and management.

Examples where OBMs make sense: online coaches and consultants who need operational systems, service businesses that need process optimization, product businesses that need better team coordination, growing businesses that need flexibility as they scale, or businesses with remote or partially remote teams. Understanding the difference between service and product operations management can help you determine exactly what kind of OBM support you need.

The Financial Reality: What Does Each Option Actually Cost?

Let’s get specific about money, because this is probably a huge factor in your decision.

The True Cost of Hiring Employees

Example: Hiring a Full-Time Operations Coordinator

Base Salary: $45,000/year

Payroll Taxes (7.65%): $3,443/year

Health Insurance (employer portion): $6,000-8,000/year

Retirement Contribution (3% match): $1,350/year

Paid Time Off (2 weeks + holidays): ~$1,731 (cost of paying for non-working time)

Workers’ Comp Insurance: $500-1,000/year

Recruiting and Onboarding Costs: $3,000-5,000 (one-time)

Equipment and Software: $1,500-2,500/year

Training and Development: $1,000+/year

Total First-Year Cost: $63,500-$68,500

Ongoing Annual Cost: $59,000-$62,000

And that assumes they’re productive from day one (they won’t be), they have all the skills you need (they might not), it works out (30-50% of hires don’t work out in the first year), and you don’t need to hire additional management to oversee them.

The True Cost of an OBM

Example: Hiring an OBM at 15 Hours Per Week

OBM Rate: $75/hour (mid-range for experienced OBM)

Hours Per Week: 15

Monthly Cost: $4,500 (15 hours × 4.33 weeks × $75)

Annual Cost: $54,000

What’s included: specialized operations expertise from day one, no payroll taxes, benefits, or insurance, no equipment or software costs, no management overhead, no HR responsibilities, flexibility to scale up or down, and no recruiting costs when it doesn’t work out.

The Value Difference: That OBM brings experience from working with dozens of businesses. They already know the tools, systems, and strategies that work. It’s easy to implement solutions you didn’t even know existed. They hit the ground running instead of requiring months of training.

Alternative OBM pricing models include project-based ($3,000-10,000 per project for specific initiatives like building an onboarding system), monthly retainer ($2,000-8,000/month depending on scope), or hourly ($50-150/hour depending on experience).

The ROI Comparison

Let’s say you need 20 hours per week of operational support.

Option 1: Hire a Part-Time Employee

20 hours × $25/hour = $26,000 base salary. Add taxes, insurance, equipment, training for a total of ~$35,000-40,000/year. They’ll need training and might not have operations expertise. Limited flexibility if needs change.

Option 2: Hire an OBM

20 hours per week × $75/hour = $6,000/month. Total annual cost: $72,000. Specialized expertise from day one. No additional costs or responsibilities. Flexibility to adjust hours as needed.

Wait—the OBM costs more? Yes, hourly. But here’s what you’re missing:

First, the OBM accomplishes in 20 hours what might take an employee 30-40 hours because of their expertise and experience. Second, the OBM doesn’t need training or management—they manage themselves and often manage others. Third, the OBM brings strategic value, not just task execution—they improve your entire business operations. Fourth, you can reduce hours when things are running smoothly, whereas an employee’s salary is fixed.

When you factor in value delivered (not just hours worked), OBMs often provide significantly better ROI—especially for small businesses that need expertise but not full-time support.

How an OBM Can Transform Your Small Business: Real Scenarios

Let’s look at specific examples of how OBMs solve common small business problems:

Scenario 1: The Landscaping Business (Seasonal Fluctuations)

The Problem: Mike runs a landscaping business in Iowa. Spring and summer are insane—he can barely keep up with demand. Fall is busy with cleanup services. Winter is dead slow. He needs help during busy season but doesn’t want to commit to year-round employee salaries when there’s no work in winter.

The OBM Solution: Mike hires an OBM March through October to manage seasonal scheduling and route optimization, handle customer inquiries and booking, coordinate the crew and equipment, send invoices and follow up on payments, and track customer satisfaction and reviews. During slow winter months, the OBM helps with minimal hours to plan for next season, update systems, and prepare marketing.

The Result: Mike gets expert operational support exactly when he needs it, without paying for full-time help during slow months. The OBM’s scheduling optimization alone increases daily jobs by 15%, paying for itself immediately.

