As summer approaches, it’s time to head for the airport to be whisked away to those white sandy beaches or to hit the highway and head for your favorite getaway. There are some important things to consider especially if you are a small business owner. You can’t put everything on hold while you dip off for a fun week away from stress of being a small business owner. It is imperative for you to plan ahead for not only your vacation but employee vacations as well.
Being a small business owner myself, it is nice to have the flexibility to go on vacation without having to ask a boss for permission. I do however have to keep not only my company’s best interests in mind but also the interest of my clients. Business does not stop just because I am out of town. That is where proper planning can help to prevent potential damage to your businesses reputation.
If you are planning a getaway this summer here are a few ideas you can use to help maintain your business while you enjoy some much needed rest and relaxation.
- When your vacation is approaching, try to work ahead getting things done that may not need completed until after you return to work. Avoid having deadlines in the days leading up to your vacation as any delays or mishaps could delay your vacation or make it more stressful for your leaving. In our case, we manage advertising for our clients and often the third Friday of the month is the deadline for monthly publications, so it may not be in our best interest to be out of town during that deadline.
- Be sure to notify your clients well in advance that you will be out of town. This will help to prevent concern especially if you are your only employee and your clients do not hear from you for an extended period of time. Failure to do this could give your clients the wrong impression, that you don’t communicate well or that you don’t care about their business.
- If you are a business owner with no other employees it may be a better idea to take a few shorter vacations than one long one. This will help to reduce your stress load of getting a larger amount of work done before leaving. It also allows you to give yourself more rests in between the everyday stresses of work. A few days here and there are also much easier to get away than planning for 5 or more days.
If you are a small business owner with employees it is also important to coordinate when everyone will be going away and to set up a contingency plan for them to follow if things don’t go according to plans (as they oh so often don’t).
- Be sure to coordinate with your employees as to when everybody is going away. It’s a good idea in the early part of the year to set a schedule for the summer so employees know when they can take off and you avoid leaving yourself shorthanded with more than one employee on vacation at one time. Being understaffed can lead to a drop in performance and loss of the quality of service you strive so hard to achieve.
- MAKE A CONTINGENCY PLAN! This is very important especially if you do have employees and is a good idea for business year round not just when you are away on vacation. Make a plan for the “what if”. If things go awry it is imperative to have a plan in place that is to be followed if you are not there. This will help to reduce your employees’ stress in making decisions and may help to prevent your vacation from being cut short.
Need some extra marketing support during vacations? Give us a call – we stand ready to help.
I have learned that through planning it is possible as a small business owner to take the much needed time to go on vacation and unwind without the worry of how things are going while I have my toes buried in the sand. It requires some extra work but by working ahead, not setting any deadlines in the few days leading up to or the days after my vacation, and communicating with my clients to ensure their needs are taken care while I am gone I am able to enjoy a break from the everyday grind!
About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business growth.