It can be challenging to take time off, especially when your business is in its early stages. You are still building a reliable customer base and stabilizing your revenue – the business relies on you to keep it afloat. It is a fact of life, however, that you may have to attend to urgent personal matters which take time away from the business. You can take the time you need with a little bit of operational planning.
1. Delegate Authority
When you’re away, the bills still have to be paid. In order to free yourself up from work at a moment’s notice, have someone who can make key decisions in your place. This individual should know enough about how the business runs to handle day-to-day issues that arise. In order to prepare for an unexpected emergency, start training someone early.
2. Prepare Contingency Plans
Take some time to list everything you do on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis. This may seem like a monumental task, but it gives you an idea of the gaps that will arise when you’re away. For every key action you would normally take, establish a contingency plan for when you are unavailable. Ideally, these plans should be documented so staff members know how to step up to keep things running.
3. Automate Small Tasks
You may devote a lot of time to marketing your services and performing other necessary, but time-consuming, tasks when starting your business. Implement automation to save yourself some time and relieve staff of a duty to perform while you are away. Software can send out client emails automatically and an e-invoicing platform can make billing and collections more efficient.
4. Communicate
If you are tending to a personal emergency, you won’t have time to prepare staff members or clients for your absence. While you should keep your personal matter private, it’s important to acknowledge your sudden departure to your business contacts. Telling customers you are absent because of an unforeseen personal emergency may be enough for them to make alternative arrangements. You won’t necessarily lose sales if you assign another person to handle client matters.
5. Check In
Personal emergencies have uncertain timelines. To reduce your stress both in your personal and entrepreneurial lives, it is best to simply check in with your team. You can do so spontaneously, but instead of catching your staff unaware, you may want to schedule a conversation with your key delegates. That way, they can prep for the chat with advice they may need from you. They can also gather information about how things are going in your absence.
It is often said that being an entrepreneur is a full-time job that goes far beyond 40 hours a week. That said, you are also an individual person who may have to attend to pressing issues in your private life. Instead of pushing yourself too hard, prepare for the inevitable conflicts and challenges by training people to take care of the business in your stead. With foresight and planning, you can give yourself room to step away from the company for a few days or weeks in order to focus on other important matters.