Scenario 2: The Online Course Creator (Project-Based Needs)

The Problem: Lisa creates and sells online courses. She launches new courses 3-4 times per year, and each launch is chaos—coordinating her designer, copywriter, tech VA, and ads person while also creating course content and handling customer questions. Between launches, she doesn’t need much operational support.

The OBM Solution: Lisa hires an OBM on a project basis for each launch. Pre-launch, they coordinate the team, create timelines, and ensure everything is ready. During launch, they manage technical issues, coordinate communications, and troubleshoot. Post-launch, they gather feedback, handle fulfillment, and analyze results. Between launches, the OBM might work 5-10 hours per month maintaining systems and preparing for the next one.

The Result: Lisa’s launches go from stressful fire drills to smooth, predictable processes. She can focus on creating great course content instead of coordinating everyone. The improved customer experience during launches increases retention and referrals.

Scenario 3: The Multi-Service Wellness Practice (Need for Expertise)

The Problem: Dr. Emily runs a wellness practice offering chiropractic services, massage therapy, nutrition counseling, and yoga classes. She has a team of practitioners but no one coordinating everything. Scheduling is a mess (practitioners double-booked or idle), customer communication is inconsistent, and the team doesn’t feel aligned around common goals.

The OBM Solution: Dr. Emily hires an OBM 15 hours per week to implement a better scheduling system that optimizes practitioner time, create communication systems and templates, run weekly team meetings to align everyone, set up client feedback systems, track key metrics (utilization, satisfaction, retention), and coordinate marketing efforts across all services.

The Result: Practitioner utilization increases by 25% through better scheduling. Client satisfaction improves dramatically with consistent communication. The team feels more connected and aligned. Dr. Emily can focus on growing the practice instead of putting out fires. This is exactly the kind of transformation we help businesses achieve through our Online Business Management services.

Finding and Hiring the Right OBM: Your Step-by-Step Guide

Okay, you’ve decided an OBM makes sense for your business. Now what? Here’s how to find and hire the right one:

Step 1: Get Clear on What You Actually Need

Before you start looking, define the scope of work. What specific problems need solving? What processes need to be created or improved? What’s currently falling through the cracks? What would success look like in 90 days?

Determine the time commitment. How many hours per week do you realistically need? Is this ongoing support or project-based? What’s your budget range?

Identify required skills and experience. Do you need someone with experience in your specific industry? What tools and systems should they know? Do they need to manage a team, or just coordinate tasks?

Consider working style. How much autonomy vs. direction do you want to provide? How often do you want to communicate? What’s your preferred communication style?

Write this down before you start your search. It’ll help you evaluate candidates and communicate your needs clearly.

Step 2: Know Where to Look

OBM Agencies and Firms: Pros include established processes, backup support, and diverse expertise. Cons include often being more expensive and less personal relationship. Good for businesses that need comprehensive support and reliability.

Working with an agency like Wasson Management + Marketing means you get the expertise of an entire team, not just one person. If your primary OBM is unavailable, someone else can step in.

Independent OBM Contractors: Pros include more personal relationship, often more affordable, and flexible. Cons include no backup if they’re sick or on vacation and limited capacity. Good for businesses with more straightforward needs.

Referrals and Networks: Ask other business owners in your industry, check business groups and communities you’re part of, and look for OBMs who specialize in your industry.

Online Platforms: Upwork, LinkedIn, or specialized OBM directories offer a large pool of candidates but take time to vet with variable quality.

Step 3: Evaluate Candidates Thoroughly

Initial screening questions should include: What types of businesses have you supported? Can you give me an example of a specific operational problem you’ve solved? What tools and systems are you proficient with? What’s your approach to a new client engagement? What’s your availability and how do you structure your time?

Look for these green flags: asks thoughtful questions about your business (they should be interviewing you too), provides specific examples of problems they’ve solved, explains their process clearly, demonstrates systems thinking (not just task execution), communicates professionally and promptly, and has testimonials or references from past clients.

Watch for these red flags: vague about their experience or process, promises to “fix everything” without understanding your business, poor communication during the interview process, can’t provide references or examples of past work, or seems like they’ll just follow orders rather than think strategically.

