06/ 03/ 2003
by John R. Ingrisano
How do you identify small business owners on vacation at the beach? They're the ones sitting under an umbrella tapping on laptops or talking on cell phones.
Surprise everybody this year. Enjoy a vacation and make sure your business survives just fine. Try this:
- Avoid extended vacations. A week away is about the max. Just as good: Long weekends closer to home.
- Leave someone in charge. That person should be the only one with the authority to contact you.
- Tell everyone that you will be "unavailable" and give them the name of your contact person. This gives employees a chance to ask questions and customers the opportunity to conclude business before you leave.
- Bring NO work with you -- no briefcase, no laptop, no exceptions. Remember, it's a vacation!
- Make pre-planned calls to the office if you can't handle the hands-off approach. Schedule calls in advance so your contact person can have a list prepared. Never call more than once a day.
This article originally appeared in the June/July 2003 issue of MyBusiness magazine.
