As a business owner, you may feel like your company is your child. Still, it is good for you to get out of town to take a vacation, or there may come a time when you must manage your company from a distance. Either way, having tips to help keep everything in order no matter where you are can help you calm your nerves and give you the confidence that everything will be OK while you are away.
Plan Ahead
Just as you plan a vacation, you must also plan to take care of business matters in your absence. It’s a great idea to plan three to six months in advance, if you have that much notice before leaving. You should also try to leave during a time of the year when business is slow, anyway. That way, you may not experience as much anxiety.
Manage Your Email and Phone Calls
Do you use a call answering service for your business? If not, now is the time to change that. Such services are an especially great idea if yours is a one-person business or if you have busy employees who do not always have time to answer and field calls.
You can set up an auto-reply for business emails that let recipients know that you’re out of the office and will respond to all non-urgent messages when you return. To ease your mind, you can check your email and the Voicenation answering service every couple of days for your messages and calls. Set things up so that pressing emails and calls go straight to you without delay. You never know when a missed call or message could result in missed business or a tarnished business relationship.
Choose Someone To Act in Your Stead
If you have several employees working for you, select someone to stand in for you while you’re gone. This person should have an abundance of experience with your company and industry and know your business from every conceivable angle, such as a manager. Once you select this person, go over your normal work routine with her or him, and provide guidance on what to do should an emergency or unexpected task crop up in your absence.
Express Your Expectations
Touching back on your employees, go over your expectations while you are out of the office. Should they expect you to check-in every day at a specific time asking for specific details? Does your stand-in have full authority? What do you define as an emergency so your team knows when you contact you and when to leave things to your stand-in? Getting clarity on your expectations helps your team perform at their best and can cut down on a lot of confusion in your absence.
Consider Fully Shutting Down
Depending on your business industry, it may make sense to fully shutter your company. Hairstylists, masseurs and other professionals who do business according to appointments may want to shut their operation down while away. This also applies to restaurant owners. In fact, it’s not uncommon for some businesses to take a planned yearly vacation. If you go this route, give your customers and employees advance notice so they can plan to either not come to work or not visit your business while you’re out.
Wrap Up Projects Before You Leave
In the days and weeks leading up to your departure, manage your workload so you finish up projects before you leave. It is best to wrap things up at least a week before your vacation or other departure. That way, you leave room to account for project delays that may push back deadlines. Also, try to set it up so that you do not have to start any new projects for a week after you return. This gives you time to catch up on business when you get back and see where you are for the future.
Make Sure Customers and Clients Know About Your Absence
Even if you leave your employees in charge of your business while you’re away, let your clients and customers know that you will not be available. Failing to communicate your trip could lead to avoidable complications.
With proper planning and the right resources, you can manage your business from a distance with ease. Plug and play these tips to see how they work for you.