Congratulations! You’re heading on a well-deserved vacation. However, you still have a business to run. How can it run effectively without you being present and still enjoy your vacation? By putting these simple steps in place, you’ll be on the right track to managing your business while on vacay.
Wrap up Loose-Ends. Make all necessary calls. Send that follow-up email. Prepare that requested report. Attend that last-minute meeting.
Identify an Alternate Contact. Unless you are a one woman/man operation, there should be someone on your team who can handle phone calls and other business needs in your absence.
Make sure they have your approval first to list their name, and they should only contact you in dire emergency.
Set Email and Phone Vacation Notifications. Most email platforms and phone systems have the ability to update your vacation notification or greeting with an “out of office” reply with the dates you are out the office.
Your notice should also indicate, if applicable, the person(s) to contact in your absence and the date upon your return. Notifications should be sent to both internal and external customers.
Temporarily Remove Push Notifications. Email and social media alerts can be very distracting to both you and your family. Remove the push notifications for the duration of your trip, and connect sparingly to email and social media, both personal and work.
Automate Social Media. Manage multiple social media accounts in your absence with an automatic system in place to publish content. Either use your contact to respond to comments or wait to respond upon your return.
Don’t Cut Your Vacation Short. If an emergency arises, don’t consider shortening your vacation. Use the time away to rejuvenate, and come back with a fresh mindset to handle any situation at work that needs to be fixed.
Enjoy Yourself. Vacations are the perfect time to participate in an activity you’ve never done before (i.e...hiking), read a book that has been on your shelf for ages, and spend quality time with family and friends. By putting the above suggested steps into practice, there should be no worries at all!
