4 Small Business Things To Do Before Vacation

Going on vacation is so relaxing and fun, right?  However, when you are a small business owner, you must pack and go and do tasks that will keep your business going before leaving. I read an article that said small business owners should take at least 4 weeks per year, a week at a time (once a quarter). But, how will you pull that off, you may be wondering. It’s essential to have processes to allow you to leave, and your business will not stop functioning.

Visit our how-to to take an affordable vacation here.

After you schedule that vacation, it is time to get ready to go. But wait? What about business tasks? It’s time to add additional things to your week before you go on vacation so as not to overwhelm yourself. You can even spread it out over a few weeks if you want. These tasks can be done during your off-hours, like on Sunday afternoons, so it doesn’t affect what you need to do at work.

Make a list of tasks that need to be done before you go on vacation. 

The week before, write up a list of tasks to do each day leading up to the day you leave.  Add the days of the week at the top of the spreadsheet leading up to your vacation. Then, jot down the tasks you want to do to help you get it off your mind and onto paper where it will most likely not be forgotten. Be sure to write those blog posts ahead of time if you blog. Feel free to use the image below to help manage your time. If you create this once and save it on your computer, you can easily use it again for future trips. Great, right?

I like to go backward and start from the day before I leave. Suppose I have to back up portable drives or have my computer backed up to my server. Or, I have to lock up my filing cabinet (Affiliate Link) and laptops—it would all happen the day before.

Some tasks you may want to add to the list are:

• Clean off desk (Affiliate Link)
• Hold postal mail
• Confirm your emails work on your mobile device
• Print or write out your paper planner pages for two weeks if you have a planner – the week of vacation and the week after.
• Gather your headsets
• Gather your luggage
• Pack bags (luggage and carry-on)
• Bring together your clothing, shoes, etc..

Try to predict how much time you plan on doing work on vacation. 

Let’s face it: as business owners, we tend not to be too far away mentally from our business when we go away. Make a realistic time and day you will work, and inform your family that you will be unavailable at those times. For example, you could check your emails in the morning and before you go to bed. 

Some tasks you may want to do on vacation are:

• check email
• review bank account
• read some ebooks for your industry
• do some research for future projects

Prepare your Social media posts.

A social media management service or places like Meta Business Suite will help you manage your posts. LinkedIn also has a scheduler.

Tailwind (Affiliate Link), Hootsuite, and Meta Business Suite will give you suggestions on what to write up and what holidays are happening while you are away. This way, your site doesn’t look like it has no activity while you are on vacation.

I recommend posting at least once daily for at least two weeks—the week you are away and the week after—so you are not behind when you return.

Things you can share on social media posts while you are away are:

• services you offer
• products you offer
• sharing new/old content from your blog
• holiday greetings

You do not need to do anything that involves questions since you will not necessarily be online as much.

Make sure your Business’ Quicken or QuickBooks is up to date. 

Lastly, you should check to make sure everything is up to date with your money management software. This includes tasks like depositing all outstanding checks and reconciling bank accounts. Add all your checks and transactions to the register. Doing this task before you leave lets you know precisely what is out there and what has cleared, giving you peace of mind.

You can also download the app on your mobile device so you can easily access it when traveling.

By doing these tasks, you will be well on your way to relaxing your vacation. I hope you have a relaxing time.

If you want more information about going on vacation, please see the additional posts below that will help.

7 Easy Tasks before going on a mini-vacation

6 Reasons You Need To Go On Vacation This Summer

How to combat procrastination in the summer for your small business

Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon, and at no additional cost, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.

Below are other posts to support you!

• 6 Reasons You Need To Go On Vacation This Summer
• 7 Easy Tasks To Do Before Going on a Mini Vacation
• How To Take An Affordable Getaway This Summer For Small Business Owners
• Thanksgiving Greetings from Us to You
• 7 Easy and Useful Ways to Keep Focused During The Day