Going on leave?

The VA I mean. Even we need to make preparations for looking after our businesses when we take some time off. So here are some suggestions to help you plan your break.

1. Notify your clients at least a month out, earlier if possible, so they can get any important items to you, or so you have time to source another VA to support them whilst you are away.
2. Remind your clients again 2 weeks out and then a week before via email – even then you’ll still get last minute stuff the day before. But they can’t say you didn’t let them know.
3. If you belong to any VA forums let the members there know so they don’t wonder where you’ve gone – especially if you’re an active participant.
4. Put an autoresponder on the email address you use for clients so that if anyone new contacts you they won’t think you’re not interested – I get emails from prospective clients occasionally who have tried to contact a team member of mine with no response – it’s usually because they’re on leave but no indication was given of that. Don’t forget your business is listed on several sites so you could get client contact during that time.
5. I hope you use a different email address for the VA forums any other groups you belong to – it’s not fair to lumber them with an autoresponder for every message that enters your inbox. Better yet – switch to ‘nomail’ if the facility exists or ask your moderator.
6. If you have a VA you can lean on, redirect your phone, if it’s a business line, to them so that they can handle any queries for you.
7. If you have clients who are really dependent on you (as I have) make sure they have an emergency contact they can speak to, or email, who in turn can contact you if the need arises. Hopefully it won’t but it’s worth making sure.
8. Let your post office know so that your snail mail doesn’t pile up at home or the office. Or, if you have payments coming through that need banking or processing, seek local support to collect your mail and do this for you.
9. If you maintain a blog, prepare a number of posts for the time you are away and set them to publish at intervals – WordPress is excellent for this.
10. Make sure you have webmail access so you can read any urgent emails whilst you’re away for peace of mind.

Knowing you’ve put the preparations in place means you can enjoy your holiday with minimal thought towards your business. Whilst you might feel the need to check in periodically, at least it won’t be foremost in your mind and causing you to worry about what might be happening in your absence. Enjoy your break!