As a small business entrepreneur, home-based business owner or sales representative you may dread the process of leaving your business for a week in the summer.

What if something happens?
What if a client needs me?
How will the work get done in my absence?
I will lose my sales pipeline momentum.
The piles I'll come back to aren't worth the time away.

All of these thoughts and questions can be a true concern if you fail to plan in advance. The bottom line is, effective planning can allow for much needed time off.

I remember in the corporate world there would be executives who would almost brag about the fact that they didn't take a lunch break, they worked weekends and they hadn't taken a vacation since Nixon was in office.

That type of behavior isn't to be admired. Breaks away give us a much needed opportunity to regroup, rejuvenate and rest. We come back refreshed and ready to tackle anything.

However, not if we haven't planned in advance.

In the May edition of Entrepreneur Magazine, Romanus Wolter offers up 4 steps to planning effectively for a vacation:

1. Take care of your customers before you go.
2. Create a customer chart outlining any potential concerns.
3. Prepare a backup person to handle customer emergencies.
4. Remind customers on a regular basis.

One of the freelancers I work with on occasion uses her Outlook auto reply to warn me in advance of an upcoming vacation. Starting one week before her scheduled out-of-office time, her auto reply let's me know she'll be gone. This prompts me to look at the projects we are working on to see if there is anything I need completed while she is still in the office. It is a great benefit for both of us.

Check out the complete article Quick Getaway before you leave the office this summer.

Deborah Chaddock Brown
Professional Writer, Strong Believer in Vacations
AllWrite Ink