Posted on: Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Let someone else mind the store
By Rhonda Adams
Summer's just about here, and you know what that means: vacation. Oh, you haven't taken a vacation in years because you have no one to mind your business while you're gone? Well, it's about time you did.
With a little planning, you can go away with little or no negative effects on your business — even if you work alone or are the only one in an office handling a critical responsibility.
Here are some strategies for making sure your business doesn't go south while you're away:
Get someone to cover for you. If you're a sole proprietor in a business in which clients depend on being able to reach someone at any time, you can't just leave them without anyone to turn to.
If you have employees, develop their skills so that you don't have to be in the office every minute. If you hire the right people, train them and treat them fairly, they'll handle your company as if it's their own.
Have employees train you to cover for them. I have employees who handle critical tasks with no supervision. But when they're on vacation, someone has to pick up their responsibilities.
Decide how to handle phone calls. If you want to stay in constant touch, set up call forwarding from your office phone to your cell phone or to the phone where you'll be staying. If you don't want to answer calls, leave a voice mail message telling folks when you'll be back and whom they can call in an emergency.
Configure a method to deal with e-mail. If you don't want to check e-mail, set up an out-of-office auto-response, letting people know when you'll return. If you want some folks to reach you but won't have access to your regular e-mail account, set up a free e-mail account accessible from any Internet browser.
Figure out if you'll need someone to sign checks or make purchases in your absence. If you have an accountant, you can set up your checking account to enable him to sign your checks.
Be realistic. Don't plan to go on vacation during your busy season or on the day a project is supposed to be completed.
Make a date and stick with it. Every entrepreneur says they'll take time off "when things slow down." Instead, set a definite date for a vacation.
And stick with it!
Rhonda Abrams is the author of books for entrepreneurs. Her newest is "Winning Presentation in A Day." To receive Rhonda's free business tips newsletter, register at www.PlanningShop.com.
