How Can You Take Time Off From Your Small Business?

When you kicked off your home business, annual vacations with time off paid by your employer became a thing of the past. But everyone who works long, hard hours deserves a break - even the home business owner. Some simply keep plugging along without taking a holiday for years.

If this is your situation, you are probably wondering how can you ever just desert your business and your customers and go bronze yourself on the beach? How can you avoid being on call 24/7 throughout your holiday? Well, everyone deserves some time to themselves at least once a year, if they want to keep being productive and avoid stress. Here is what to do.

Tell People When You Are Going Away.

If you are running a business, taking a break means planning and letting your customers know what to expect. Plan well in advance and do not leave any customers in a bind while you are gone - they will be looking for someone else to do business with while you are hitting the slopes!

However much you might want to have your holiday in the summer, it is important to remember that every business has its quiet months, and you should schedule your holiday in the period where they seem to be.

Change Your Answering Machine Message.

Remember to change the answering machine message before you head out the door. This allows you to still hear what people have to say when you get back, and stops them from wondering why you never seem to answer your phone or return calls

A good format for the message is as follows: Hi, this is [your name] at [company name]. I am sorry I am not in the office right now, but I will be back on [give a date]. If you leave a message, I will be sure to get back to you.

Set Up an E-mail Autoresponder.

The e-mail autoresponder is another good way to keep in clients informed, especially if you do a great deal of business via e-mail. Again, you do not want people to wonder why their e-mails are going unanswered, so your best bet is to set up your email program to automatically reply to any email you get with a message saying that you have gone away.

Example: Hello, and thank you for your email. This is an autoresponder, as I am away on holiday until [date]. I have received your email, however, and will respond to it upon my return. I apologize for any inconvenience to you, and I am willing to make an offer of 10% off your next order to make it up to you. The special offer for people who get the autoresponder is a nice touch -- it makes them feel lucky that they emailed you while you were away, instead of frustrated.

Don Not Stay Away Too Long.

While extended vacations are appealing, remember that you have customers at home who are not on vacation. You will have to limit your time to whatever you and your clients can manage. A weekend away or a long weekend (three or four days that includes the weekend) may be the best answer, and a week is probably the most you can allow unless you have understanding customers or a back-up plan.

Alternatively: Get Someone to Look After the Business.

If you want extended time off or if you simply ca not leave customers even for a few days, consider getting someone to look after your business. Think there is no one qualified? Maybe you have a staff member who knows the majority of the business details. If you do not have staff, you may have a friend or family member who has heard and seen enough of the business transactions to take over for a few days. You could even hand the business over to a competitor that you are friendly with and share the profits with them, if you think they are trustworthy and they could handle it - or even trade out and agree to take over their business while they vacation.

Enjoy your holiday!

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