When you’re passionate about what you do, working on your small business can feel like a day at the beach – but that doesn’t mean the real beach isn’t out there calling your name.
Yes, we’re talking about a real vacation, and yes, you can pull it off without your small business turning into a smoldering pile of rubble in your absence.
The science is pretty clear: Short breaks are good, long breaks are better. But how can you put up a “gone fishing” sign and ensure your business still functions while you’re soaking up the sun?
Auto-Schedule Your Social Media Posts
If you drop off the face of the earth for a week or two, chances are good your customers will notice. But if you take the time to schedule your social media posts ahead of time, they never need to know you’re gone.
Buffer, Hootsuite and TweetDeck are three of the best tools for the small business owner on the go. Although they each have slightly different features, all of them allow you to auto-schedule your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social posts, ensuring that you’re still connecting with your followers – even if you’re trekking through a Chilean rainforest with no Wi-Fi.
Utilize Instant Replies on Facebook
Facebook’s Instant Replies can be customized to automatically respond whenever someone sends you a private message, so use it to your advantage while you’re gone. Don’t leave your customers hanging; instead, tell them you’re out of the office, let them know when you’ll be back and assure them that you’ll respond to their message at your earliest convenience.
It’s a good idea to set up an out-of-office response for your email accounts as well. Total radio silence can cost your small business more than your first-class tickets are worth!
Have a Backup Plan
Murphy’s Law of Small Business states that if something is going to go wildly wrong, it’s going to go wildly wrong while you’re out of the office. Minimize potential crises by having someone at your helm, be it the owner of a partner business, a trusted employee or a marketing agency, like Mischa Communications.
Failing to have someone on hand for emergencies means you’ll be the one getting the calls or emails – not exactly conducive to rest and relaxation.
Going on vacation as a small business owner isn’t as impossible as it seems. With a bit of advanced planning, it’ll be smooth sailing.
Need more small business marketing tips? Send Mischa Communications a postcard from your travels and let us know what we can do for you!