1 Your Mission
As Operations Manager, you are the engine that keeps Armasourcing running. Eli builds the business. You run it.
In simple terms: you own the client relationship and keep the business running smoothly. If clients are happy, they stay. If they stay, the business grows. Everything you do serves that goal.
Your Three Jobs (in priority order)
| Job | What It Means |
|---|---|
| 1. Client Relationships | Your #1 priority. Keep every client happy and prevent churn. Proactive check-ins, fast responses, managing expectations. If a client leaves, it's revenue lost. You are the reason they stay. |
| 2. Team Operations | Make sure VAs are showing up, have what they need, and the logistics run smoothly. Attendance, scheduling, tool access, onboarding new hires. |
| 3. Process & Systems | Keep onboarding, reporting, SOPs, and communication running on time. If a process is broken, fix it. If it doesn't exist, create it. |
Client retention is your core metric
We're month-to-month. No long-term contracts. Every client can leave at any time. Your primary job is to make sure they never want to. The QA Manager ensures work quality. You ensure the client relationship is strong, communication is excellent, and they feel valued. That's what prevents churn.
Think of it this way
If Eli is away for a week, the business should run smoothly without him. That's your standard. You don't need Eli's permission for day-to-day decisions — use your judgment, act fast, and keep him informed.
What Success Looks Like
Client Retention
100%
No client leaves due to service issues
Onboarding Speed
≤ 3 days
New hire fully set up
Response Time
< 1 hour
To client or VA messages
Client Reports
100%
Delivered on time weekly/monthly
SOP Coverage
100%
All processes documented
Hiring Pipeline
< 2 days
Applicants updated
2 Operations Manager vs QA Manager
You and the QA Manager work closely together, but your responsibilities are clearly different. Understanding this split is critical — it prevents overlap, confusion, and dropped balls.
| Area | Operations Manager (You) | QA Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Business processes, logistics, client relationships | People performance & work quality |
| Hubstaff Data | You check hours totals for attendance and client reports | They deep-dive activity %, idle time, and trends |
| When VA activity drops | You get informed. Help with schedule/tool issues if needed. | They investigate, coach the VA, document it |
| Work output | You ensure deliverables are submitted on time and properly filed | They audit deliverable quality — is the work good enough? |
| Client complaints | You communicate with the client and manage the relationship | They fix the quality root cause with the VA |
| SOPs | You write and maintain the documentation | They enforce compliance — are VAs following them? |
| Onboarding | You run the logistics (tools, access, orientation, scheduling) | They assess new hire skills and first-week quality |
| Coaching | You support with scheduling and escalation | They own it — 1-on-1 feedback, improvement plans |
| Hiring pipeline | You manage screening, scheduling, pipeline | They do skills assessments |
| Client communication | You're the point of contact | Not their job (unless quality-specific) |
| Team culture | You drive engagement, Community participation, wellness | They observe engagement as a signal of disengagement |
The handoff rules
- When the QA Manager finds a performance issue that requires client communication, they hand it to you. You talk to the client.
- When a client complains about quality, you acknowledge it and hand the root-cause investigation to the QA Manager. They fix it with the VA.
- When coaching fails (after 2 attempts), the QA Manager escalates to Eli with documentation — they loop you in so you can manage the client side.
Simple way to remember
The QA Manager watches the scoreboard (Hubstaff, quality audits). You run the stadium (processes, logistics, client relationships). Both are essential. Neither works without the other.
3 Your Daily Routine
This is what a typical day looks like. You don't have to follow this exact order, but every item on this list should happen every day.
Start of Day (first 30 min)
Morning Check
- Open Community — read overnight messages, check if anyone posted issues or questions.
- Check your email/messages — any client messages that came in overnight?
- Glance at Hubstaff — did everyone log their expected hours yesterday? (QA Manager handles deep activity analysis, you just check attendance.)
- Review today's schedule — any meetings, milestones, deadlines, or onboarding tasks?
- Check with QA Manager — any flags from yesterday you need to know about?
