Everyone needs a break from what they do every day to relax and get re-energized. A great way to run your business while on vacation is to have someone you trust manage your business while you’re away. You don’t have to close-up shop or constantly stay connected to your business to have a successful break.
Step 1: Pick the Right Person
If you aren’t a one-person shop, you probably already know who you’d choose to be second-in-command. Designate the most capable and reliable person to be in charge while you’re gone on vacation as well as other times when you need to be away.
If you don’t have any employees and don’t want to close-up shop, one option is to swap "vacation time" with another business person in the same or similar area. You might also ask a retired business person to fill in, or one of the members of your advisory team.
Step 2: Train Them to Manage Your Small Business
- Practice delegation. You may need to train yourself to let go of control before you can train your back-up.
- Make a list of important procedures and information. What does your second-in-command need to know to keep your business operating while you're gone?
- Identify what constitutes an emergency. Under what circumstances do you want to be contacted while you're on vacation? Be clear about your expectations.
- Practice turning over the reins and taking a break from your business. Try a mini-vacation or pretend you are and do something other than hover over your helper.
Having someone else be in control of things, even if it's just a day, will give you both the chance to see how things go and work out the details of your "away" plan. Running a business while on vacation takes some pre-planning on your part, but it's the best way to get a stress-free vacation when you do actually take one. The bonus is having someone prepared to back you up, makes taking a vacation in the future a whole lot easier.