Let’s be honest—when you run a small business, you end up wearing a lot of hats. CEO, marketing manager, bookkeeper, customer support, and yes, operations – just to name a few. But when is it time to hand off some of that backend chaos to someone else? And what does it actually look like to bring on an Operations Manager?
I didn’t always know this role existed—much less that it was one I’d eventually grow into myself. But now, having walked this path, I can confidently say: if you're looking to grow, this is a game-changing role to add to your team.
In this post, I’ll walk you through how I accidentally stepped into ops, what I’ve learned, and how you can start thinking about this role in your own business. And if you’re already wondering what qualities to look for in an ops-minded hire—we’ve got you. There’s a handy checklist waiting for you at the end.
From “Figure It Out” to Formal Role: My Path to Ops
When I ran my own apparel business, I was 25—full of ideas, strong opinions about the “most efficient” way to do things… and completely uneducated in how that actually played into running a business. My co-founder and I started out by tag-teaming everything (hello, inefficiency!). As the business grew, we got better at dividing and conquering—but we never truly defined who owned what. And even if we had, we didn’t have the vocabulary or framework to understand that operations touches every area of a business. That someone focused on ops would naturally be involved in all the moving parts—not just one “department” (not that we were even big enough to have departments!).
Looking back, I now realize that what we really needed was someone to take ownership of operations. Someone to design our systems, own the back-of-house logistics, and keep the trains running on time.
Fast forward to 2020, a mere few months after our apparel business closed, I joined Accounting Therapy to build out our CRM and unknowingly stepped into my first true operations role. I didn’t realize it at the time, but creating scalable workflows, structuring our lead-to-client experience, and documenting our processes was the start of something much bigger, and more importantly, something that I absolutely loved.
That project led to a bigger one: leading our bookkeeping team. In this role, I was able to create standardized workflows for monthly tasks, schedules, deliverables, and client communication. I helped build repeatable systems and timelines that gave both our team and our clients a consistent, high-quality experience.
What started as “can you organize this?” slowly turned into: “You’re the go-to for operations.”
When Does It Make Sense to Hire an Operations Manager?
Honestly? Probably sooner than you think.
Most entrepreneurs start their business with a big idea and a whole lot of passion—not a background in process optimization or systems management. And unless you came from a structured, process-oriented company, you probably haven’t worked closely with someone in an ops role.
But if your business is growing and you’re starting to feel the weight of “too many moving pieces,” it might be time. A great Operations Manager can help:
- Take your ideas and turn them into reality—complete with systems, processes, and documentation
- Standardize your client experience so it’s consistent and scalable
- Define internal workflows that support team efficiency
- Set up automations and tech tools to reduce manual tasks
- Make onboarding new hires smoother with clear expectations and structure
If you’re spending more time putting out fires than building your vision, an Operations Manager might just be your next best hire.
What to Look for in an Ops Hire
An easy analogy: your business is the iPhone. EOS is the iOS operating system. Your Operations Manager? They help install and manage the apps, tools, and workflows so that your and your team’s phone actually works and is organized.
You don’t necessarily need someone who has held the formal “Operations Manager” title before. What you do need is someone who:
- Is process-driven and highly organized
- Can take a vague idea and break it down into clear, actionable steps
- Writes things down (and makes them usable by others)
- Thinks in terms of scalability, not one-offs
- Can identify inefficiencies and offer tech solutions
- Understands how to create repeatable tools, templates, and systems that your team will actually use
Bonus points if they’ve taken the Working Genius assessment and show geniuses in Invention, Enablement, or Tenacity—those traits are gold in an ops role, with a special emphasis on Invention. If you’re unfamiliar with Working Genius, I highly recommend you check out this blog post.
The Visionary/Integrator Balance
At Accounting Therapy, it’s no secret that we run on EOS® (the Entrepreneurial Operating System). One of the core philosophies is the balance between the Visionary (aka the big ideas person) and the Integrator (aka the operations person). If you’ve ever read Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman, you know how powerful this pairing can be. Visionaries dream. Integrators build.
Final Thoughts: Small Business, Big Impact
If you’re serious about growth, bringing in the right person to own operations can change everything. Not only will it free up your mental bandwidth, but it’ll give your ideas legs—and your team clarity. You don’t have to build the plane and fly it.
Sometimes the best thing you can do for your business is hire someone who thrives on paving the runway.
Want a quick reference to keep handy as you consider your first hire?
We've put together a free checklist of the top traits to look for when hiring your first operations lead.
👉 Get the checklist delivered straight to your inbox from this link: https://bit.ly/4lKyQtI
Until next time, dear readers—stay structured and scalable. 🛠️
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