Morning
Team Status Check
- Verify all VAs have started their Hubstaff timers on time.
- Quick check on VA Dashboard — any clients with low hours this week?
- If a VA hasn't clocked in within 15 minutes of their start time, reach out immediately.
- Review any pending tasks in Community kanban boards.
Throughout the Day
Active Management
- Be available and responsive. If a VA or client messages you, respond within 30 minutes max.
- Handle any client requests, questions, or escalations as they come in.
- Coordinate with QA Manager on any performance issues that need client communication.
- Process any admin tasks: tool access requests, schedule changes, leave approvals.
- Post in Community — share updates, recognize good work, keep the energy up.
- If a VA is absent or late and hasn't communicated, follow up immediately and notify the client.
End of Day (last 30 min)
Daily Wrap-Up
- Review all VA daily updates. Did everyone send one? Is anyone missing? Follow up on missing updates.
- Check in with QA Manager — any coaching actions taken today that you should know about?
- Update Eli on anything important (escalations, client feedback, team issues). Keep it brief — bullets, not paragraphs.
- Plan tomorrow — what needs your attention first thing?
The 80/20 rule
80% of problems come from 20% of situations. Most days, everything will run fine. Your real value shows on the days something goes wrong — how fast you spot it, how calmly you handle it, and how quickly you resolve it.
4 Your Weekly Tasks
| Task | Details | When |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly Hours Review | Check every VA's Hubstaff hours vs their weekly target for client reporting. Share with QA Manager if you spot anomalies. | Monday AM |
| QA Manager Sync | Quick 15-min check-in with QA Manager: what performance issues were flagged? Any coaching in progress? Anything that needs client communication? Align on actions. | Monday AM |
| Client Pulse Check | Proactively message each client: "Just checking in — how's everything going with [VA name]? Any feedback?" Don't wait for them to complain. | Thursday/Friday |
| Community Engagement Review | Check who's active in Community. If a VA hasn't posted or engaged all week, nudge them. Team culture matters. | Friday |
| Weekly Ops Report to Eli | Summary covering: total team hours, any client feedback, issues handled, action items for next week. Keep it concise and data-driven. | Friday EOD |
| Review Onboarding Progress | If any new hires are active, check their onboarding hub progress. Are they on track? Any steps overdue? | As needed |
Weekly Report Template
Weekly Ops Report — Week of [Date]
Team Hours:
- Anne Louisse: XX/40 hrs (XX%)
- Alessandra: XX/40 hrs (XX%)
- Edward Jay: XX/40 hrs (XX%)
- Timothy: XX/40 hrs (XX%)
- Karen: XX/40 hrs (XX%)
- Prince Genesis: XX/40 hrs (XX%)
Client Feedback:
- [Client name]: [positive/neutral/concern] — [details]
Issues This Week:
- [Issue] — [How you handled it] — [Status: resolved/ongoing]
Action Items Next Week:
- [Item 1]
- [Item 2]
New Hires / Onboarding:
- [Name] — [Day X of onboarding] — [on track / needs attention]
5 Your Monthly Tasks
| Task | Details | When |
|---|---|---|
| VA Performance Evaluations | Review the monthly evaluation data from VA Dashboard. Prepare feedback for each VA. Schedule evaluation calls for anyone needing attention. | 1st week |
| Client Retention Check | Review each client relationship. Are they happy? Are there risks? Any chance of churn? Flag concerns to Eli early. | Mid-month |
| Process Review | What went wrong this month? What can be improved? Update SOPs, checklists, or tools as needed. | Last week |
6 Managing People
This is the most important part of your job. Tools and processes are easy. People are complex. Here's how to do it well.
