We’re often told to “hire before you’re ready” if you want to grow and scale your business. Bringing on a new team member can be so exciting, and it should be! Often there are some key things that business owners just get before making their next big hire, but some miss them. In this post, I’ll go over some of the different signs why not to hire an Operations Coordinator or OBM.

What is an Operations Coordinator?

Let’s first cover what an operations coordinator is, just in case this is a new term for you. An operations coordinator helps with the day-to-day back end of your business. Depending on the coordinator and their zone of genius, this could include a couple of extra roles and tasks. Such as system setup, project management, hiring, and creating processes. (They don’t manage teams, that would be an operations manager or online business manager/obm.)

How to Know You Are Ready to Hire an Operations Coordinator?

There are a few different reasons you might be ready and want to hire an operations coordinator. But, let me list the top three reasons not to in this post so that when you find yourself wondering, “Am I really ready for an ops professional?” you can stop and think about these key steps.

1) There’s no bottleneck in your business and team.

If you already have a small team of contractors, you might start to find that you are the bottleneck holding them back from doing their job. Are you struggling to get your team members the information they need to complete their tasks for your business? That’s a key area where an ops coordinator can step in and actually help you by setting up smoother workflows.

It can be tough to let go of the reins, and you will most likely struggle with this transition. However, an ops coordinator’s expertise lies specifically in how to help you and your team members so that they stay engaged with their work and deliver results for your online business.

But, if there’s no bottleneck, then you most likely don’t need operations help.

2) Your systems are squeaky clean.

Your zone of genius might not be systems, and that’s okay! But, as you continue to grow and scale, implementing the right systems is vital for your business to continue to grow and scale. Most ops coordinators love systems and tech and can make sure your business is running like a well-oiled machine.

But, if your systems are smooth sailing, then you most likely don’t need operations help.

3) You have SOPs or processes in place and everyone knows where to find them.

SOPs (standard operating procedures) are essential for all businesses, especially as you grow and your team expands. Making sure these key documents and processes are mapped out will be one of your operations coordinator’s first steps to organizing your business and making things run better.

But, if you already have well-organized SOPs and your team knows how to find them, then you most likely won’t need operations help.

So, are you ready to hire an operations coordinator?

Does this resonate or sound like you? Do you think you are the bottleneck, your systems are not so buttoned up, and you don’t have SOPs, you likely need an operations pro by your side!

You can visit my services page for more information on the types of services I include and what you can expect from working together. You can also go ahead and book a free quick call so we can chat about your business needs.

-Heather