How to Hire the Right Support (Without Playing Title Tetris)
Last Tuesday, you opened a blank job post and typed "OBM?"—then erased it.
VA? Backspace. Integrator?
You sighed, toggled to Instagram, and found three reels telling you three different "must-hire" titles.
Here's the thing: you didn't need a new title. You needed your Tuesday back.
If that sounds familiar, this guide is your relief valve. We'll start with the result you want, match it to the level of ownership you need, and only then talk titles.
Because titles are costumes. The work is the work.
TL;DR: Start with outcomes, ownership, surface area, and decision rights. Titles follow. Pay for the level of thinking and ownership, not just tasks.
Why hiring titles feel so confusing
These role names come from a mix of corporate structures and online business inventions. They don't line up neatly—and honestly, they weren't designed to.
What happens in practice:
Providers use the title they think buyers will recognize (even if it doesn't match their actual work). Buyers post for the title they think fits their budget (even if the scope needs something different). Scope creep happens because expectations weren't defined clearly from the start.
The result? Overlap, misalignment, and business owners who still feel unsupported after they've "hired help."
The fix isn't cleverer titles. It's clearer thinking.
Start with the result (what changes in 90 days?). Decide the ownership level (doer vs. owner). Name the surface area (one lane vs. cross-functional). Grant decision rights (what can they decide without you?).
Hold those four and the title basically names itself. You're hiring for the level of thinking and ownership—not the trendiest acronym.
Clear role definitions and realistic investment ranges
These are the traditional lanes. People absolutely blend them in practice, but understanding the distinctions matters when you're scoping work and setting fair expectations.
Virtual Assistant (VA)
Primary focus: Task execution. A skilled doer who completes the to-do list you provide.
Typical work: Managing inbox and calendar, customer support, posting content you've created, light tech updates and data entry.
Engagement style: Monthly retainer for a set number of hours.
Realistic investment: $25–$50/hour. Lower rates exist in other regions, often with timezone or language considerations.
Online Business Manager (OBM or OVM)
Primary focus: Team and project management. The bridge between your vision and your contractors.
Typical work: Delegating tasks, building project timelines, coordinating launches, keeping work on track across team members.
Engagement style: Monthly retainer with maximum hours, plus project packages or VIP days.
Realistic investment: $65–$100+/hour, or $2,000–$5,000+/month.
Strategist
Primary focus: Direction and decisions. Helping you figure out what to do, when, and why.
Typical work: Launch roadmaps, systems strategy, messaging frameworks, growth planning.
Engagement style: Intensive sessions or projects with clear outcomes.
Realistic investment: $150–$400/hour, or $2,000–$10,000+ per project.
Consultant
Primary focus: Diagnose and solve a specific business problem, then hand the solution back to you or your team.
Typical work: Sales audits, operations cleanup, financial modeling, HR compliance reviews.
Realistic investment: $200–$500/hour, or $3,000–$15,000+ per project.
Operator, Integrator, Implementer
Operator: Runs day-to-day business operations and keeps things moving.
Integrator: Translates your vision into actionable plans and ensures execution happens.
Implementer: Executes tasks with deeper technical or specialized skill.
Realistic investment:
Implementers: $30–$60/hour
Operators or Integrators: $2,500–$6,000+/month
Fractional Director Roles
Director of Operations: Systems design, SOPs, capacity planning, hiring support structures.
Investment: $3,000–$7,000+/month
Director of Marketing: Strategy development, campaign management, contractor leadership.
Investment: $4,000–$8,000+/month
Director of Finance: Profitability analysis, forecasting, CEO-level financial decisions.
Investment: $4,000–$10,000+/month
How to decide what you actually need (without obsessing over titles)
Instead of starting with "What should I call this role?", run these four filters. The right title will show up once the work is clear.
1. Outcomes: What needs to exist or be true in 90 days?
Get specific. Rather than "I need help with my inbox," try:
Inbox stays under 20 messages
Client onboarding happens in two clicks
Launch plan exists with clear dates and task owners
Weekly marketing report that helps you make decisions
2. Level of ownership: Are you delegating tasks or delegating functions?
Do you want someone to complete tasks you assign? Or do you want someone to own an entire function and make decisions within guardrails you set?
This is where cost and title shift significantly.
