Top 5 Business Tips to Prepare for Your Next Vacation

August 11, 2021 / in Brain Food, Personal / by Jason Terry

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I recently took a much needed vacation with my wife Trista… and that was the inspiration for my video this week! And if you watch past the 5 minute mark, there is a slideshow of trip pictures during my outro. Enjoy!

Tip #1 – Communicate with clients at least a week before you’re leaving and let them know when you will be gone.

Here is an example of the email I send to my clients at least a week before I am leaving…

Hi friends! This is going out to all of my clients… I wanted you to know I am going to be out of town from July 30th through August 8th and will be back in the office on Monday, August 9th. I will have limited internet access, so if we need to get something knocked out during those dates, let’s make sure to get it done before I leave or I will address it when I get back.

I try to send these heads up emails any time I am going to go on vacation.

If you have a problem with your website while I am gone, and your web hosting company is Flywheel, you will want to send an email to emergency@getflyhweel.com to start a support ticket.

Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!!!

P.S. You guys usually want to know where I am going… Trista and I are taking a cruise on Royal Carribean that is going to Curacao and Aruba. This will be our first cruise since the pandemic, so really excited to get back out there!

Tip #2 – When you are setting up your Out of Office message, make it fun and helpful.

More than just you are out of the office and who to contact while you’re gone. Here is an example of my out of office message:

Hello friends! 

I wanted to let you know that I will be out of the office until Monday, August 9th. I will have limited access to email and no computer access during this time.

If you’re having a problem with your website, be sure to contact your web hosting provider. Most of our clients are hosted at Flywheel, and they can be reached at (888) 928-8882 or by emailing help@getflywheel.com. (If it is an emergency, email emergency@getflywheel.com)

And if you miss me and want to see my talking head, check out some of my recent videos on my YouTube channel!

I will get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks!

Tip #3 – Make sure important documents like Passports, Drivers Licenses, Vaccination Cards, etc. are in something like Dropbox for easy access on the go.

I can’t tell you how much peace of mind it brings to know we can provide our drivers license, passport, vaccination cards, insurance cards and more using the Dropbox app on our smartphones. Wallets and purses get lost or stolen, so it’s a good idea to have some kind of backup.

Tip #4 – Don’t take your work with you. It’s supposed to be a vacation.

I don’t take my laptop and I mentally set a time each day to check email, but I don’t overdo it. Early morning works best for me before things get started. And maybe once in the evening as well. The goal here is to take a pulse, not get to work.

Tip #5 – When you get home to the backlog, make sure you breathe through it.

I am saying this for my own benefit because this is the one I struggle with the most. Seriously, it’s proven that when you do a long exhale it tells your body things are okay and it will reduce your stress. When I find myself spinning up about all the things I need to get caught up on, I stop and breathe. 60 seconds of deep breathing while focusing on the exhale is amazing… like making fists with your feet on carpet for those Die Hard movie fans out there.