Do you take a vacation?
A June 2014 study conducted by Gallup, one of five Microbusiness owners takes no vacation per year. 21% of these business owners took just five (5) days off per year.
Another group (20% took one to two weeks. A total of 61 percent of those who take off from work for a vacation find it very difficult to detach completely to what’s going on back in the office. And 38% were able to disconnect completely taking three weeks or more.
As small or microbusiness owners we know just difficult it is to tear themselves away because there is no one taking care of the back office admin tasks.
Small and microbusiness owners rarely understand the benefits of taking the time to recharge their energy levels to avoid the dreaded burnout. With summer being a time when not only other business owners take the time off, but because so many have their kids at home. Summer the perfect time to slow down until business picks up again after taking time for the family.
Let’s touch on a few ways you can manage your time and workload while taking the time to have fun or just re-energize.
Make the necessary plans – Prior to taking time off be sure to take care of those projects that are due for completion during that period. Another thing you may also want to consider is automating some of the repetitive tasks that you are now doing manually. Things such as responding to emails, setting up newsletters to go out even while you are out, response to frequently asked questions, etc.
Have systems in place – Use online tools to schedule your blog posts, email media posts, and tweets. Hootsuite and Buffer are tools that can be very useful when planning social media communications ahead of time. As for your blog posts, if you are not already using the WordPress feature to schedule posts then this is the perfect time to give it a go.
Outsource – If the reason you are not able to take time off is because you bogged down with admin tasks. Now is the time to consider getting the support of a Virtual Assistant or Online Business Manager. They can handle your social media and blog posts, manage and respond to emails from prospects and clients. If there is a current project you’re working on, it can be continued while you are away.
Advise clients – If you are currently working with a client, it’s important for them to know that you will be away for a bit. Communicating with them about what will happen while you are away is essential to the business relationship.
Letting them know that the level of service they are accustomed to will not be interrupted while away is vital to their security. You will also want to give them information on who they will be communication with through your time out of the office.
For most of your clients, seeing that you can take time off without any disruption to the services you provide is greatly of value to them. If you are a coach coaching others, this will also show them just how they can do the same.
Go ahead, take some time for a vacation this year.
Download this free report to get started with the automation process!