How to take time off without sacrificing your business

Plan ahead

It seems like an obvious first step, but in order for everything to run smoothly, you will need to plan ahead. Get any major tasks out of the way before you go and make a clear plan for what you want to happen whilst you’re away.

You need to think about what your time away will entail. Will you pick up any work whilst you are away? How long are you away for? The clearer your plan, the better prepared your business will be for when you leave.

Find help

A good idea when stepping away from your business is to hire short-term help. This could be anything from asking your sister to check your emails and respond to customer service calls, to training up someone to fill your shoes.

If you don’t want to hire anyone, Automation is great for taking time off. It can get most of the important jobs done without any issues. It all depends on how much of your work you want to take with you how much work needs doing whilst you’re away.

Prepare your business

In the lead up to your break, make sure you alert your customers and clients that you will be way ahead of time. In doing this they can order what they need well in advance. Make it known on your website and social channels the dates that you will be away so anyone going on your page knows if their item won’t be shipped until your back or if you won’t be responding to customer service enquiries.

It may also be worthwhile to offer an incentive for people to continue making orders during this period. Maybe a 10% discount due to the fact they will have to wait for delivery or a free gift? This way you can encourage a consistent number of sales whilst you’re gone.

If you’re the owner of a small business, you definitely deserve a break. Find out what works best for you and what amount of time away you feel comfortable with and make sure you plan ahead. In doing this you will be able to relax and rest during your time away rather than worrying. Clearing your head and taking a step back may be the best thing you do for your business.

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