Keep your business running when you go on holiday

How to keep your business running when you go on holiday

How to keep your business running when you go on holiday might feel like an impossible question. Your business is your baby, and no one but you knows how hard you’ve worked to get where you are today. But it’s also important to take a break. Even if you don’t plan on going abroad, it’s a good idea to have Plan B ready to go – you never know when you’re going to fall ill or face a family emergency. 

In this blog, we talk to regional director Hazel about how to find the right team so that your business can survive without you.

Why should my business be able to survive without me?

Hazel: It’s important that you see your business surviving without you as a positive idea. If you can take time away without your business going under, it means you’re doing everything right! When your business survives without you, it doesn’t mean that what you bring to the business doesn’t matter. Instead, it means that you’re a good leader and a good manager who has prioritised putting the right team in place to improve business resilience. 

Your business should be able to survive without you so you can take a break. We all need to take breaks,whether it’s five minutes to look out of the window or a fortnight in the Mediterranean. Breaks make us more productive when we return to work. They also help us retain our sense of proportion and give us a chance to explore what else we have to offer. These are both important protections against burnout. 

I can’t bring myself to trust my staff – what should I do?

Hazel: If you have a team but you don’t feel confident leaving your business with them, it might be time to rethink the way you manage them and consider alternatives. My own background is in HR, and I’m a firm believer in clear job descriptions and company policies so that every member of staff knows what’s expected of them. Similarly, strong performance management means that you can help your staff develop into people you’d be proud to leave your business with. 

If possible, start as you mean to go on, using strategic recruitment planning to ensure that you recruit people with the right skills and personalities. This will mean that the people you recruit will also be the people you trust. Savvy business owners align their recruitment processes with their business plan and appoint the right people to deliver their goals. However, it’s important to remember that skills can be learned but personalities don’t change – pick a team whom you can trust and who trust you too. 

Remember that trust is two-way. Try to develop a culture of trust by modelling reliability for your team and avoiding micromanagement.

And if trust is a serious issue for you, coaching might help. We have business coaches both on the Get Ahead team and in our wider network – please let us know if you’d like an introduction. 

I work alone – who will take up the slack if I’m away?

Hazel: There’s no need for your business to grind to a halt just because you’re on holiday. I always suggest outsourcing or white labelling. An outsourcing agency like Get Ahead will be able to cover your back-office work, and maybe even some of your core business. (Have a look at all our services here to see what we offer)

Alternatively, you could use your network to find someone in your sector who could provide a similar service to your clients while you’re away. With any luck, they’ll return the favour when it’s their turn for a holiday! 

Even if you are the only one who can do the actual work, there’s no reason why you can’t outsource email management, phone answering or social media management so you don’t come home to countless messages. 

Get Ahead helps to keep your business running when you go on holiday

If you think you could benefit from back-office support, outsourced HR services or white label services, we’d love to hear from you. Our regional directors will take the time to learn about you and your business so they can match you with the best business experts for your needs. We always take personalities into account as well as skills, making the best match we can. Explore our site to find out more, or contact your local regional director here.

Find out more about our services or call 01483 332 220 to discuss in more detail.