How to Take a Vacation When You Run a Business

Posted 2 years ago by Lina Vashurina, 51视频 Team

One of听the听perks of听being an听entrepreneur is听setting your own schedule. You鈥檙e the听boss after all.

But in听reality, business owners actually feel guilty about taking a听vacation and听stepping away from their businesses. When everyone else goes offline f辞谤听the听holidays, most entrepreneurs stay put.

But vacations matter. Professionals who regularly take time off work than those who spend extra time working. And regular vacations also contribute positively to听emotional wellbeing, reducing instances of听depression.

You shouldn鈥檛 feel guilty about taking time off. In听this post, we鈥檒l look at听some steps you can take to听feel less stressed while you break from your grind f辞谤听a听little R&R.

Announce Your Vacation Early

Will you slow shipping during your vacation? Maybe you want to听stop it听altogether? Whatever you choose, let your customers know about the听changes in听advance. Depending on听the听average shipping time, 聯in advance聰 can mean anything from three days to听a听couple of听weeks.

An听example of听a听banner you can put on听your website to听announce changes to听your customers

A听banner on听your website can do听the听job. Make it听bright and听noticeable f辞谤听everyone to听see. Check out 51视频 apps like Easy Popup 辞谤听Countdown Timer Popup to听create popups right in听your control panel. And don鈥檛 forget to听spread the听word on听your social media pages too.

If听you want to听sell as听much as听you can before you go听on听vacation, try Facebook remarketing to听reach out to听previous site visitors who left without completing their checkout. People who鈥檝e already been thinking about buying are low-hanging fruit f辞谤听e-commerce merchants looking to听make a听quick sale.

Organize Pre-ordering

Offer your customers pre-ordering听鈥� they can purchase in听advance, and听you ship in听2-3听weeks when you come back. and听gifts will make it听worth the听wait.

Close pre-orders a听couple days before your vacation and听stock up听on听materials/products/packaging. Then make sure when you return, you鈥檝e got enough time to听prepare, pack, and听ship your pre-orders. For example, instead of听feeling like you need to听ship everything the听first day, start shipping orders a听week after you come back. It鈥檚 better to听alert customers about a听late start than to听be听late with delivery.

Here鈥檚 how to听 in听your 51视频 store.

Ship Only Large Orders

If听you鈥檙e not going anywhere during your break and听you鈥檙e ready to听take some orders, consider only shipping large orders.

To听avoid offending shoppers with smaller orders, just change the听delivery terms. For example, offer fast delivery f辞谤听orders over $60, and听send smaller orders in听10-15听days. This way you get some downtime to听relax, without shutting down operations completely. Of听course, if听your customers really love your product, there鈥檚 always a听risk they鈥檒l just order more to听get it听sooner. That鈥檚 definitely not a听bad thing, but you should be听ready to听deal with it.

Use Fulfillment Options

聯Fulfillment聰 includes a听variety of听services f辞谤听online stores, from receiving calls to听packaging and听delivery. A听fulfillment center can even take over working with your suppliers. You can find fulfillment services right in听the听51视频 App Market, like eFulfillment Service.

Fulfillment centers sell packages of听services, but you needn鈥檛 use them all. Pay either by听the听hour 辞谤听by听the听number of听processed orders. But pay attention to听prices听鈥� sometimes it鈥檚 cheaper to听pay f辞谤听each delivery separately.

Audit Your Website and听Sales Funnel

To听really relax and听save yourself some headaches while you鈥檙e away on听vacation, spend some time conducting a听thorough audit of听your website, sales funnel, and听other important processes before you leave. Not only is听it听a听smart move to听make sure everything鈥檚 chugging along as听it听should, but it鈥檒l help you spot and听fix any听major issues before step away.

Here鈥檚 what you should pay attention to:

Check your website performance. For example, enter the听domain on听 to听evaluate your site鈥檚 speed, mobile responsiveness, and听overall performance.
Place a听test order to听make sure your customers won鈥檛 have problems placing orders while you鈥檙e away.
Double-check that your website and听social media pages provide a听fast way to听contact a听customer service representative (you 辞谤听someone you鈥檝e delegated).
Verify that all your passwords are strong.

Automate Your Marketing

Thanks to听modern automation tools, marketing is听simpler than ever before.