Step 4: Start with a Trial Project

Don’t commit to a long-term contract immediately. Start with a defined trial period (30-60 days) that gives both of you a chance to see if it’s a good fit, allows them to prove value before major commitment, and reduces risk for both parties.

Or start with a specific project like “Build our client onboarding system,” “Implement a project management tool for our team,” or “Create our launch timeline and coordinate our next launch.”

This trial period should have clear deliverables and success metrics, a defined end date, and a decision point about continuing or not.

Step 5: Set Up for Success

Once you’ve hired an OBM, set them up to succeed.

During onboarding (Week 1-2), share a comprehensive business overview, grant access to all necessary tools and systems, introduce them to team members, walk through current processes (even the messy ones), and clarify decision-making authority and boundaries.

Establish communication rhythms with weekly check-in calls (30-60 minutes), async updates via email or project management tool, monthly strategic planning sessions, and an emergency communication protocol.

Define success metrics. What should improve in 30, 60, 90 days? How will you measure success? What does “good” look like?

Give them appropriate authority by clarifying what decisions they can make independently, establishing when they need your input or approval, and trusting them to do what they were hired to do.

Common Mistakes When Hiring an OBM (And How to Avoid Them)

Even when you hire the right OBM, there are pitfalls that can prevent you from getting the results you want:

Mistake #1: Treating Them Like a Virtual Assistant

The Problem: You hire an OBM but then just give them tasks to execute without involving them in strategy or decision-making.

Why It’s a Problem: OBMs are strategic operations partners, not task executors. If you’re just handing them to-do lists, you’re not utilizing their expertise.

The Fix: Involve them in planning conversations. Ask for their input on processes and systems. Let them identify problems and propose solutions.

Mistake #2: Not Giving Them Enough Information

The Problem: You expect them to improve operations but don’t share context about your business, customers, goals, or challenges.

Why It’s a Problem: They can’t make good decisions or create effective systems without understanding your business deeply.

The Fix: Over-communicate at the beginning. Share everything—your vision, your frustrations, your goals, your customer feedback. The more context they have, the better they can help.

Mistake #3: Micromanaging Instead of Delegating

The Problem: You hire an OBM to take things off your plate, but then you continue to micromanage every decision and process.

Why It’s a Problem: You’re still spending the time and mental energy, so you’re not actually getting relief. Plus, you’re preventing them from using their expertise.

The Fix: Define boundaries and decision-making authority clearly, then trust them within those boundaries. Focus on outcomes, not processes.

Mistake #4: Expecting Instant Miracles

The Problem: You expect everything to be perfect within the first two weeks.

Why It’s a Problem: Even expert OBMs need time to understand your business, assess current state, and implement solutions. Good systems take time to build.

The Fix: Have realistic expectations. Plan for 30-60 days before you see significant improvements. Look for progress, not perfection.

Mistake #5: Not Being Clear About Budget and Scope

The Problem: You’re vague about how many hours you can afford or what’s actually within scope.

Why It’s a Problem: This leads to scope creep, budget surprises, or the OBM not being able to accomplish what you hoped because they don’t have enough hours.

The Fix: Be upfront about budget constraints and priorities. A good OBM can help you decide what to tackle first within your budget.

Alternatives to Consider: Other Options for Getting Help

OBMs aren’t the only solution. Here are some alternatives to consider:

Option 1: Specialized Contractors

Instead of one OBM handling everything, you could hire specialists for specific functions like a bookkeeper for finances, social media manager for content, virtual assistant for administrative tasks, or project manager for specific initiatives.

Pros include deep expertise in each area and potentially more affordable. Cons include coordinating multiple people instead of one and no one owning the big picture. Best for businesses with very specific, defined needs in particular areas.

Option 2: Part-Time Employee

A middle ground between full-time employees and contractors.

Pros include more affordable than full-time, still an employee relationship, and potentially more committed. Cons include still involving payroll, taxes, and employment responsibilities, plus less flexibility than contractors. Best for businesses that need someone embedded in operations 20-30 hours per week consistently.

Option 3: DIY with Systems and Tools

Invest in your own operations education and tools to improve systems yourself. Check out resources like GrowthIQ for templates, systems, and guidance you can implement yourself.

