Going on vacation as an entrepreneur is far from easy. For myself, I love to travel, but it takes time to warm up to the idea of leaving my business for a few weeks.
That's why I created my 7-Step Vacation Ready List that ensures I have a great time away without making sacrifices to my business.
Today, I'm sharing it with you!
1. Choose dates wisely. I always plan my vacations around long weekends. This way I miss fewer business days. I usually find that 90% of my clients are taking time for themselves as well, so it easier to leave for vacation. This is the same for me around December with the holiday season. That said, your business may be different and your services may be focused on the holidays, so take note of how many projects come in every month and find where you have a little wiggle room.
2. Inform your clients upfront. I am SO VERY TRANSPARENT with my clients. Once my vacation is booked, I inform all my on-going clients, giving them a deadline date as well to submit requests. I also share this information with anyone who signs on with me between the booking date and vacation. I take time in communications leading up to the date of my vacation reminding them that I will be away. This not only builds trusts between us, but it also shows them that their work is very important to me and I want to be honest with them at all times. By building a stronger relationship, your clients will be happy that you're taking some time off to hit that reset button!
3. Automate it! Automation is one of my true loves. We all know how hard it is to beat that algorithm and keep things flowing. So while I'm away it's more important than ever that my social media along with the accounts I manage run smoothly, on time every day. That's where tools, like Buffer, Later and Plann come into play. These tools ensure that everything is taken care of. AND don't forget to automate your email too with an Out Of Office reminder.
4. Plan ahead. You guys all know how much I love to plan - EVERYTHING. I break down my plan into three categories, things to complete prior to leaving, things that need to continue while I'm away and things that need to happen as soon as I'm back. By planning ahead and looking at all my cards at once I feel at ease knowing everything will be completed as per schedule.
5. Meet Deadlines. We talked about setting client expectations but it's important to meet your deadlines prior to leaving, along with setting up new ones for when you return. By not skipping a beat you're giving your clients more reasons to be happy!
6. Have a back-up plan. Ok, things can go wrong. You may have booked a hotel with wifi only to find out it's not the greatest connection. Who knows? This is why I also take time to write down a step-by-step guide for everything on the go while I'm away. That way if I'm on vacation and can't find wifi my virtual assistant is just a phone call away and can follow the instructions I've set up for them to keep things afloat!
7. Take a deep breath and have fun! Not only will you benefit from this trip but your clients will too with a refreshed version of yourself.
I hope this helps reassure you that as a business owner you can take time off and take a vacation without making sacrifices. Hey, this list helped me not work on vacation and actually spend 100% of my time with my husband. I even spent one day without a phone (left it in the safe). Crazy!
I feel amazing having taken this time off and I'm ready to bring all the inspiration to my clients and their work. Remember you deserve time off too, and your dream clients will fully understand and support this. Trust me!
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