You might well be the founder, owner, and lynch-pin of your business, but there will come a time when you have to take a break and leave your business in the hands of someone else. Worries about their businesses crumbling in their absence lead many small-business owners to avoid taking a holiday. If you are one of these, here are some tips to help allay your fears.

1. Plan Things Beforehand With Your Team

Before you go, sit down with your team and make sure they know everything that needs to be done while you're on holiday. Put someone in charge of the team, and make sure that every team member knows their responsibilities. Doing this will make sure that everyone is on the ‘same page’ while you are away.

2. Set Up An Email Responder

You may well have informed all your team that you will be away, but what about your clients, key customers, and suppliers? If they send you an email while you're gone and don’t get the usual timely response, they may well call while you're relaxing. Worse still, they might look somewhere else for your service! So, set up your email responder so they know the situation. Input essential information, such as:
When you go on holiday.
When you will return.
Who to contact in your absence.
Emergency contact number.

3. Download Any Business Apps You Need While Away

It is difficult for any business owner to let go of the reins while they are away entirely. So, make sure that you have everything you need to run your business downloaded on your phone, just in case. Hopefully, you will not need them, but they will give you a sense of relief, just in case you do.

4. Snooze Your Phone Notifications

Okay, so you've just downloaded all the apps, as mentioned above. However, the plan is not to use them unless necessary. So, snooze all those unimportant notifications. If there is something critical to deal with, your staff will contact you, as per your planning. Not getting pestered with trivial messages will allow you to relax and enjoy your holiday without constantly worrying about your business.

5. Bring An Emergency ‘Office’

In the best case, you will never have to use it. However, having everything you need to run your business while on holiday will reduce your worry about something going wrong in your absence. Pack your laptop, chargers, phone, essential paperwork, etc. Just having it with you will provide you with the peace-of-mind that you can cope, should you be needed. This tip is particularly crucial if you are travelling abroad or for an extended period.

Conclusion

For many small business owners, leaving their business in someone else’s hands, even for a short break is challenging. Hopefully, following these basic tips will give you peace-of-mind that your business will not crumble in your absence.