Running your own business comes with a lot of responsibility. That doesn’t mean you can’t take some time for yourself and get a much-needed break every now and then.
So you listened to all the self-care gurus and booked a vacation. But you can’t exactly let your business grind to a halt, can you?
Check out these 5 tips on How to Run your Business while on Vacation:
1. Prioritize
Not everything needs to be running at 100% while you’re gone. You can decide which of your operations can stand to pause or slow down while you’re away. For example, if you make products to order, you can announce ahead of time that you won’t take any new orders for a certain period. Instead, you’ll concentrate on filling and shipping out the orders you already have lined up. This way, you’ll fulfil all already-existing obligations without committing to more than you can handle.
2. Delegate
Effective delegation is one of the most important parts of entrepreneurship. It’s impossible to get everything done all by yourself all of the time. In the weeks leading up to your vacation, start planning which tasks you can pass on to others.
Even if you don’t have any employees or business partners, you can still delegate! Ask a reliable friend or even a family member who has some knowledge of your business to lend a hand. You can even hire a temporary freelancer to help pick up the slack for a week or two.
3. Set an “Out of Office” Message
It can be tempting to fall prey to the hustle culture mentality which demands that you stay available for any communication at all times, but that simply isn’t healthy. Setting boundaries at work is essential for your mental health.
One of the best boundaries to set on vacation is that you shouldn’t be reached outside of emergencies. Otherwise, you’ll have your peace of mind constantly interrupted when you’re supposed to be relaxing. Talk to your employees or business partners about respecting this boundary. To drive the point home, set an automatic “out of office” message on your email and other messaging platforms which will inform anyone who contacts you that you won’t be able to respond immediately.
4. Do a Mini-Audit
Before you leave, do a mini-audit to make sure you know the financial state your business is in. A mini-audit is basically a quick financial review. You can go over your record books, stocks, social media and website traffic, profits and losses plus any customer feedback. This way, you will know exactly what to focus on after you return.
5. Schedule Ahead of Time
You know how cleaning your house before you go on vacation makes things easier once you get back? This is the same concept. Schedule everything you need for your business ahead of time. For example, if you make a product, remember to order any materials you’ll need ahead of time so they’ll be waiting for you once you get back. Set any business meetings and appointments you know you need to do when you get back. This way, you won’t start scrambling to get back into motion after the vacation.
So Go Enjoy Your Vacation!
Knowing that with these tips, you will return to find your business perfectly fine. How do you manage your business when you’re away? Let us know in the comments.
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