- Call
or e-mail your key contacts at least two weeks before
leaving. Key contacts could be clients, partners,
vendors etc. Create a vacation autoresponder announcing that
you are on vacation. Identify the dates you will be away and
identify an individual who can be contacted in your absence.
If your clients need you to complete a project prior to your
departure, two weeks' notice should be ample time to inform
them of your plans and notify them if you will be able to
accommodate their request(s) before embarking.
-
Designate an in-charge- person. If you have planned your
business properly, there are individuals you collaborate
with on a regular basis and can handle important items while
you are away.
-
Designate a contact person for you. Along the same
lines, you need to designate someone to reach you in cases
of — and only in cases of — an emergency. This person has
been entrusted with how to reach you. You want someone who
knows when and when not to call.
-
Make
a list of your work priorities while you are gone.
Besides designating the person in charge, you need to
establish a list of what tasks and projects you want
completed.
-
Make a list of your own work priorities for when you return.
This list allows you to take your mind off work while you
are gone. What you need to do when you return is all mapped
out. Confine this list to short-term tasks; those that need
to be done and can get you back into the swing of things.
Know that many unexpected things may come up while you are
gone.
-
Assign someone to handle your administrative tasks. By
administrative tasks, I mean sorting through your snail
mail, handling your phone messages, even answering your
e-mail. Again, this has to be someone you trust. If you
don't have any employees or virtual team partners, you might
consider asking a friend. Even if all they do is go through
your snail mail and put the priority items on top of the
stack, that can help you get back into your work routine
faster when you return.
-
Pay important bills before you go.
-
Use security smarts in disclosing your absence. On
occasion, solo entrepreneurs announce in their telephone
greeting that they are out of the country for three weeks.
That is like saying, "If you want to break into my business,
feel free to while I am gone." Be smarter than that. Tell
callers that your business is closed for two weeks, or that
you may be hard to reach over the next two weeks. Better
yet, transfer your business lines to your virtual assistant
or live answering service. They can sort through the calls
and handle appropriately.
-
Have your contact person or neighbors make periodic checks
of your business (home). You can also tell the local
police or sheriff's office that you'll be out and request
that they swing by on occasion.
-
Last but not least, don't overwork before you leave. Try
to add more hours to your day in the weeks leading up to
your vacation, to spread your preparations over more time.
The last two days before you leave will no doubt be hectic
anyway. But put yourself in a position where you don't have
to pull any all-nighters.
Don’t stress
the small stuff. If you have a good handle on your business
and a great relationship with your clients, it will survive
your plunge into the Caribbean Ocean or some other exotic
destination you have chosen. Oh, one more thing, start and end
your time off on weekends, if necessary, to allow yourself
these restful buffers. And, have a swig of that great tropical
drink the beautiful islander just served – on me.
Sharon Williams
©Sharon Williams All Rights
Reserved.
About the Author
Sharon Williams, MVA, PREVA, is president of
The 24 Hour Secretary
and provides
administrative, secretarial, marketing and
internet-based virtual support for successful but sometimes
overwhelmed executives and entrepreneurs. Subscribe to Smart Business =
Success, the free monthly ezine stocked with business
tips for the busy professional. Contact Sharon at
info@the24hoursecretary.com.
You have permission to reprint this article electronically or
in
print, as long as the text
and byline remain unedited. A courtesy
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would be appreciated.
Link to 10 Tips for a
Stress-Free Vacation
10 Stress-Free
Vacation Tips
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