Ruth Dietrich OBM

Home
United Kingdom
Godalming
Ruth Dietrich OBM

Helping overwhelmed Small Business Owners calm & control the chaos through systems & processes. All while sacrificing time with your family.

Helping Coaches and Creatives alleviate overwhelm by managing and streamlining the day to day of their business while they focus on doing what they love best | Online Business Management (OBM), Client Experience, Systems & Automation Specialist. Is it time to sort out the overwhelm so you can grow your business and improve your quality of life? If you are like most service based small business own

ers you are working more than you’d like on your service but not spending as much time as you’d like on your business. I know how you feel...

I've seen small businesses owners struggle and I've been a struggling small business owner. It’s not as easy as you thought when you first started out. Running a small business is hard work and you do your best to keep going but you work close to the brink. I was very lucky to fall into Virtual Assistance when I was asked to help other small service based businesses owners run and improve their business. During this time, I noticed that the answer to overwhelm was good management and streamlined, automated and client focused systems and procedures. I realised my calling as an Online Business Manager (OBM) and I could help small business owners develop more efficient working procedures and systems and free up time and improve their quality of life. My 20+ years in hotel sales and management, and expertise in building new systems, processes and customer care came into its own and I was able to help my clients improve their small service based businesses while freeing up time for themselves. My clients are very happy and I am happy that I can help them while running my own streamlined business and have quality time to spend with my family. I now want to help more small service business owners do the same. So now I specialise in helping small service business owners alleviate overwhelm by streamlining and managing their day to day business so they can focus on doing what they love. Some of the tasks I have helped by clients with are:

- Research and set up of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Systems with continued system management
- Design and build of CMS System (Wordpress website with continued website management)
- Rebuild of websites using Wordpress, Webflow, Weebly and Square
- Set up of Email Marketing Software Platforms with continued platform management and support
- Set up of email marketing funnels
- Set up of automations to help improve workflows
- Set up of self-populating Excel reports
- Marketing plan and implementation
- General management of their day to day business
- Management of team member tasks

24/10/2025

The week before last, I pressed pause and snuck off on a girls’ holiday to Corfu. ☀️

Sea air, mountain views, endless giggles… and more “me time” than I’ve had in ages. (Took this photo from our Air BnB apartment, not a bad view for the week!)

Here’s what the break reminded me as a small business owner:
- Rest is productive. I came back with clearer thinking and better ideas than any brainstorm could have given me.
- Boundaries create breathing room. When you plan time off, clients respect it and you respect your own energy.
- Systems make holidays possible. Automations, a tidy pipeline, and clear processes mean the business keeps ticking without you glued to your laptop.

If your brain feels like it has 47 tabs open, it’s not a you thing, it’s a systems thing. Build the structure now so you can step away without the Sunday-night dread when you get back.

What’s one small change you could make this week to protect future you, time-blocking a CEO hour, tightening your onboarding, finally getting your systems sorted or scheduling that first proper holiday without working?
✔️

29/09/2025

✨ Yesterday was my birthday ✨

Another year older, another chance to pause, reflect and take stock of the highs and lows of both life and business.

Because let’s be honest, it’s never all highs. There are the wins that make you feel like you’re flying, and the tough days that make you question if you’re on the right path.

This past year has had both:
✅ Celebrating client wins that remind me why I love doing what I do
✅ Moments of clarity where everything just clicks
✅ And, yes, the times (more than I’d care to mention) where it all felt overwhelming, where life outside of work needed me more, and business had to adjust

But I’ve realised this is the rhythm of building a business and a life you love. It’s not about chasing constant highs, it’s about building resilience, creating systems that support you when life gets messy, and celebrating the progress along the way, however small.

As I step into this new year, I’m choosing to focus on:
🌟 Building a business that feels sustainable, not just successful
🌟 Creating space for life outside of work
🌟 And helping other small business owners do the same

So here’s to another year of highs, lows, and everything in between. 🥂

If you’re also in that space of balancing life and business, I’d love to know, what’s been your biggest high and your biggest lesson over the past year?

27/07/2025

If only we all had a crystal ball…

Something to stare into to tell us what the future will bring. Will it bring love, family, immense success? The truth is, in our businesses, if we work smart enough, consistently enough and employ the right strategies for long enough we can make our own version of success.

However you may not be able to tell what systems will serve you when you reach that level of success. That point when you’ve achieved goals but the reality is you are working more than ever, just to keep up with the admin or, if you’ve outsourced it, your costs are higher than you’d budgeted all because you don’t have the right systems in place. I’ve seen so many business owners/CEO’s get to a level where they become overwhelmed because, not only are they busy, they now have to review and update the systems which no longer serve them.

But what if I was able to tell you what systems you could put in place early in your business that will serve you and grow with you instead of against you? What if I could look into my crystal ball and tell your system future?