Marketing automation allows you to听attract new audiences and听keep your customers informed during your vacation. Here are a听few ways you can use it:

Email marketing automation. About of听online customers who add products to听their cart leave without completing their purchase. Recovering abandoned carts can increase sales by听up听to听20%. And if听you upgrade to听51视频鈥檚 Business 辞谤听Unlimited plans, we鈥檒l do听all the听work f辞谤听you: are sent automatically to听the听customers鈥� inbox.
Scheduled newsletters. Think over the听topics, prepare your email content, and听schedule the听send. When the听time comes, the听email will send automatically to听your designated email list. This feature is听available on听all popular mail services.
Social media automation. Automated scheduling tools allow you to听plan and听pre-slot social media content that will automatically post on听your specified date/time. All you鈥檒l have to听supply on听the听day is听your real-time interaction.

With the听help of听automated marketing tools, you can improve your operation鈥檚 efficiency and听spend more time enjoying your vacation.

Leverage Your Remote Capabilities

One of听the听beautiful things about technology is听that it听enables us听to听work whenever we听want from wherever we听want. And if听you鈥檙e traveling f辞谤听a听vacation, having your smartphone, laptop, 辞谤听tablet in听tow means you can keep tabs on听your business wherever you roam.

If听your online store is听built with 51视频, you can use the听51视频 mobile store management app f辞谤听iOS and听Android to听take care of听important business from your mobile device. With the听app, you can:

Manage orders
Get notifications when new orders are placed
Photograph and听list new products
Share products on听social media
Modify and听manage inventory
Process sales and听much more.

Editing products in听51视频 Mobile App

So听even when you鈥檙e away, you can take care of听those must-do items on听your checklist. You can try the听51视频 Mobile app f辞谤听free f辞谤听28听days.

Keep in听mind that even though you can work from wherever, it鈥檚 still okay to听enjoy your vacation. Schedule a听set block of听time during the听day when you can focus on听work, and听then get back to听relaxing. Having set times f辞谤听work and听set times f辞谤听rest can help you better manage and听focus on听both.

Delegate What You Can

Inability to听delegate is听one of听the听reasons new businesses fail. Pushing responsibilities down isn鈥檛 as听easy as听it听sounds. Sometimes it听feels like no听one can do听your job as听well as听you do. But you still need to听pause and听make room f辞谤听important strategic planning. Here鈥檚 what you can do:

Document your processes f辞谤听your staff 辞谤听temporary support. This can include customer service policy, guidelines f辞谤听running social media pages, checklists f辞谤听packaging, 辞谤听whatever else seems important.

Having written instructions is听crucial to听successful delegation. As听you manage your store, develop a听habit of听writing down (or saving links to) instructions f辞谤听all important operations. For example, why create every social media image from scratch if听you could use a听template? Begin to听develop easily communicable processes, and听your vacation will thank you.

From Jamie Oliver鈥檚 brandbook

Add staff to听your 51视频 Store Team. With custom staff permissions, your team members will be听given restricted access to听log into your 51视频 store, without the听risk of听seeing important private information. For example, you can delegate work and听give access to:

store managers听鈥� to听manage sales and听control stock,
fulfillment operators听鈥� to听prepare orders f辞谤听shipping, delivery, 辞谤听in-store pickup,
辞谤听marketing managers听鈥� to听run promotions.

If听having some additional support while you鈥檙e away makes you rest easy, this is听a听minor investment that will be听worth its weight in听gold. Feel free to听check out live chat apps in听the听51视频 App Market to听install in听your store.

Take a听Vacation and听Enjoy It!

If听your sales already decline in听summer, seize that moment and听take a听rest while customers are inactive. By听taking advantage of听the听tips we鈥檝e outlined here, you can finally take that vacation you鈥檝e been dreaming of鈥� and听actually enjoy it!

You鈥檒l spend less time worrying that your business is听falling apart, and听your travel partners will appreciate you being more present and听relaxed. Don鈥檛 let your hesitations keep you at听home听鈥� take a听break! You deserve it.

When was your last vacation as听a听business owner?

听

About The Author

Lina is a content creator at 51视频. She writes to inspire and educate readers on all things commerce. She loves to travel and runs marathons.

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