Taking Leave from Your Business: Setting Up Systems so This is Actually Possible
‘It’s October and my tickets are booked! I’m off overseas – roll on Christmas break…’ you overhear your staff saying. Deep down you’re wishing you could do the same, because how often have you gone on holiday and truly enjoyed it without the background ‘noise’ of your business, still echoing? And when you have, how often have you been continuously plagued by the buzz of incoming emails, on your phone? Even though you refrain from checking, you guiltily keep telling yourself ‘This is my business… How can I not keep a watchful eye upon it?’
On the flipside, taking time out and getting away from your business is vital, in order to refresh your personal browser and recharge your ever-depleting batteries. Taking time off is ‘a must’. And it can be done successfully if you plan ahead of time.
Check out our five most important tips for taking a holiday away from your business…
If you know you’re going to face difficulty disconnecting from your business whilst you’re away, then make sure you’re well-planned, ahead of time. Below are five ways and systems to help you get your well-deserved break.
1. Make a ‘Comprehensive Plan’ – There is no point pretending to yourself that you will successfully be able to go on holiday, if you haven’t planned to leave your business. Our very Kiwi ‘She’ll be right’ mentality will not save you when you’re on an island in the middle of The Pacific. So, make a conscious decision to plan ahead of time – organize your ‘Kanban’ or ‘Trello’ time-management board. Lock in the specific events and activities that need to be taken care of before you leave – so you know what’s coming up both before you leave and after you arrive back. That way, there are no nasty surprises on your return home!
2. Delegate tasks that are ‘Super important’ – You may well operate your business alone, without staff. Then again, even with staff; there are always things that only you can do! If so, then consider enlisting the help of a virtual assistant whilst you’re away … that way all the super important tasks will be accomplished and you can go on holiday with peace of mind, knowing that the VA is taking charge of those specific duties and tasks. However, if you already have staff in your business, then consider delegating the super important tasks and duties to your 2IC – empower them to continue your great work.
3. Notify important clients and employees – We often believe that if we work from home or remotely no one needs to know our personal plans. You shouldn’t feel that clients would begrudge you going away – if anything, they’d love to know that you’re taking time to recharge. Being self-employed, it’s easy to forget that your clients ‘should’ know what you’re doing in terms of holidays or time-out, and this is true for any staff you employ, as well. By notifying clients and staff, they know that should something urgent crop up or be needed, their needs will be satisfactorily met, and they’re also confident that you’ve already anticipated possible scenarios and have put systems in place to assist them, for the duration of your absence.
4. Set up communication parameters – As a businessperson, make sure you’ve set up your ‘out of office’ email notification, once your clients have been informed of your holiday plans. If you have staff, then nominate your 2IC and advise them under which circumstances they are to call you. You may choose to dedicate a few hours, on specific days, per week to clear your inbox and check your phone messages. You may even schedule once a week Zoom, Team or Google Meet meetings just to satisfy your curiosity. Also, when travelling overseas make sure you have a network plan to cover your email and call usage, as well.
5. Set up technology and collaboration tools – Using technology before you go away on holidays and whilst away can save you and your staff hours. Time management tools like Trello and Kanban, team and productivity management tools like Teams and Monday give you the option to designate and collaborate with your staff, ensuring work tasks, events and meetings take place successfully and aren’t forgotten.
Lastly, once you’ve put systems in place and you’ve notified the necessary clients and staff, pack your bags and let your holiday count down begin…
“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”
– Tony Robbins
With no task too big or small and no long-term financial commitment, outsourcing is a great solution to adapting to changing business needs for today and tomorrow – including when you need to take a break and go on holiday.
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Our free 30-minute offloading session is an opportunity for you to offload what’s holding you back, areas of business support you’d like more information on, and we’ll give you no obligation advice on next steps to help you on your way in achieving your business goals.
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