If you are keen to get the right systems in place early in your business or if you are that overwhelmed business owner achieving success but struggling with systems that are no longer working for you, then please DM me.

Ps. Rest assured, my methods are far more scientific than a crystal ball 🔮.
Activate to view larger image,

24/07/2025

Here’s what no one tells you about running a small business.

Behind every thriving small business I work with, there’s a moment where the founder realises:

“I can’t keep running my business out of my own head anymore.”

Because when everything depends on you
• your memory,
• your inbox,
• your quick reactions,

it’s only a matter of time before something falls through the cracks.

I know what that pressure feels like.

(And I know how good it feels to finally step out from under it.)

Building proper systems doesn’t just save time.

It saves your sanity.

It gives you space to lead, to breathe, to be the CEO your business needs.

If that sounds like the shift you’re craving, I’d love to chat.

I’m offering a handful of free 20-minute Systems Strategy Calls next month - no sales pitch, just real advice.

Drop me a DM if you’d like one!

——————————————————————-

I’m Ruth – your behind-the-scenes systems strategist helping small business owners step into their Small Business CEO role.

If your brain feels like it has 47 tabs open… I’ve got something that’ll help you breathe again.

Just reply or DM “Headspace” and I’ll send it to you.
Activate to view larger image,

20/07/2025

One of the things I absolutely love to do is eat out.

Not just because it means I don’t have to cook (yes, I’m the chef in our house!), but because it gives me a break from the usual ‘beige’ food options that come with a 7-year-old’s limited palette. It’s a chance to try new flavours, enjoy good company, and switch off for a bit.

Recently, I went out for dinner with a friend I hadn’t seen in ages. We had loads to catch up on and were really looking forward to a relaxed evening of good food and conversation.

The food was lovely and the service was friendly, but something felt a bit off.

We kept getting interrupted at odd moments…

Two different waitresses came over repeatedly, often asking the same things or delivering updates we didn’t really need yet.

You could tell they weren’t communicating behind the scenes, and while they were trying to be helpful, it actually disrupted the flow of our evening.

It got me thinking…

As small business owners, how often does this happen in our client experience?

When processes aren’t clear and internal communication isn’t streamlined, even the best intentions can come across as disjointed or disruptive.

Whether it’s sending too many emails, asking clients for the same information more than once, or delivering updates at the wrong stage in their journey, it chips away at that seamless experience we want to give.

The takeaway?
Communication matters - but it needs to be just enough and at the right time in your systems and processes.

Your client journey should feel smooth, intentional, and joined-up… not like two waitresses interrupting your dinner conversation!

That’s exactly the kind of thing I help my clients with, tidying up the behind-the-scenes so your business feels as good to work with as it is to work for.

What’s one part of your client journey that could be a little more seamless right now?

17/07/2025

There’s something that really frustrates me about small business owners.

And it’s not because I don’t love them, I do. I work with them every day and I’m constantly in awe of how much heart, hard work and hope they pour into what they do.

But there’s one thing I see again and again that feels more like an own goal than a championship-winning one.

It’s this:
They pour their soul (and a good chunk of their budget) into marketing but they don’t have the back-end systems in place to capture and convert the opportunities their marketing creates.

Recently, I attended a talk with over 20 small business owners in the room.

The speaker delivered real value. She was fantastic.

But… she didn’t collect a single detail from the audience.

No follow-up.
No lead magnet.
No invitation to stay in touch.

That room was filled with potential clients and every single one of them walked away without a single reason to remember her, revisit her content, or consider working with her in the future.

Then just yesterday, I spoke to another business owner who had a stand at a huge London industry event.

He met hundreds of people…

And came home with… business cards.

Not opt-ins.
Not a lead magnet.
Not a nurture sequence.

It’s a painful pattern I see far too often.

Incredible business owners doing the work to show up… but not doing the work to set up their business to hold the opportunities they’re creating.

Marketing brings people to your business.
But systems invite them into it.

If this hits a nerve, you’re not alone.
And it’s not about doing more, it’s about setting things up once, properly, so that every time you market, the opportunity isn’t lost.
It’s captured.
Nurtured.
And one day, converted.

Let’s stop leaking leads.
Let’s stop working this hard without the structure to show for it.

If you know deep down that your systems aren’t doing your marketing justice… I can help.

Just reply or DM me “Headspace” and I’ll send you something that’ll help you breathe again.
Activate to view larger image,

13/07/2025

I’m a Club with Heart.

At least according to the latest quiz I’ve built for a client and who doesn’t love a good quiz?

A well-crafted quiz doesn’t just capture leads. It holds up a mirror. It helps people discover things about themselves they might not have put into words before. It makes them feel seen and that’s powerful.

I seem to be in a quiz-building era at the moment, and I’m loving it. I love designing quizzes that slot into a client’s CRM ecosystem, not just as a fun lead magnet or assessment tool but as a strategic tool.

