How to Manage your Business While on Vacation

The lives of entrepreneurs often revolve around their businesses. While the rest of the world is planning vacations or road trips, you may find it hard to take a day off out of fear of what could happen when you are away. There is always the thought that something could go wrong in your absence.

Though natural, these anxieties are not healthy. Taking time off is one of the best things an entrepreneur can do. A getaway gives you the physical and mental break you need to cope with the stress of business on a daily basis.

You can return from a trip fully refreshed and with renewed energy to make better decisions. You will discover upon your return that your business did not collapse, the building did not burn down, and the employees and customers are still doing fine. On the other hand, if you don’t get away from time to time, you could find yourself feeling stagnant and burnt out.

You can ensure that your business is in good hands while you are away by doing the following:

• Inform customers – Let your clients know about your upcoming absence, and introduce them to the person they should contact when you are gone. If you are running a store and plan to shut it down while you are away, make announcements through social media.
• Manage your phone and email – Life goes on even while you are on vacation. People will still call or email you, so it is important to set up an email auto-responder and leave a message on your voice mail to inform people of your absence. You can direct their concerns to someone in the company who can assist them immediately.
• Set up an emergency procedure – Assign an employee to be the troubleshooter while you are gone. They can handle client and customer issues and direct people to the staff that can address their problems. If you are running a small business where you are the primary decision maker, give your employees a list of contact persons that can handle issues, such as internet connections, building maintenance, etc.
• Keep in touch through your phone – Take your phone with you, and instruct your staff to contact you only in extreme emergencies. Otherwise, they should respect your vacation.

When you prepare in advance, you may be surprised at how easy it is to get away. You can then return to the workplace with a refreshed body and a clear mind to tackle your business goals.