Your Team
| VA | Client | What to Know |
|---|---|---|
| Anne Louisse | Tekton Growth | Part of a 3-VA team. Coordinate with Alessandra and Edward Jay on shared workload. |
| Alessandra | Tekton Growth | Same client as Anne and Edward. Watch for task overlap or gaps. |
| Edward Jay | Tekton Growth | Same client. Ensure all three have clear roles and aren't duplicating work. |
| Timothy | My Sales Division | Solo VA for this client. Lesley's company. Australian timezone. |
| Karen | Liz McComish | Solo VA. Australian timezone. |
| Prince Genesis | FAST RACER | Solo VA. |
Working with VAs (Operational Focus)
VA check-ins and 1-on-1 coaching conversations are the QA Manager's responsibility. Your interactions with VAs are operational:
- Attendance & scheduling — confirming shift coverage, approving leave, handling absences
- Tool access & logistics — setting up accounts, resolving access issues, coordinating with clients on tool provisioning
- Client-side coordination — relaying client requests, schedule changes, or new task assignments
- Onboarding new hires — running the checklist, granting access, conducting orientation
- Team culture — encouraging Community engagement, posting updates, recognizing good work publicly
The split with QA Manager
If a VA comes to you with a performance concern ("I'm struggling with this task"), redirect them to the QA Manager for coaching. If they come to you with a logistics concern ("I need access to this tool" or "Can I shift my schedule?"), that's yours. Keep the lines clean.
Handling Performance Issues (with QA Manager)
Performance coaching is the QA Manager's job. Your role is to support the process:
| Step | QA Manager Does | You Do |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Issue spotted | Flags low activity, quality problems, or patterns | Get informed. Ask: does this need client communication? |
| 2. Coaching | Has private conversation with the VA. Creates improvement plan. | Support with logistics if needed (schedule change, tool access, workload adjustment). |
| 3. Client impact | Tells you if the issue affects a client | Communicate proactively to the client. Manage expectations. |
| 4. Escalation | If coaching fails after 2 attempts, documents and escalates to Eli | Provide Eli with the client-side perspective. Prepare for potential VA replacement. |
The boundary
If you notice a performance issue yourself (VA missed hours, client complained), don't coach the VA directly. Loop in the QA Manager first: "Hey, I noticed [issue] — wanted to flag it for you." Let them handle the coaching. You handle the logistics and client communication. This prevents the VA from getting mixed messages from two managers.
Recognizing Good Work
Don't just manage problems — celebrate wins. This is just as important.
- Public shoutouts in Community — "Great job this week, [name]! Client loved your [specific thing]."
- Private messages — "I see your activity has been really consistent this month. Keep it up."
- Tell clients — When a VA does something exceptional, tell the client. This builds trust.
- Tell Eli — Flag outstanding performance. It matters for rate reviews and growth.
7 Managing Clients
Clients are the revenue. No clients = no business = no jobs. Your #1 priority is making sure clients are happy and stay.
Client Communication Rules
| Rule | Why |
|---|---|
| Be proactive, not reactive | Don't wait for clients to ask "where are the hours?" or "why was activity low?" You should tell them before they notice. |
| Respond within 1 hour | During business hours, no client message should go unanswered for more than an hour. Even if you don't have the answer yet, acknowledge it. |
| Underpromise, overdeliver | "I'll look into this and get back to you by tomorrow" is better than "I'll fix this in an hour" (and then you can't). |
| Own the problem | Never blame the VA to the client. Say "we" not "they." "We had a technical issue" not "The VA forgot to do it." |
| Regular updates even when nothing is wrong | A weekly "everything's going well, [VA] tracked X hours this week, here's what they worked on" builds massive trust. |
When a Client Is Unhappy
- Listen fully. Don't interrupt or get defensive. Let them say everything they need to say.
- Acknowledge. "I understand your concern. That's not the standard we want." Don't make excuses.
- Act fast. Tell them exactly what you'll do and by when. "I'll speak with [VA] today and get back to you by tomorrow with a plan."
- Follow through. Do what you said. Update the client. Don't make them chase you.
- Follow up. A week later: "Just checking in — has the situation improved? Anything else?"
- Inform Eli. Any significant client complaint should be reported to Eli within 24 hours, even if you've already handled it.
Remember: month-to-month
Every client can leave at any time. There are no long-term contracts. This means every single interaction either builds or erodes their decision to stay. Treat every client like they're deciding today whether to continue.
