by Nellie Akalp
Are you planning to take time off this summer to rest, recharge your batteries, or just spend more time with your friends and family? Here are some tips to help you take a family vacation, weekend away or girls’ trip while still staying on top of your business.
Delegate
You might be used to keeping a tight leash on all aspects of your business, but if you ever hope to get some “me” time, you need to start building a bench of employees who can take over when you’re out of the office. Make a point to keep your eyes out for employees with the drive and motivation to learn. Self-starters want more experience and ask for more responsibilities. You could even have your staff fill out a survey about what they like and don’t like about their jobs. Then ask what they hope to learn from working at your business and what aspects of the business they would like to know more about. Once you have some feedback, test the waters by delegating some of your daily tasks or the duties related to their interests. The more daily operations you can hand over, the easier it will be to sneak away for a few days and know your business will be fine.
Crosstrain
Your staff may be excellent at their specific job duties, but you’re limiting them (and yourself) on how much more they can contribute to helping your business grow. Cross-training employees to do each other’s jobs (or even part of each other’s jobs) boosts productivity, allowing your business to run smoothly when someone, including you, is out of the office. Again, you can use staff surveys to see which other areas of your business your staff is interested in.
Partner Up
The more alliances you make as a business owner, the more you can offer your customers and the more tasks you can take off your plate, freeing up some time. Strategic partnerships can help you manage projects more efficiently, allowing you to take time off. Customer satisfaction will increaser since they know their business is being taken care of, even when you’re not there.
Communicate
Make sure you let your employees and customers know the dates you’ll be away far in advance so there are no surprises. If appropriate, introduce clients to the person you’ve designated to be in charge while you’re gone so the client isn’t left feeling neglected. If you must leave in the middle of an important project, set up dates and times you’ll check in to keep everyone on the same page and on track.
You can also make sure you’re communicating by using some of the helpful apps available on the market. From accounting to messaging to project management, your employees and clients will feel like you’ve never left (if that’s what you want). Don’t make the mistake of downloading the app right before you leave on vacation. Give yourself plenty of time to play around with the app to properly learn all its functions and options and then teach your staff how to use it, too.
Bottomline
You’re never going to get the rewards of a much-need summer vacation unless you can really check out and refuel your brain. Do whatever you can to get away from the business, even if it’s just a long weekend. Time off is important for your health, your business and your staff.
Nellie Akalp is a passionate entrepreneur, business expert, professional speaker, author, and mother of four. She is the Founder and CEO of CorpNet.com, a trusted resource and service provider for business incorporation, LLC filings, and corporate compliance services in all 50 states. Nellie and her team recently launched a partner program for legal, tax and business professionals to help them streamline the business incorporation and compliance process for their clients.
