Summer is right around the corner and that means vacations. yet if you own your own business, disconnecting from your business can feel terrifying. You may feel out of touch and out of control. Of course one solution is to take your business with you. Honestly, that’s no way to take a vacation. This solution generally leads to a less than satisfying vacation and half hearted attempts to manage your business.
Another option is to set everything to be automated. You can schedule blog posts and tweets. You can automate your email marketing and you can hire a top-notch virtual assistant to manage any communications that come up while you’re away. This is the recommended approach.
Still, chances are you may feel like you’re forgetting something when you go away. That feeling can nag at you and distract you from completely enjoying your vacation. Relax. With a few simple steps and guidelines, you can take time away from your business and not feel like you’re forgetting something.
#1 Document Your Plans and Your Systems
One of the best ways to make sure you’re not forgetting something is to write everything down. Seriously, this is a wonderful way to check yourself and to provide information and documentation for your virtual assistants and your team. When you document all of your deadlines and systems, all anyone needs to do is read to make sure everything has been taken care of. Checklists are a fantastic tool to make sure each step is accounted for.
#2 Communicate Effectively
How many times have you been reminded to do something because a loved one or team member asked you about it? Letting other people know your plans is a surefire way to make sure you’re not forgetting anything. Communicate your deadlines, systems, and processes with someone you trust to back you up. ideally this will be your project manager or your virtual assistant.
Project management software or applications are an ideal tool. They streamline communication, store files, and ensure deadlines are met. Many also allow you to create task lists and checklists for each project.
#3 Relax
If you feel like you’re forgetting something, try not to stress about it. The more relaxed you are, the more likely it is that you’ll remember. And with the wonderful technology available to you today, you can then relay that information to your team and let them take care of it in your absence.
Taking time away from your business is important. It allows you to regroup, refocus, and to avoid burnout. The key to enjoying your time away is to find good people to back you up and to create good systems. It reduces the risk that you actually forget something and it puts a backup system in place to recover if you do.