Owning and running a business is stressful, time consuming, frustrating, exciting, and rewarding, all rolled into one. We are however, only one this Earth once (allegedly) and so for that reason we don’t want to spend all of our time working ourselves into the ground, I know I don’t anyways.
I want to work hard, and I want to relax harder by enjoying an annual holiday or vacation each year. Unfortunately, running a business means I’m on call 24/7 and is there are problems with my company, my employees, my stock, or anything else for that matter, usually I’m the one who has to rectify the situation. Over the years however, I’ve learned to be able to juggle my personal and professional life and have enjoyed many a holiday, whilst keeping on top of my business at the same time, which in turn helped me to rest and relax even better as I wasn’t worrying.
Here are my top 3 tips for staying on top of your business whilst on holiday.
Delegate responsibilities – It doesn’t matter how big or how small your business may be, unless you’re a sole trader, you will have employees working for you, and some will no doubt be better than others, or at least more experienced than others. For this reason, you should choose members, or a member, of staff that you trust and that are reliable, and delegate certain tasks and responsibilities to them. Maybe put them in charge of answering emails, making sales pitches, dealing with stock etc. Whatever you usually do that needs doing whilst on holiday, delegate these tasks and responsibilities to people that you know will do a good job for you.
2) Check emails yourself – If there are certain emails that you can only really deal with yourself, the good news is that there are now email solutions that allow you to check your emails on the go using your smart phone, tablet, or laptop in a quick and simple fashion. If you can’t relax until you know everything is taken care of, checking emails yourself is a great way of providing yourself with peace of mind, and the quicker you do so, the quicker you can get back to the sun.
3) Out-of-office messages – Another handy tip I’ve used when on holiday is to use out-of-office messages and just relax and unwind and get back to work when I get back. These messages can be used via email and via phone and should be polite and professional. They basically explain to whoever is trying to reach you that you are out of the office, you will return on a specific date, and you apologise for any inconvenience. Business owners are wary of using these as they’re worried customers will go elsewhere or will punish them for not being available and will take their business elsewhere. In reality however, providing you provide the best possible products and services, and were clear and concise, as soon as you get back to work it will be business as usual.
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