Client Red Flags to Watch
These signals often appear before a client leaves. Catch them early:
- Client stops responding to check-in messages
- Client reduces VA hours without explanation
- Client starts being unusually specific about time tracking ("why was there a 5-minute gap?")
- Client directly complains about quality to Eli (skipping you)
- Client asks about contract termination terms
If you see any of these, don't ignore them. Reach out to the client immediately and escalate to Eli.
8 Your Tools & What to Check
You have admin access to everything. Here's what to look at in each platform and how often:
| Platform | What to Check | How Often |
|---|---|---|
| QA Agent qa.armasourcing.com |
| As needed |
| VA Dashboard dashboard.armasourcing.com |
| Daily |
| Community community.armasourcing.com |
| Daily |
| Onboarding Hub onboard.armasourcing.com |
| When active hires |
| Talent Portal talent.armasourcing.com |
| Weekly |
| Leads CRM leads.armasourcing.com |
| Weekly |
| Always on | |
| Email hello@armasourcing.com |
| Daily |
You are Eli's extension
As Operations Manager, you represent Eli to both clients and VAs. When a client messages on WhatsApp or email, they should get the same quality of response from you as they would from Eli. Keep WhatsApp and email accessible at all times during working hours. If Eli is unavailable, you're the one they turn to — be ready.
9 Real Scenarios — What Would You Do?
These are situations you'll face. Study the right approach for each one.
📸 Scenario 1: VA didn't clock in today
It's 30 minutes past Karen's shift start. Hubstaff shows no activity. No message from her.
✗ Wrong approach
Wait until end of day to see if she shows up. Or message the client saying "Karen is absent."
✓ Right approach
Message Karen immediately: "Hey Karen, noticed you haven't clocked in yet. Everything okay?" If no response within 15 minutes, try calling. If unreachable after 30 minutes, message the client proactively: "Hi, Karen is running late today due to [reason if known, or 'a personal matter']. I'm following up with her now and will keep you updated." Log the incident.
📈 Scenario 2: Activity percentage dropped to 25%
Edward Jay's activity has been 25-30% for the past 3 days. He's tracking full hours.
✗ Wrong approach
Send a warning message: "Your activity is too low, you need to improve immediately."
✓ Right approach
Private message: "Hey Edward, I noticed your activity has been around 25-30% the last few days. I wanted to check in — are you working on tasks that are more reading/research heavy? Or is something going on?" It might be legitimate (calls, research). If not, work together on a plan. Don't assume the worst.
💬 Scenario 3: Client sends angry email
Tekton Growth emails: "The work quality has dropped significantly. We're considering other options."
✗ Wrong approach
Forward the email to the VA team and say "Client is unhappy, fix it." Or panic and offer a discount.
✓ Right approach
Respond within 1 hour: "Thank you for sharing this. I take this seriously and want to understand exactly what's not meeting your expectations. Can we schedule a quick call today?" Get specifics. Identify which VA/tasks are the issue. Create a concrete improvement plan. Follow up within 48 hours. Inform Eli immediately.
🙋 Scenario 4: VA asks to work directly for the client
Timothy tells you: "Lesley offered to hire me directly. The pay is better."
✗ Wrong approach
Threaten him with contract violations. Or ignore it and hope it goes away.
✓ Right approach
Thank Timothy for being honest (this is good — he told you instead of just leaving). Remind him of the non-solicitation clause professionally. Escalate to Eli immediately — this is a business-level issue. Eli will handle the client conversation. Your job is to keep the VA relationship stable while it's resolved.
🌱 Scenario 5: New hire struggling in first week
A new VA is on Day 4. They've barely completed any onboarding steps. They seem confused and overwhelmed.
✗ Wrong approach
Send them the onboarding link again and say "please complete your steps."
✓ Right approach
Schedule a 20-minute video call. Walk them through the first few steps together. Ask what's confusing. Maybe they don't understand Hubstaff, or they can't access a tool. Solve the blockers live. Check in again tomorrow. Some people need hand-holding in the first week — that's normal and it's your job.
