Well even if the sun isn't here yet, the holiday season is most definitely upon us!!
Sun, Sea, Sand, Sangria - and Substandard WIFI!
For many, thoughts are turning to Sun, Sea, Sand and Sangria. Not for the self-employed or small business owners though… For many people I've spoken to in my network, and for me, sweet Summer holiday daydreams are usually quickly swallowed up by some kind of dark malevolent entity that whispers ‘Will the WIFI be good enough?’, ‘What if there's a customer emergency?’, and ‘What's the Spanish for "Is your broadband fast enough for video streaming?"… *shudders*
Switching off is hard to do!
We don’t mean to be party poopers, but when you're completely dependant on yourself for income, ‘switching off’ is very, very hard to do! Even simple tasks like email management and call-handling require months of forethought and the kind of planning that wouldn’t seem out of place in a military tactical planning session. I speak experience - I've been there!
Get some cover for your holiday
This summer, why not consider asking for help from a Virtual Assistant whilst you are away? For those of you unfamiliar with the term, a ‘Virtual Assistant’ is someone who specialises in helping make a business work more efficiently, without the costs associated with taking on a permanent member of staff. The majority of Virtual Assistants tend to have worked as Personal Assistants or Executive Assistants in employed positions before making the leap into remote positions in this digital world. As a result, these individuals have a great deal of knowledge and experience in helping businesses to run smoothly by carrying out essential day-to-day activities (i.e. administrative tasks, call handling, expenses management, diary and events management, social media posts, etc.), leaving the business owner and/or their staff with more time to grow the business or – in the case of this article – take a well earned break from work and relax with family and friends.
You (and your family) NEED a break
Many Virtual Assistants also offer holiday cover packages - i.e., responding to customer emails and telephone enquiries whilst you are away; ensuring that you're only woken from a warm and fuzzy cocktail-induced stupor if there's an actual customer emergency (not just one of those ‘customer emergencies’ that could actually be dealt with in a fortnight).
Your personal downtime is such an important part of a positive work/life balance, and although it's hard to do, I would strongly recommend putting an ‘out of office’ auto responder on your emails and trying your very best to ‘switch off’ at least once a year; even if you don’t fully appreciate it, your friends and family really will!
Guess what - my business didn't collapse in my absence!
For my recent holiday, I took my own advice (for once!) and enlisted the services of a Virtual Assistant to cover for me during my absence. It was FAB. She handled everything for me and for the first time, I was able to relax, safe in the knowledge that if anything urgent came up while I was away, she would get in touch with me - and she did! And do you know what, the world didn't end, my business didn't collapse in my absence and everything was sorted out ready for my return!
Switch off, relax and ENJOY your holiday
So if you're looking for some help this Summer, either to cover staff holidays or to take your own well-earned break, why not consider asking CC Professional Secretarial Services for help? We offer a range of business support services, and we'd really like to help you relax and enjoy your summer, knowing that your business is in good hands!
Visit our website or give us a ring on: 07931 783395 to find out how we can help you!