• Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
Call Us Today!  604-556-0211 |  [email protected]
A Digital Marketing Agency | IIAS - International Internet Advertising Services Inc.
  • SERVICES ⌄
    • Website Design & Optimization
    • Social Media Optimization
    • Search Engine Marketing
    • Search Engine Optimization
  • DISCOVERY
  • TESTIMONIALS
    • Case Studies
    • Creative
  • ABOUT
    • The iias Manifesto
    • Blog
  • CONTACT US
  • Menu

An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Vacationing in Stealth Mode

Blog

When you own your own business, taking time off can be tricky. You want to be the “go to” person for your clients; the one who is always there for them, at the ready to solve whatever problem they may have. You don’t want to miss calls from potential new customers; and announcing that you’re on vacation makes you look like a slacker, even if it’s the first holiday you’ve taken in a decade. The solution? Taking a vacation without anybody knowing you’re taking a vacation. Here’s how:

Plan ahead
Enter your complete vacation itinerary in your calendar – when you’ll be driving, waiting at an airport, or taking snorkeling lessons. If it’s a family vacation, try to book activities in advance for the kids too. Add in time for meals and even when the kids are likely to go to bed.
Start working around the time you’re going to be away now. Add the two weeks to any deadlines you need and delay the start time of any projects until after you’re back, because you now have “a previous commitment” for that time period.

Engage others to cover for you
If you have any employees, get them involved in what you usually take care of yourself a few weeks ahead of your time off. Introduce them to clients noting they are familiar with the client’s account and can take care of things “if you’re ever unavailable.”
If you’re an independent or work in a small office, consider hiring an answering service that can take calls and screen emails, so you’re only contacted with urgencies. (If you use your cell as your main work number, forward that number to the answering service and buy a burner for the service to reach you.)

Use technology
Save documents that you might need for active clients or projects to a cloud-based storage site, so you can access them if something goes awry while you’re away. Google Drive offers 15 GB of free storage to use across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos, where you can also save your vacation photos.
Create an auto-response email simply saying that you will be out of the office with limited access to email over the period and will respond as soon as you’re able. If you have an employee or trusted associate who offers a similar service, you can provide their contact info.
Change your voice mail message to something similar. “I’ll be on the road until July 10th and may not have reliable cell service. Please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can.”

Ready? Go stealth!
The most important thing to remember is that you are actually on vacation. You need time to rest and rejuvenate, and to enjoy the company of your family and friends. You don’t have to answer the phone when it rings or check your email every half hour – if you were busy at work, they’d have to wait a while anyway. Check your messages once during work days and only deal with truly important urgencies. You’ll come back refreshed and maybe even a little disappointed that no one realized you’d been gone!

April 20, 2016/by Andrew Jaster
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Share on Vk
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail

Recent Posts

  • A Christmas Wish
    December 22, 2020 8:17 am
  • What a data breach could soon cost you
    December 1, 2020 8:30 am
  • Are you paying too much for advertising?
    October 28, 2020 7:27 am
  • 5 signs your website needs attention
    October 7, 2020 8:20 am
  • Yup, we’re talking about Christmas
    September 22, 2020 7:31 am
  • Pay Attention to Customer Lingo
    September 8, 2020 7:07 am
  • Kindness Pays
    August 25, 2020 6:49 am
  • Is your website “pandemic friendly?”
    August 11, 2020 2:24 pm
  • Be Aware
    July 21, 2020 6:30 am
  • The story of us – 2045
    July 14, 2020 7:26 am
  • The story of us – the last five years
    June 23, 2020 9:11 am
  • The story of us – 2007-2015
    June 10, 2020 10:06 am
  • The story of us – the interlude
    May 26, 2020 6:46 am
  • The story of us – mid-2000s
    May 11, 2020 9:21 am
  • The story of us – more on the early 2000s
    April 22, 2020 10:05 am
  • The story of us – early 2000s
    April 8, 2020 12:12 pm
  • We’re here to help if you need us
    March 19, 2020 9:19 am
  • The story of us – 2000
    March 11, 2020 9:32 am
  • The story of us – 1996 to 1999
    February 25, 2020 7:36 am
  • The story of us – 1991 to 1995
    February 11, 2020 6:37 am

International Toll Free
1-877-999-4427

Vancouver Office


Office 1023 | 100, 535 Thurlow St
Vancouver, BC
V6E 3L2

Phone: 604-757-0995

International Toll Free: 1-877-999-4427

Abbotsford Office


101-30720 Simpson Rd.
Abbotsford, BC
V2T 6C7

Phone: 604-556-0211

Useful Links


  • Website Design & Optimization
  • Social Media Marketing
  • Your Search Engine Marketing
  • Search Engine Optimization
  • Internet Advertising Blog
  • Our Testimonials

Sign up for iias news!

 

Thanks for signing up!

Are you a robot? No

© Copyright 1995 - 2019  |   International Internet Advertising Services Inc.   -   iias   |   All Rights Reserved   |  Terms of Use   |   Privacy Policy
Agency locations served: Abbotsford SEO - Chilliwack SEO - Langley SEO - Surrey SEO - Burnaby SEO - Vancouver SEO - Vancouver Website Design - Abbotsford Web Design
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
April Showers Bring May Flowers – How to turn unhappy customers into prom... blank blank 5 Reasons to Hire Youngins to Mentor Your Staff
Scroll to top