3. Surface area: One area or cross-functional?
Is this focused on one area (like client communications), or does it touch multiple functions (like a launch that involves product, marketing, and delivery)?
4. Decision rights: What can this person decide without you?
If the answer is "nothing," you're not hiring a manager or director. You're hiring a doer—and there's nothing wrong with that. Just name it clearly so expectations and pay align.
How to write a job posting that attracts the right person
Lead with outcomes, ownership level, and decision rights—not just a title.
Instead of: "Looking for a VA"
Try this: "Looking for someone to own client onboarding from initial form submission to first call. You'll choose and document the workflow, build the email templates, and maintain a 48-hour response standard. You can decide which tools to use within our $100 monthly budget. Success looks like every client feeling welcomed and clear on next steps before our first conversation."
This kind of clarity creates better hires, fair compensation, and working relationships that last.
The Four Filters (use these before you touch a title)
Here's your pre-post checklist. Do this on a sticky note and you'll save yourself a lot of second-guessing.
Outcomes (90 days): Name 3–5 observable changes.
"Client onboarding in two clicks." "Weekly KPI report with next actions." "Launch plan with dates, owners, buffers."Ownership level: Are you delegating tasks (doer) or an entire function (owner)?
Surface area: One lane (e.g., client comms) or cross-functional (e.g., a launch touching product, marketing, delivery)?
Decision rights: What can they decide without you—budget caps, tools, prioritization?
If the answer to #4 is "nothing," you're hiring a doer. That's clarity, not a compromise. Price and expectations should match.
Common traps (and what to do instead)
Even thoughtful hiring drifts off-course. The Four Filters help you steer back.
Trap 1: The Swiss-army-knife at entry rates
You're asking one person to set the plan and ship the work—for VA pricing. That's two jobs.
What to do instead: Split strategy (sets direction, defines success, chooses trade-offs) from execution (builds assets, ships deliverables). Price and title them separately.
Quick example: Messaging overhaul (Strategist/Consultant, project fee) → email + social build-out (Implementer/VA, hourly/retainer).
Trap 2: No decision rights
If they can't decide, they can't move things forward. You stay the bottleneck.
What to do instead: Assign budget caps (e.g., tools ≤$300/mo, expenses ≤$250 without checking in), tool choices, and prioritization lanes. Decision rights are what you're paying for.
Quick example: Your OBM can re-sequence weekly tasks to protect launch-critical work without needing your approval first.
Trap 3: Title-first hiring
Picking a title before the work creates mismatch.
What to do instead: Write the Outcomes (90 days) first, then match to the role. Titles follow clarity.
Quick example: If the 90-day outcomes are cross-functional and time-bound, you need an OBM/Operator—not a VA with a shinier title.
Trap 4: Undefined scope creep
Invisible edges create resentment—for both of you.
What to do instead: Document In-Scope / Out-of-Scope, review it monthly, and park new ideas in a Backlog. Tie scope to outcomes, not vibes.
Quick example:
In-scope: publish from provided assets.
Out-of-scope: create original long-form content.
Keep this frame: Result → Ownership → Surface Area → Decision Rights → then Title.
Why I Don’t Call Myself an OBM Anymore
I used to call myself an OBM.
And it made sense—at the time.
I’ve been a VA. I’ve been an OBM.
I know what those roles can do—and where they fall short for intuitive, solo founders.
OBMs are brilliant at managing the moving parts of a business.
They hold the vision and the day-to-day. They manage the team, oversee timelines, and keep things running.
But here’s the thing:
You might not want—or need—that kind of management.
You’re not building a big team.
You’re not delegating a bunch of recurring tasks.
You’re not chasing scale for scale’s sake.
You’re trying to build a business that honors your energy, protects your capacity, and leaves you enough space to think, create, and rest.
That’s where I come in.
What I Do Instead
I’m your Strategic Ops Partner.
Part co-strategist, part systems translator, part “you’re not doing this alone.”
This is for the kind of founder who needs clarity, calm, and backend support—but doesn’t want to manage one more person.
I help you:
Get clear on what matters and what’s next
Untangle systems that no longer work
Build infrastructure that actually fits your brain and bandwidth
Implement quietly in the background—no micromanaging required
No “plug and play” templates. No pressure to be ready.
Just co-created strategy and steady support—designed for how you work.
👉 Curious what that looks like? Take a peek.
