If your business has grown past the point where task support is enough — if things are falling through the cracks, decisions are made under pressure instead of on a plan, or you're the only person who actually knows how anything works — the next step usually looks like hiring an Operations Manager.

But that's a significant commitment before you've even confirmed the role justifies a full-time salary.

ur business has grown past the point where task support is enough — if things are falling through the cracks, decisions are made under pressure instead of on a plan, or you're the only person who actually knows how anything works — the next step usually looks like hiring an Operations Manager.

But that's a significant commitment before you've even confirmed the role justifies a full-time salary.

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The cost comparison

UK Operations Manager salaries currently average £40,000–£60,000+ in base pay alone, with senior or more experienced hires reaching higher still (source: current UK salary data across PayScale, Glassdoor, Indeed and ITJobsWatch, 2026).

Base salary is only the starting point. The real cost to the business includes:

• Employer National Insurance — 15% on earnings above £5,000/year (current 2025/26 and 2026/27 rate)

• Employer pension contributions — minimum 3% under UK auto-enrolment rules

• Recruitment costs — CIPD benchmarks the UK average cost-per-hire at £6,125, rising to around £19,000 for manager-level roles where agency or executive search is involved

• Onboarding, training and equipment — typically £1,500–£5,000 in the first year (laptop, software licences, induction time)

Worked examples:

£45,000 base salary£60,000 base salary

Employer NI (15% above £5k)£6,000£8,250

Employer pension (3% min)£1,350£1,800

Recurring annual cost (salary + NI + pension — paid every year, not just year one)£52,350£70,050

One-off recruitment (typical)£3,000–£19,000£5,000–£19,000+

Onboarding, training & equipment (one-off, year 1 only)£1,500–£5,000£1,500–£5,000

Realistic Year 1 all-in cost (recurring cost + one-off costs above, combined)£57,000–£76,000+£77,000–£95,000+

(Employers eligible for the Employment Allowance can offset up to £10,500 against their NI bill — worth checking if that applies to your business, as it would reduce these figures. Figures above assume it isn't claimed, to show the fuller picture.)

Compare that to OBM support on retainer:

• Foundations — £1,750/month (£21,000/year) — defined operational ground: systems, processes, and oversight of one or two core areas

• Growth — £2,250/month (£27,000/year) — oversight across systems, projects, and team or contractor coordination as your operations widen

• Strategic Partner — from £3,750/month (£45,000/year) — full operational ownership, scoped and quoted individually

Even Strategic Partner — the top tier — sits meaningfully below the recurring annual cost of a single in-house hire at either salary point, before recruitment and onboarding are even added. Foundations and Growth aren't in the same order of magnitude at all. And unlike a hire, there's no recruitment risk, no notice period to manage, and no ramp-up time: I step in already experienced in Make.com, Power Automate, and SharePoint, building systems that run rather than sit in a folder.

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What you get

 

This is operational ownership, not task support. Day-to-day oversight so things run whether or not you're at your desk. Systems and process design — built, not just recommended. Project and launch management. Team and contractor coordination, backed by real people management experience, not a tools background dressed up as one. Automation of the repetitive admin eating your week.

If what you actually need is the tasks done rather than the business managed — inbox, diary, admin, customer service — that's VA territory, and cheaper besides. See VA support

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The real advantage

 

The real advantage isn't just cost — it's risk. Hiring in-house means committing to a salary before you know if the role, or the person, is right long-term. OBM support means the operational ground gets covered from month one, with a 3-month minimum to let systems and oversight actually bed in — not a multi-year employment commitment you're locked into regardless of fit.

If you're ready to hand over real operational ownership rather than another to-do list, let's talk about what that looks like for your business.