How I prepped for almost a month away from my business in Japan!
When I started the process of getting my business set up for a month away, I was TERRIFIED. I’ve never been away for that long, from my emails, from my business, from my DOG!! And I’ll be honest, I’m not terribly sure I was prepared. I run 3 businesses, a podcast and an agency, it’s alot! So I knew, I had to be prepped and ready to go! I started preparing about 1 month before (in hindsight, I think I would have liked more) but, as I sit here, I did it! My business is ready, prepped and set up for me to go away for a month. So how did I do it?
Batch Your Work:
Consider this the GOLDEN rule –batch, batch, batch. If you work online, plan and schedule your content for the duration of your break. For creators, make and ship your products before your departure. Yes, this requires a considerable amount of prep work. for me - it took a full month of head down, podcast interviews, editing, creating, batching, and consistency, but the mental freedom it provides is priceless. Working ahead allows me to fully enjoy my holiday, without worrying that I have nothing going out. The only thing I don’t have, are my newsletters, which I write very much in the moment (I tried scheduling, but honestly, I love writing my newsletters in the moment!). It was hard work, I won’t lie, but one thing I realised, is how important it is to be ahead! I’m gonna come back from holiday and seriously consider getting super ahead (I’m talking a few months).
2. Automate:
Once you've completed your work, schedule it! Utilise automation tools to schedule your posts in advance. The best part? Your audience won't even realise you're away. They'll continue to receive the same content they're accustomed to, day in and day out, and you get to step away from the constant need to hit "publish." (we should be doing this anyway btw!) A win-win! I use Planoly to schedule my static instagram posts, Meta Business Suite to schedule my reels, my email provider to send out an out of office, Spotify for Podcasters for my podcasts, and Squarespace for my blogs.
3. Open Communication:
Share your travel plans with your audience. Not only does this give them the opportunity to celebrate with you and keep up to date with all your vacay plans, but it also informs them that your responses may be delayed. It's a fantastic combination – keeping your followers in the loop while ensuring they respect your space. My preferred method is to post about our trip in the weeks leading up to it and set a clear auto-response email while I'm away. This not only allows your clients to understand why they might experience delays, but it also relieves the mental burden of having to explain your absence to everyone. Plus, some posting on stories the occasional travel update if you feel safe to do so, means they know you’re not in your regular business routine so responses may be limited!
4. Delegate Authority:
I’m lucky to have Jack my VA, who is gonna be taking over a few things for me whilst I’m away. If you can and you’re away for awhile, consider getting a temporary VA, or getting a trusted and savvy friend to take over some simple email and diary management duties. I also find, having an out of office on your emails, sets the tone for who is getting back to your customers, as well as a reasonable response time to expect. Don’t be afraid to ask for help to keep your business running so you’re not feeling the need to check in!
5. Rest Requires Effort:
Sometimes, finding rest can be as demanding as work itself. It was a real challenge and I feel like October absolutely flew by and felt incredibly overwhelming as I prepped. It is my first time being away for so long, so I imagine next time I’ll be even more efficient now I know what to expect. I wanted hustle though, to put the work in so I can really take advantage of this bucket list trip. I’d rather work hard now, and put the effort in now, so I can rest fully later. I have 2 more huge trips lined up for over 3 weeks next year, but the main thing I learnt, prep prep prep. Taking time off and having a business continue running, takes strategy and consistency as well as - a plan! You can do it, just plan, prep and action!