Pros include most affordable, you learn operations skills, and no management needed. Cons include taking your time (which might be better spent on revenue-generating activities) and being limited by your own knowledge. Best for very early-stage businesses with tight budgets who have time to invest.

Option 4: Full-Service Agency

Work with an agency like Wasson Management + Marketing that provides comprehensive operational and marketing support.

Pros include complete solution, team expertise, backup support, strategic and tactical approach, and no hiring/managing needed. Cons include higher investment than individual contractors. Best for businesses ready to invest in comprehensive growth support.

Making Your Decision: A Framework

Here’s a simple framework to help you decide:

Hire an Employee If: You need 30-40 hours per week consistently, the role requires physical presence, you have stable revenue to support salary/benefits, the work is execution-focused (not strategic operations), and you’re ready for the commitment and responsibilities of employment.

Hire an OBM If: You need 5-25 hours per week (or project-based support), you need strategic operations expertise, you want flexibility to scale support up or down, remote work is fine (or preferred), you’re not ready for the commitment/cost of employment, and you need help quickly without lengthy hiring processes.

Do It Yourself (For Now) If: Revenue is still unpredictable, you’re very early stage with limited budget, you have time to invest in learning operations, and your needs are minimal (less than 5 hours per week).

Work with an Agency If: You want comprehensive support (operations + marketing), you value having backup and team expertise, you’re ready to invest in serious growth, and you want minimal management responsibility.

Your Next Steps: Getting the Help You Need

You’ve made it through this comprehensive guide. By now, you should have much more clarity on whether you need to hire employees or bring on an OBM—and what that process looks like.

Here’s how to move forward:

Option 1: You’re Ready to Work with an OBM

If you’re thinking “Yes, an OBM is exactly what I need,” let’s talk about how Wasson Management + Marketing can help.

We specialize in providing operational support for small businesses that need expertise, flexibility, and results without the commitment and cost of hiring full-time employees.

Schedule a free consultation and we’ll discuss the specific operational challenges your business is facing, what kind of support would make the biggest impact, how we can take operations off your plate so you can focus on growth, and whether we’re the right fit for your business and budget.

We’ll be completely honest about whether OBM support makes sense for you right now or if you need something different.

Option 2: You Want to Improve Operations Yourself First

Maybe you’re not ready to hire yet, but you know your operations need work. That’s completely valid.

Check out GrowthIQ—our resource for business owners who want to build better systems themselves. You’ll get templates for client onboarding, project management, and team coordination, step-by-step systems you can implement at your own pace, strategic guidance without the full-service investment, and tools that help you work smarter, not harder.

It’s perfect for DIY-ers who need frameworks and guidance but aren’t ready to delegate yet.

Option 3: You’re Still Deciding

That’s okay! This is a big decision. Take your time.

Keep learning and exploring. Bookmark this guide so you can refer back to it. And in the meantime, explore more resources on our blog about understanding different types of operations managers and which might fit your business, how to combine content marketing and SEO to support your growth, and the different types of digital marketing that work together.

When you’re ready to talk, we’re here.

The Bottom Line: You Don’t Have to Choose Between Growth and Sanity

Here’s what we want you to take away from this guide:

You don’t have to do everything yourself. The most successful small business owners are the ones who recognize when they need help and have the courage to ask for it.

Hiring employees isn’t the only option—and often isn’t the best option. OBMs provide strategic operational expertise with flexibility, without the financial burden and commitment of employment.

The cost of NOT getting help is higher than the cost of hiring support. When you factor in lost revenue opportunities, poor customer experiences, burnout risk, and the mental toll of constant overwhelm, getting operational support quickly pays for itself.

The right support transforms your business—and your life. Imagine waking up knowing that operations are handled. That your team knows what to do. That customers are having great experiences. That you can focus on the work you actually love and that grows your business.

That’s what operational support makes possible.

Your business deserves systems that work. Clients & customers deserve consistent, excellent experiences. Your team deserves clear direction. And you deserve to focus on what you’re uniquely great at instead of drowning in operational chaos.

Ready to make it happen? Let’s talk about how we can help. We’re here to support your business with that good old Midwest work ethic and genuine care for your success.