Remember the commercial when we were younger, “It’s 10pm, do you know where your children are?” At this time of year when many of us take family vacations, the same question should be asked of our businesses. What happens when we are away? Even if you plan for a 1 week vacation, what if you were like some travelers earlier this year who were stranded in Europe for weeks due to the volcano? It’s worth asking and being prepared.
What systems do you have in place in your business to keep things running effectively and smoothly while you are out? Do you have a key employee that if they were stranded on a vacation would affect the profitability of your business?
Often we aren’t sure what systems we have in place. (If you’re not sure, start by asking yourself the questions in this survey.) Somehow we just “do it” or it just “gets done.” Imagine systematizing your business so that almost everything happened automatically…all employees knew what was expected of them and all you had to do was monitor and motivate. What would your business look like then? Would it change your stress level on vacation knowing what you are coming back to?
If so, plan to create some systems in your business and get the most crucial ones in place before the next vacation. If you need help, let us know! In the meantime, Happy 4th of July! Enjoy your holiday weekend!