Terry Winters
As the holidays approach, you may be wondering whether to close your business or stay open. During the initial growing years, many small business owners mistakenly keep the doors open during holidays in the hope of getting ahead of their competition or fear of losing customers. However, experts advise business owners to go on vacation to avoid burnout, rejuvenate and improve productivity.
Before you close for the holidays, set your business for success. Here are 5 strategies that will help you avoid losses when you close business for vacation:
Prepare in Advance
Before leaving, prepare well for your vacation. If you will not be getting income when you close, put some extra money aside to help you take care of living expenses. Put some money aside regularly long before your vacation.
Keep the Business Running
If you are afraid of losing sales when away, set up systems that will help you connect with the potential customers that may call. For instance, you can set up an email auto responder to inform potential customers that you are away. This way, you can know when someone tried calling and can get back to them when you resume work.
Time Your Vacation Correctly
Check your business to determine which times work is slow. For some businesses, sales are sluggish over the Christmas holidays. For others, summers see little to no sales. Schedule your vacation times when there is little activity for your business.
Combine Work and Fun
If you cannot entirely close your business, plan a getaway where you can combine work with fun. For example, you can go for a few days out of town to relax with your team. If possible, you can schedule working hours during the mornings and leave the afternoons for relaxing and bonding.
Close the Doors Entirely
Sometimes, the best way to rejuvenate your team is to completely close the office. If you are using virtual workers, this is easy to accomplish. On the other hand, if you have an in-house team, close the doors of your business when you least expect to be busy.
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