5 tips for business owners: Here’s how to prepare for vacation
1. Find the best time to take a break
A well-deserved break needs to be well planned. Is your company’s busiest time in the spring? Then take your vacation in summer. It’s a well-known fact that anticipation is half the fun. Being able to look forward to some time off after a very busy period will give you extra motivation.
2. Provide your team with the information it needs
Plan ahead so your business partners and employees are informed about upcoming tasks and duties they’ll need to do while you’re gone. Pick your deputy with care and work together to decide on their responsibilities and competencies. Leave an emergency number just in case. Hopefully you won’t need it, but it’ll give you both peace of mind.
At the end of the day, the better you prepare your deputy, the less chance they’ll need to disturb you while you’re gone. If you absolutely need to be reachable during your vacation, then set up fixed calls with your deputy ahead of time. This means you know when the calls are coming so you won’t receive any unpleasant surprises.
3. Inform your customers
Not only should you tell your employees that you’ll be gone, but your customers need to know too. Even if you’ll only be away for a short while. And be sure to let them know who your deputy is. This type of proactive communication lets customers know you value them, so they feel respected and appreciated. And knowing who they can contact in an emergency removes any worries.
4. Organize your communication channels
Set up a voicemail message that informs your customers how long you’ll be on vacation. Do the same with your email. Make sure to leave contact information for your deputy.
If you take care of your company’s social media, and you don’t want it to go dark while you’re gone, then you should use planning tools to prepare some posts before you leave. Your posts will then be automatically published on the date you choose.
5. Protect your valuables at home and while abroad
Before you leave, make sure your company vehicle is parked in a secure spot and that all your company’s valuables are safely locked away. If you’re driving your company car abroad, check to see if your insurance covers the countries you’ll be driving in. This way you can be sure that you, your passengers and your vehicle are all properly protected.
In short: Properly prepared for vacation
Fit travel plans to business needs – Inform people involved in good time – Prepare your deputy well – Ensure transparent communication – Protect your valuables. This way you’ll be well prepared ahead of your vacation.
It’s worth it for you and your company: Studies have shown that when business owners and employees regularly take time off, this has a positive impact on the productivity of the company and on employee health.
We wish you a relaxing and rejuvenating vacation.
