OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
Often small business owners spend so much time running their business that it is hard to find the time to concentrate on growing the business, making progress towards business goals or just having some much needed rest.
That’s where an Online Business Manager (OBM) comes in.
As your OBM, Lynne looks after your business operations, projects and processes. Ensuring your business runs effectively, efficiently and consistently whilst you focus on your ambitions and business vision.
Whether you’re looking for help with a one-off project, or ongoing support, By Your Side Business Support’s Online Business Manager Services can provide cost effective support as and when you need it. No expensive monthly salary, PAYE or NI costs. Either pay as you go for a set hourly rate or a set monthly package / project price.
Lynne Wright
Operations, Processes & People, By Your Side
How can an Online Business Manager support your small business?
Lynne specialises in helping small business owners run - and grow - their business.
She takes care of the operational tasks and projects that take up way more time than many small business owners have, freeing up your time (and headspace) to focus on the business priorities that only you can do.
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Overseeing day to day business operations and identifying ways to make them more efficient
Implementing new tools/systems, setting them up and training you to use them
Ensuring your business has the policies and procedures needed to run effectively and that they're kept up to date
Tracking key business performance metrics
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Managing projects such a new website launches, product/service launches and implementing new tools/systems by:
Creating project plans with clear deliverables, timescales, roles, responsibilities and dependencies
Managing the project, ensuring tasks get done by the relevant people and deadline
Monitoring project progress and ensuring the project plan - and key personnel - are kept up to date
Post-project analysis, looking at what went well, what could be improved, and lessons learnt
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Getting business processes out of your head and onto paper
Turning complex tasks into simple, actionable steps
Creating flow charts that provide a high-level visual overview of your processes to map out how they work
Creating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), step-by-step guides, checklists and templates to ensure process efficiency and consistency
Identifying and prioritising the tasks that will benefit most from being documented and standardised
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Reviewing workflows for bottlenecks, inefficiencies and duplication of effort
Identifying and implementing changes to processes/systems
Ensuring you're getting the most out of the tools you've invested in
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Holding annual / quarterly planning sessions to plan the next stage of business growth
Translating high-level ambitions into actionable plans that turn your business goals into a reality
Working with you to brainstorm solutions to problems and acting as a sounding board
Meet Lynne: Operations, Processes & People
Lynne has over 12 years experience supporting businesses in an administrative and operational capacity.
As an Admin Assistant, Operations Manager and Online Business Manager, she’s helped growing business to establish and implement processes that keep businesses running effectively, efficiently and consistently.
By taking charge of business operations and projects, she allows business owners to focus on achieving the business's vision, ambition and growth.
“Don’t let running your business slow down the growth of your business.”
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Before going self employed, I spent 7 years working for a small marketing agency responsible for the operational efficiency of the business. As the only operational member of staff, I was responsible for a range of tasks and projects that helped the business, and my colleagues, to work effectively and efficiently including:
Taking operational tasks away from client-facing colleagues so they could focus on delivery
Managing recruitment and HR to build and grow the company and its culture
Ensuring sales and marketing colleagues had the processes and systems in place to generate and convert leads.
This experience enabled me to see first-hand what's involved in the running of a growing, successful business and was part of the reason why going self-employed and building my own business was so appealing after the role was made redundant during Covid.
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I have supported business with:
Sales and marketing processes - establishing and implementing processes to track and manage enquiries, running quarterly marketing planning sessions and holding people accountable
Client delivery processes - establishing and running project kick off, set up and post- delivery processes
HR processes - developing and implementing recruitment and onboarding processes, checklists & templates
Implementing new tools/systems - setting up and maintaining CRMs and HRISs.
Project delivery - managing multiple website redesign projects
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Alongside the HR business that I set up in 2020, I have supported Michelle on and off with OBM work for her VA clients before formally going into partnership with her to deliver this work in summer 2025.
Online Business Manager Testimonials
PACKAGES AND PRICING
‘Pay as you go’ prices for businesses and charities whose needs vary month by month
Our Operational Support services are charged at £37.50/hour
(discounted to £32.50/hour for charities)
You only pay for the time you use (minimum of 1 hour/week; rounded to the nearest 15 minutes) and are invoiced monthly in arrears.
Discounted rates are available if you’re looking for 16+ hours each month (half a day a week)
Project prices available upon request
Our projects are quoted for on an individual basis and charged across the course of the project (typically either 50% upfront and 50% upon completion; or with smaller percentages based on delivery of key project milestones depending upon the scope and duration of the project).
Retained clients receive a 15% discount on all project work.
Articles about Operational Support for Small Businesses
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The real difference between an employee and outsourced support
There comes a point in most growing businesses where something has to give and small business owners start asking the question: “Do I hire someone? Or do I bring in external support?”
There is no one size fits all solution. But there are some important differences that are worth understanding before you decide.
More than an Online Business Manager
Recognising that many of her clients would benefit from hands-on administrative support to assist with the delivery of the processes and systems she was building, Lynne partnered with her VA, Michelle, and By Your Side Business Support was born.
BYS marries both Lynne and Michelle’s complimentary skills sets, doubles their capacity and broadens their ability to support small businesses and charity directors.
Collectively, we can support business with a range of one-off and ongoing projects and tasks to fully support our clients to grow with the convenience of only having one supplier invoice to pay, and one main point of contact.
View our services page to find out more about the other services By Your Side Business Support provides.
Our mission is to provide the processes and support that small business owners and charity directors need to achieve their ambitions.
Outsource the admin you don’t have time or enthusiasm for to people who do.
Delegate the work you’re looking to get off your task list to people who specialise in it.
Bring in dedicated resource to support you with a specific project or one-off, or ad-hoc task.
If that sounds like something you’re looking for…