How an OBM Can Help an Adventure Business
This is a topic that comes up a lot when I read between the lines in a convo with a potential new client. It’s the number one thing you want to know as a business owner – you need to be sure there is an ROI! I get that. More now than ever, spending decisions have to be critically calculated. So with this post, I want to tackle the elephant in the room: how can an OBM help my adventure business?
If you’re still wondering what an OBM is, then head over to this post first.
How are you keeping track of what’s assigned, in progress and completed?
The first way an OBM can help your adventure business is by; setting up systems to ensure your business is running smoothly (a.k.a organization!). While you already have some way of managing your business, you might be one of those people still managing it all from your inbox. There is a better way! An OBM can come into your business, observe how things are being done. We then make suggestions about how to centralize information better, so it’s easier to delegate and keep track of what’s been done.
Once this is in place, the ROI is that YOU are spending less time stuck in your inbox and your team is able to do more. With your time freed up, you can focus on new product development, in-field operations, strategic planning, training new guides and so much more!
Systems are the foundation of any business. Whether you just want to delegate more or someday want to be able to sell your business, you need solid systems. Most people aren’t thinking long-term about their business, so I want to ask you – what is your succession plan? Who will run this thing when you can’t? Who would buy this business when you’re ready to retire or do something else?
Your real ROI is an OBM can help you position your business for re-sale or full-scale delegation where you are CEO and primary shareholder. How does that sound?
Are you feeling like a micro-manager?
This is how an OBM can help adventure businesses a lot!
An OBM becomes the person responsible for ensuring that stuff gets done! We are professional (and loving) nags who are not afraid to follow up, over and over again until we get the answer we need. Bringing project planning and management to the team helps you stay focused on sales, delivery, money management and other owner-only tasks. We take over the ‘micro-managing’ so you can stay focused on the big picture.
Imagine this; it’s Monday morning and you’re meeting with me. We’re on zoom and I am laying out the plan for the week. Your business is based in Canmore and you offer family-friendly hiking adventures. It’s March 15th and easter break is just 2 weeks away.
Your Easter break packages are;
1) 5 days/4 nights in Canmore with a new outdoor experience each day (catering to Calgary/Edmonton small groups and families)
2) 2 day/1-night guided ‘winter camping experience’ for families with fire-building/bannock/boil up supper and breakfast and a shelter building workshop (catering to Bow Valley and Calgary locals who wouldn’t do this on their own)
Here’s what’s getting done;
“Suzy is working on and scheduling the social media campaign for Easter Break promo and drafting all the emails for Q2 (13 in total). Bob is following up with all the hot leads for Easter Break this week. His target is to close 20% of his sales calls with Calgary locals. Ben is doing the gear inventory this week. We’ll get an update by Thursday on what needs to be replaced so we can budget for that.”
I would then spend the week checking in on Ben, Suzy and Bob to make sure they have what they need, answer their questions, and ensure they are moving along.
On Friday, you get an update from me like this;
‘The social media campaign for Easter is scheduled and ready to go. We’ll do some ‘lives’ from the field with the guides over the week but the regular content is done. Suzy has 8/13 emails for Q2 ready for you to review next week. She will work on the last 5 Mon/Tues next week. Will you be able to review the content next week?
Bob closed 15% of his sales calls and marked 8 families to connect with again next week. He was on live chat all week and has 18 other people to connect with next week. Live chat is going well for lead generation. I would recommend that Bob be logged in all day when he’s online.
Ben has the gear inventory database all updated. He says all the tents are in good shape but 4 of the sleeping bags have tears in them. He proposes to patch 2 but the other 2 are bad and should be replaced. The replacement cost is $250/bag. I agree with Ben and checked the gear replacement budget, there’s money available and a few new bags will look good to clients. Can you look at these bags and confirm which ones you want to repair and which replaced?
The 4 projects you didn’t have to oversee, micro-manage or think about all week were;
- gear inventory and maintenance
- easter break social media
- Q2 emails
- easter sales
Yes, there are still owner-only decisions to be made but I only bring you in at the stage when that decision needs to be made. And because you get all these updates at once, you don’t feel as scattered all week, bouncing back and forth. I bring you a concise summary, laying out exactly where you need to make a decision or do something to keep things moving forward. I hope you can see where the ROI is here!
How does that make you feel? Let me know in the comments below!
Do you feel alone at the top of your adventure business?
Being a business owner can be a lonely job but it doesn’t have to be. I’ve had all my clients say to me – ‘Katie, it’s SO nice to have someone to talk about this with”. Whether it’s about having a difficult convo with a team member, brainstorming the next product to develop, or deciding which software to add to the business – I am here to support you and the business.
When I come into your business, my mission is to thoroughly understand 2 things; what you are building and how you are doing it. With this knowledge, it is easier for me to bring ideas, make suggestions and have those be on track with your vision for the business. The ROI here is in line with the old adage “two heads are better than one” meaning decisions can be more thoroughly considered, there will be more experience at the table, and you can feel more confident moving forward on something new. Long term this could mean faster product development (more cash flow sooner), tighter systems (less software leakage/expenses), and higher performance from your team.
How an OBM Can Help an Adventure Business
This is just a snapshot of how an OBM can help your adventure business and I hope it gave you a sense of the role and the ROI. These are just a few examples but the easiest way to understand the role is – an OBM is a person who will treat your business like it’s their own.
Join the Conversation
We would love for you to join our Business of Adventure Facebook group. This is a collaborative space for business owners or freelancers in the adventure travel and tourism space. The focus here is to share best practices and tips about online presence and digital marketing (front end) and online systems (backend) so you can establish a rock-solid foundation for your adventure business. If this is something you could benefit from, please join!