Because when someone takes a quiz:

👉 They’re segmenting themselves.

👉 They’re telling you what matters to them.

👉 They’re revealing the pain points or priorities they want help with.

And that gives small business owners an incredible opportunity to meet people where they are and serve them better.

So, tell me, do you know what type you’d be in a well-designed business quiz?

Or better yet… fancy building one for your own audience?

DM or comment ‘Quiz’ to find out more.

——————————————————————

I’m Ruth – your behind-the-scenes systems strategist helping small business owners step into their Small Business CEO role.

If you’re ready to ditch the overwhelm and run your business like a true CEO, I share simple, practical tools, systems advice and exclusive resources in my weekly emails.

10/07/2025

How many coaches does it take to change a lightbulb?

I remembered that joke the other day while I was changing the oven lightbulb (as glamorous as my life gets some days!).

It used to be “How many psychiatrists does it take to change a lightbulb?”
But I’ve updated it for 2025 because let’s face it, back then, coaches weren’t really a thing.

And of course, the punchline still stands:
“None, because the lightbulb has to want to change.”

Funny how a childhood joke can still feel so relevant now.

Because as small business owners… do we really want to change?

It’s so easy to stay where we are —
Stuck in the weeds.
Wearing all the hats.

Juggling clients, team, marketing, admin… and still feeling like things are slipping through the cracks.
(And knowing deep down that your client experience could be so much better, if only you had the time and headspace.)

It’s familiar. It’s comfortable, even if it’s not ideal.
But comfort isn’t where growth happens.

And if we stay in that place, we keep ticking along but never really building the business we dreamed of.

So what would happen if you said:
“I want to change.”

What would shift if you stopped being the person holding everything together…
…and started leading like the CEO your business really needs?

Because that’s where momentum starts.

That’s where things stop relying on your brainpower alone.

That’s where the freedom, the growth, and the ease start to flow.

I’m here for that moment, when the lightbulb does want to change.

If you’re ready to step into your CEO role, DM me for a coffee Zoom chat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

𝘏𝘪, 𝘐’𝘮 𝘙𝘶𝘵𝘩 – 𝘉𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘚𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴 & 𝘛𝘦𝘤𝘩 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘵
• 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘪𝘻 𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘊𝘌𝘖 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦
• 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴 | 𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩 | 𝘚𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴
• 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘛𝘰𝘰𝘭 - 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘦
Activate to view larger image,

06/07/2025

The role you play in your business will be the difference between success and failure.

Are you the CEO… or the Chief Everything Officer?

Because here’s the truth:
If you’re stuck in the weeds, doing everything yourself, juggling 47 tabs open in your brain just to keep things afloat… growth won’t happen. Not really.

It might look like you’re doing well from the outside – clients, income, a shiny logo.

But behind the scenes, you’re the bottleneck.

Every decision, every email, every tiny task needs you. And that’s not sustainable.

Want to shift from chaos to clarity? From busy to intentional? From doing to leading?

It starts with the role you choose to play.

And yes, it is a choice.

Step into your CEO role.

Build systems that support you.

Delegate with confidence.

Free your brain to think strategically.

Because the version of you who scales her business without burning out?

She’s not winging it. She’s leading it.

⸻

I’m Ruth – your behind-the-scenes systems strategist helping small business owners step into their Small Business CEO role.

Wondering how you can step into your CEO role with confidence and ease?

Join the waitlist for Small Business CEO School and be one of the first to get access to the tools, systems, and strategies that will help you lead your business like a true CEO – without burning out or second-guessing every move.

This isn’t about doing more.

It’s about finally doing the right things – in the right way – so your business runs smoothly, your headspace clears, and your growth feels intentional.

05/07/2025

If you’ve been meaning to sort your client onboarding but it keeps slipping down the to-do list… this is your moment.

I’m giving away my Effortless Onboarding course (worth £297) completely free when you join my list by 8am on Monday 7th July and you’ll get access to my 3-Day Challenge to help you actually get it DONE.
This is for you if:
💬 You’re drowning in onboarding emails and repeat questions
🧩 Every new client means reinventing the wheel
🧠 Everything lives in your head and it’s exhausting
💻 You want to look more professional and less “winging it”

Inside the challenge:
🎥 A short, focused video each day
📝 Simple tasks to move you forward
✨ And support from me so you don’t get stuck

This is your shortcut to:
✔️ Happier clients
✔️ Less admin
✔️ More headspace

🗓 The challenge kicks off Monday 7th July, and I’d love to help you create a smoother, smarter onboarding system.

👉 Grab your free spot using the link in the first comment

Address

Godalming
GU8

Website

http://www.ruthdietrich.co.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Ruth Dietrich OBM posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Ruth Dietrich OBM:

Shortcuts

Want your business to be the top-listed Business in Godalming?