10 The Do's and Don'ts
✓ Always Do
- Check Hubstaff and QA Agent every morning
- Respond to VAs and clients within 1 hour
- Send proactive client updates weekly
- Document coaching conversations
- Recognize good work publicly
- Give feedback privately
- Escalate serious issues to Eli within 24 hours
- Follow up on everything you commit to
- Keep client reports on schedule (weekly/monthly)
- Keep onboarding new hires on track
- Be active and positive in Community
- Ask VAs how they're doing as a person, not just a worker
- Own mistakes — yours and the team's
- Treat every client like they might leave tomorrow
✗ Never Do
- Ignore a VA absence without following up
- Let a client complaint sit for more than 24 hours
- Blame a VA to a client ("they forgot")
- Skip weekly check-ins with VAs
- Make promises to clients you can't keep
- Share one client's information with another
- Share VA rates with clients or vice versa
- Wait for problems to fix themselves
- Micromanage VAs by messaging every hour
- Make hiring or firing decisions without Eli
- Make financial decisions without Eli
- Take sides in VA-client conflicts
- Let client reports slip — consistency builds trust
- Assume everything is fine just because no one is complaining
11 When to Escalate to Eli
You have authority to handle most situations. But some things must go to Eli:
| Always Escalate | Handle Yourself |
|---|---|
| Client threatens to leave or cancel | Client asks for a schedule change |
| VA wants to quit or work directly for client | VA is running 15 minutes late |
| Client requests a rate change | VA has one low-activity day |
| Repeated performance issues (after 2 coaching sessions) | First-time performance conversation |
| Any legal or contract concern | VA needs a day off |
| Harassment or misconduct reports | Minor team disagreements |
| New client onboarding decisions | New hire onboarding logistics |
| Budget or spending decisions | Tool access and setup |
How to escalate
When you bring something to Eli, don't just bring the problem. Bring: (1) What happened, (2) What you've already done, (3) What you recommend. This saves time and shows you're thinking ahead.
12 Your First 30 Days
Don't try to change everything at once. Here's the progression:
Week 1: Learn
Focus: Understand how everything works
- Complete all onboarding steps in the Onboarding Hub
- Read every document in the training library
- Sit in on Eli's client calls (observe, don't lead)
- Meet every VA 1-on-1 — learn their personality, strengths, concerns
- Learn every platform by clicking through every page
- Review the last 4 weeks of Hubstaff data for every VA
- Ask Eli: "What keeps you up at night about the business?"
Week 2: Shadow
Focus: Start doing things alongside Eli
- Do your morning QA check and share findings with Eli
- Draft a client check-in message and have Eli review before sending
- Attend a VA performance review and take notes
- Draft the weekly ops report and compare with Eli's expectations
- Start responding to VA questions in Community (with Eli available for backup)
Week 3: Lead with Support
Focus: Take the lead, but with a safety net
- Run the morning check independently
- Send your first solo client pulse check
- Conduct VA 1-on-1s independently
- Handle a small issue (schedule change, tool access) without asking Eli
- Write and send the weekly ops report on your own
Week 4: Own It
Focus: Run operations independently
- Full daily routine without prompting
- Deliver your first solo client report
- Proactively identify one process improvement and propose it to Eli
- Complete your 30-day milestone check-in
- Ask yourself: "If Eli disappeared for a week, what would break?" Fix that.
✓ The Short Version
If you only remember five things from this entire document:
- Check the data every morning. QA Agent and Hubstaff are your dashboard. Problems show up in numbers before people tell you.
- Talk to people every day. VAs need to feel supported. Clients need to feel valued. Silence breeds problems.
- Act fast when something is wrong. A 1-hour response is 10x better than a 1-day response. Speed builds trust.
- Document everything. Coaching sessions, client feedback, decisions. If it's not written down, it didn't happen.
- The business runs on client trust. Everything you do either builds it or breaks it. There is no neutral.
Armasourcing
Building Remote Teams That Deliver