How to Take a Christmas Vacation While Running Your Business

Small business owners are often lumped with long shifts and minimal vacation time, but don’t write off that family Christmas holiday just yet! George Hartley, the director and co-founder of the email app, Smartrmail, is living proof that your personal life doesn’t have to suffer just because you’re running a successful small business. While remotely managing his small team of staff in Melbourne and Adelaide, Hartley was able to spend six months travelling around Berlin and Europe with his girlfriend, while taking advantage of the different time zones and catching up with his staff overnight.

“The 4G coverage was good, so we found it wasn’t an issue to be working from trains, cafes and Airbnb accommodation,” he said.

He also made his travel aspirations possible by making sure his staff were all smart, independent workers who can efficiently manage their own time and projects. He then kept in contact with his staff by utilising professional technology like Slack and Trello, as well as shared documents. So if Hartley can do it, so can you!

Tips for Small Business Owners Who Want to Take a Vacation 

1. Ensure your travel and business insurance is up-to-date, so you can travel safely with the knowledge your holiday and business is financially protected against any possible risks. You should also make sure you have a strong cyber insurance policy in place, so you can keep your businesses data and files secure while you’re working remotely.
2. Brush up on your delegation skills, so you can have senior members of your team take on some extra responsibilities while you’re away. Also try to be contactable as much as possible, just in case your team needs you or anything goes wrong.
3. Automate your systems as much as you can before you leave, and make sure everyone is comfortable using the systems you have in place. For instance, using a cloud system so you can easily access up-to-date company information is a must, and accounting systems like MYOB, Xero or QuickBooks will also be invaluable.
4. Plan your holidays in advance. When you have plenty of time up your sleeves, you’ll be able to ensure staff are fully trained to handle things while you’re gone and make decisions like if you’re going to work remotely while you’re away or delegate all of your responsibilities.
5. Make sure you trust and rely on your middle management. You’ll also need to empower your department heads to make responsible decisions while you’re away to ensure each division continues to run smoothly.
6. Share your business values, and keep your staff motivated so they come into work feeling as motivated and happy to be there as you do. Setting key business values and goals will also provide fantastic guidance for your staff.

Before you hit the road for your well-deserved Christmas holiday, make sure your businesses risks are properly handled so you can have some extra peace of mind while you travel. Talk to F.D Beck Insurance Brokers about your insurance needs today!