Do I need a Support Assistant, project manager or operations manager…or all three?
Virtual Success Show
Want the transcript? Download it here.
Episode breakdown
In this episode, Barbara and Matt take a closer look at what really defines the role of a support assistant, project manager and operations manager and when you may need all three roles in your business. During this episode, we explore all three roles and the importance of business owners taking the time to delineate each role to ensure the lines are not blurred in order to avoid any problems arising. Let us know what your key takeout has been from this episode and join the continuing conversation over in the virtual success facebook group.
- Understanding the skill sets required for each role and ensuring you have the best person for the job
- Determining whether your support assistant can confidently carry out the tasks you require or if you need to bring in a Project Manager and/or Operations Manager to fill the skill gap
- Planning for the future and ensuring you bring the right people onboard at the right time, and not when it’s too late
- The importance of seeing each member of your team as investment, rather than an expense
You can’t expect a support assistant to be fully accountable for managing multiple deliverables and people involved in a project — that’s a Project Manager’s role.. It’s the Operations Manager’s job to navigate roadblocks, report issues, and manage the day-to-day running and growth of the business.
In this episode
00:00 – Introduction
Barbara and Matt kick off a new episode of The Virtual Success Show, expressing excitement about returning to create more great content for their listeners.
00:45 – Do I need a Support Assistant, Project Manager or Operations Manager?
Barbara and Matt discuss the importance of clearly defining the roles of a Support Assistant, Project Manager, and Operations Manager. They emphasize that blurred role expectations often lead to problems, especially when a support assistant is tasked beyond their skill set. Clarifying these roles helps business owners hire effectively and avoid mismatched expectations that can undermine team success.
02:49 – What is a support assistant?
Barbara and Matt define a Support Assistant as someone who handles administrative, process-driven tasks like calendar management or posting content. Support assistants are trained to follow established systems, not create or redesign them. While some may offer ideas, expecting strategic input or business solutions typically goes beyond the intended scope of a Support Assistant’s role. Clear expectations are essential.
04:38 – Common support assistant tasks
Matt asks Barbara to outline the five most common tasks Support Assistants at The Virtual Hub typically handle. He’s looking to give listeners a clear picture of the core responsibilities support assistants usually take on in businesses.
04:56 – Support assistants managing social media content
Barbara explains that the most common task support assistants handle is social media content management. It’s a recurring, process-driven responsibility—like creating and scheduling posts in Canva—that’s ideal for support assistants, not business owners or managers. The Virtual Hub trains support assistants in this process, making it easy for clients to delegate and streamline their content workflow.
05:38 – Support assistants and content management
Another common support assistant task is managing content on WordPress websites. While someone else may write the content, support assistants handle formatting, adding images, optimizing for keywords, and ensuring consistent, high-quality presentation. With a clear process in place, support assistants can efficiently execute this task on a regular basis, making it a valuable area of support for business owners.
06:18 – General support assistant tasks
Barbara and Matt explain that support assistants handle “grunt work” like calendar and inbox management, travel booking, research, and implementing existing processes. Tasks must be clearly defined or recorded in a video to delegate effectively. Support assistants excel at following systems, but shouldn’t be expected to create them from scratch. Their strength lies in supporting daily operational tasks consistently.
08:07 – The role of a Project Manager
Barbara and Matt define a Project Manager as someone who plans and oversees execution of a specific project—setting milestones, deadlines, coordinating teams, and ensuring timely delivery. They don’t do the hands-on work or create processes. Instead, they manage execution, then hand off recurring tasks to others, like a support assistant. This role is often confused with an Operations Manager but is distinct.
10:33 – When should I bring in a Project Manager?
Barbara explains a key reason to hire a Project Manager is to reduce too many direct reports by having one person manage others, clearing communication roadblocks. Matt adds that Project Managers focus on specific projects—like their recent website rebrand—holding dedicated meetings to track progress, separate from daily operations, ensuring focus and smooth execution of key initiatives.
12:34 – Confusing the role of a Project Manager with a support assistant
Barbara highlights that clients often confuse Support Assistants with Project Managers, expecting support assistants to handle complex project coordination and accountability, which is usually beyond their skillset. Matt agrees, summarizing that support assistants focus on process-driven tasks, while Project Managers handle planning and execution of key projects. They then transition to discussing the role of an Operations Manager.
13:46 – The role of an Operations Manager
Barbara and Matt explain that as a business grows from a solopreneur to multiple support assistants, the need arises for a Project Manager or Operations Manager. Operations Managers handle day-to-day processes, team management, and problem-solving backstage, ensuring efficiency and growth. Early-stage owners may perform these roles themselves or hire virtual business managers part-time to develop systems and oversee operations.
17:39 – Part-time or full-time roles?
Matt and Barbara discuss the importance of deciding whether to hire an Operations Manager locally or overseas and part-time versus full-time. They warn part-time hires juggling multiple clients may leave as your business grows. Investing early in a full-time Operations Manager helps build commitment and continuity, crucial for long-term business success and avoiding losing key team members to other clients.
19:25 – Investment vs expense
Matt emphasizes that hiring the right person—whether support assistant, Project Manager, or Operations Manager—is an investment, not an expense. Investing in the right team member pushes business growth and avoids frequent costly turnover. Barbara adds that constantly replacing staff wastes time and money, making it more cost-effective to commit to the right person long-term for smoother business progression.
20:20 – In our next couple of shows…
Barbara and Matt wrap up by teasing upcoming episodes focused on “right people at the right time” and how to find the right virtual Operations Manager, including whether they should be local. They invite listeners to stay tuned for deeper insights on these topics. Matt is then invited to share any final thoughts on today’s discussion.
21:05 – In summary…
Matt advises taking time to clearly define the tasks needed before deciding if you need a Support Assistant, Project Manager, or Operations Manager. He warns against forcing someone into a role they’re not suited for. Barbara adds from experience that while support assistants can be trained to step up, moving to Project Manager or Operations roles requires new skills and realistic expectations.
22:45 – Wrapping things up
Barbara and Matt recommend using the “stop doing” exercise from Matt’s book and website (stopdoing.com.au) to help clarify which tasks to delegate and whether you need a support assistant, Project Manager, or Operations Manager. Barbara shares that setting clear role boundaries improved her business. They encourage listeners to rate the show on iTunes and join their Facebook group for topic suggestions.
