Hey friends! I am so excited share today's post with y'all! As you know being an entrepreneur can be hard at times, and so wonderful at other times! But do you ever worry when you own you're own business that you won't be able to take vacation time? Do you worry you business is going to just crumble if you take time away from it? Well, I am here to tell you, you can take vacation time away from work as an entrepreneur! It is actually very simple, as long as you plan ahead.
I am currently en route to Connecticut for some vacation time with my family who I haven't been able to see in SIX months! Now I know while I am there, I do not want to worry about working. Don't get me wrong, I love this job more than anything, but it is also important to take time away, spend time with family, and refocus. This way you can come back recharged and ready to crush those work goals and dreams!
Today I am going to share four tips on what I do to prepare my business for vacation, and not worry while I am away! These tips can also be adjusted depending on how long of a vacation you have planned.
1. PLAN
The first thing you need to before you go on vacation is make a plan. I usually suggest you make a plan at least 1-2 weeks before your scheduled vacation. This would include knowing when you're leaving and when you're coming back, and planning around that. The best thing for me is to plan extra time for when I am back, so that way I can ease back into working again. Some of the things I plan for are: my blogs post, instagram posts, emails, etc.
2. BLOG POSTS
The second step to preparing for vacation is to write out and schedule all my blogs posts. I generally like to be scheduled a month ahead with my blog posts, this way I am not scrambling to get something posted. Before, vacation I double check everything. I make sure I have enough blog posts scheduled. I check that they are all scheduled to post on the correct day, and that they will publish directly to Facebook. I also double check and make sure all the pictures are loaded and ready to go. I personally think it's important to be sharing content on your blog, even if you're away. This way it keeps traffic to your website.
3. SCHEDULE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
Scheduling social media posts is something I do everyday in my business, but this is extra important when you're planning to go on vacation. If you're someone who likes to post a lot and be present on social media, then this tip is great for you! Before going on vacation I make sure I have both instagram and facebook ready to go with pictures and content to share. This way I can enjoy being on vacation, but still seem as though I am present right then.
Instagram- For scheduling my instagram posts, I use the website/app called Later. The best part is, it's FREE to use! This helps me stay consistent with my posting and be able to plan ahead. With this you can schedule the day and the time you want an image to post. You can also choose to have it post for you, or send you a notification when it's time. You can also add your caption, and your hashtags right when you upload your picture! There's also a preview option so you can see how your images are going to look in your feed.
Facebook- For scheduling my Facebook posts, this is very simple! All my blog posts will automatically post to my Facebook page, which saves me a step! As for uploading images to my Facebook, I can plan those ahead of time too. It is so simple, all I do is choose which images I want to upload, then Facebook will ask you if you want to publish now, schedule, or save as a draft. That is when I can schedule all my Facebook uploads!
4. PREPING YOUR EMAIL
This last step I do before going on vacation, is a step most people may not think about or even overlook. I set up an auto responder while I am away! I used to go on vacation and worry about my emails, and not responding right away. Then I discovered I could put up an auto responder while I was away. This is a game changer! I typically will set this up 1-2 days before I leave, and leave it up about 1-2 days after I get back. This way you can enjoy vacation, and you don't have to worry about checking your email every few minutes. Also leaving it up for a day or two after you get back, allows you to settle in and clear out your inbox before starting up again.
I hope y'all found some of these tips helpful for the next time you go on vacation! I am so glad I have implemented these strategies into my business so that way I can travel worry free. See, there is such a thing as going on a stress free vacation. If you have any questions or any other ideas that you do, leave a comment below letting me know! I would love to hear any suggestions that you guys might have! :)
