As you read this, through the magic of the Interwebs, I’m actually completely out of state enjoying a trip to Disney World with my family. I’m not working this week, but this little blog is still plugging along!
So how did I do it? Read on …
Planning for a Vacation when you Run a Business:
- Prioritize and cull the To Do list. There are things you do most weeks for your business that you could go a week without doing and the whole world wouldn’t fall apart. The first thing to do is to prioritize – what absolutely needs to get done while you’re gone or before you leave? What would be nice if it got done? What can you forget about for a week?
- Work ahead, as much as possible. This means you’ve got to PLAN ahead – figure out what you’re going to make, write, post, sell, and then get ahead of yourself. If you’ve got an assistant, plan for what you want her to work on as well, and you can both take time off (or she can cover the rest of the tasks while you’re away).
- Figure out your financial needs. For me, I can’t just take a week off and earn NO money, but at the same time I have budgeted for this vacation, so the week that I’m gone my needs are covered. So really, if I don’t work double hours before I go, the sky isn’t going to cave in on me – financially speaking – if I take a week off from at least half of my work.
- Automate what you can. I can schedule social media posts, blog posts, and more before I leave, so that my site will still keep running in my absence. That way I haven’t left a giant black hole of content for my readers, but I also don’t have to work on writing that content in the Happiest Place on Earth.
- Shut down what you need to shut down. If you don’t want orders to pile up while you’re gone, put your shop on vacation. Or at least put a note in the header telling people you’re out of town, and you’ll ship when you get back. You’re not obligated to be “open” for your customers 24/7 – most brick & mortar businesses don’t do that! Turn off your e-mail alerts on your phone, quit checking your Etsy sales every five minutes, and actually enjoy your time on vacation. Otherwise, what’s the point in taking one?
So, how about you – how do you plan to take time off from your business? If you don’t know the answer to that question because you’ve never tried it, maybe it’s time you did!