Thinking Ahead
Do you know that feel-good moment when you finish booking your summer holiday? You start dreaming of reading books, time in the mountains or by the beach, connecting with family, and then... “screeeeeech”. Your daydream comes to an abrupt halt and turns into panic. The little voice in your head starts whispering the “what ifs”. You know them. “What if I miss out on gaining a new client?” “What if I won’t be in my home office creating content?” Or, “What if “It” hits the fan while I’m away?
This is how you're going to do it.
Don’t Schedule New Projects and Launches When You’re About to Go Away
Avoid a stressful situation by not taking on new projects and clients just before you leave on holiday. Thinking about launching your new website or course? Plan to do so well ahead of or after your holiday.
Similarly, plan when it comes to client projects and make sure not to start one too close to your departure date. Manage expectations so that no one is surprised by your absence. Don’t forget that most clients will get it, as they, too, understand the importance of getting away.
Make sure that your financial house is in order by paying any outstanding invoices as well as sending invoices due out to clients.
For peace of mind, take along any important contact info you might need in case of an emergency.
Let Your Business Tools Do the Heavy Lifting
Most of the business tools that small business owners use have scheduling functions. Let your business tools do the work while you're away by creating content and scheduling it ahead of time. Here are a few suggestions:
💪 Create 2-3 weeks’ worth of posts for your Pinterest, Instagram, or LinkedIn account and schedule them before you leave.
💪 Do you send out weekly or monthly newsletters? Batch write them and schedule them to be sent out while you’re away. If you don’t get to this in time, send out a quick email letting your readers know that you’ll be taking some downtime and wish them a great summer holiday of their own.
💪 If you use an online agenda such as Calendly, be sure to block out your holiday time well in advance. Leave a message on your online agenda when you’ll be taking new meetings. I often tack on an extra day or two to give myself some breathing room when I’m first back at work.
💪 If you write blogs, and you’re organized enough to get some written ahead of time, schedule them to publish while you’re gone. Alternatively, do what I do: I like to give myself a breather and take July off. Whatever option your choose, don’t feel guilty if you miss out on a few weeks. I’m sure that your readers will understand.
How to Schedule Your Kajabi Newsletter
Find the link to Kajabi's tutorial on how to create and schedule an email broadcast (for your newsletter) HERE.
How to Update Holiday Settings in Calendly
Access Calendly's tutorial on how to update holiday settings in your Events HERE.
Script that You Can Use to Inform Clients of an Upcoming Holiday
Here's a sample script that you can send to clients (well) in advance of your holiday:
"Dear Client,
I'm pretty excited right now because I just booked my next holiday. Even though it's a few months from now, I wanted to let you know ahead of time so that <insert individualized text, for example "so that we finish your project ahead of time; so that you know the deliverables are due by xyz; so that we can prioritize the deliverables>.
I'll be resting and recharging my batteries so that I come back energized and excited to work on our <insert individualized text>. This means that I won't be checking my work emails. <NOTE: This is up to you. Perhaps you choose to check work emails once a day. You can also mention customer support you've put in place, for example, a VA or partner. Whatever you choose, communicate it.>
I look forward to <insert individualized response, for example, finishing up our collaboration.>
Regards,
Your Name"
Other:
- you may want to set a deadline date for any work you'll be doing or submitting new work requests.
- send out a reminder email 2 weeks before you leave.
- don't forget to turn your "out of office" reply on in your email system.
Give Yourself a Break and Set Some Boundaries
Chances are it might be difficult for you not to repeatedly check-in for messages or worry about what you’re missing out on. However, for a truly restorative time that will allow your body and mind to benefit from downtime, your number one strategy is to disconnect from tech. Here are a few things that can help you:
⛱ Put the device away. Does that seem impossible? If you truly must, then check in briefly once a day and leave it at that. If you have a work partner, arrange ahead of time a daily window of time when you’re available to troubleshoot potential problems.
⛱ Depending on the type of online business you run, explore the option of hiring the services of a Virtual Assistant (VA) to be available for any customer support issues. Do this well in advance so that you have time to determine if they're a good fit and you're comfortable with the quality of their work.
⛱ Delegate. Do you have any trusted referral partners in the same line of business? Consider asking them to take on any last-minute client requests. You may lose out on some income, but you’ll have a happy client and a referral partner who will think to do the same when the roles are reversed.
If You Don't Set Boundaries...
You find yourself in stressful situations that overwhelm you.
Instead of feeling rundown and exhausted, setting even a few simple and easy-to-communicate personal and professional boundaries can lead to positive results such as:
- Freed up time to invest in activities that light you up.
- Feeling respected and comfortable in your personal and working environments.
- Increased energy levels because you took action to shed "the weight of the world" off of your shoulders.
Draw a line in the sand with the help of the Boundary Scrips so that you can create a more harmonious lifestyle that pulls you up to the top of your priority list.
Grab The Boundary Script Swipes
Thinking Ahead
I know that it’s a scary thing to tune out of your business for a week or two or three. I’m also willing to guess that one of the reasons you chose to go into business for yourself is because of the flexibility. Be sure to plan as much as you can ahead of time so that your clients feel taken care of.
Don’t forget to treat yourself the same way you would a fellow online entrepreneur who tells you that they are taking a few weeks off. You’d tell them to take care of themselves, get some rest, and enjoy connecting with family/friends.
Sara Smits van Oyen
I’m a Kajabi Specialist who's been on a professional journey that's spanned over 30 years in finance roles before finding the sweet spot of helping lifestyle entrepreneurs share their unique gifts with the world. I’m a mood creator and client journey geek who loves to help her clients shine in the spotlight so that they can focus on taking great care of themselves and their clients.
How Your Business Tools Help You Set Boundaries
Jul 17, 2023
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