“The one man team is a complete and total myth.” – Don Shula, Former Head Coach, Miami Dolphins

At Possibilities Unlimited, we work with people to structure their businesses to run smoothly when they are not there. It doesn’t mean for a minute that the boss or owner is not important or indispensible. It means that any well-run business should be prepared to keep moving forward when the key players are not around. Having these strategies in place is necessary, not just for vacation season, but for emergencies and unpredictable circumstances.

Here are some key ideas for setting your business up for when you are not there:

Time is Everything: Your vacation has to be scheduled into the calendar. Your business projects have to be scheduled into your calendar. Your calendar will make it possible for you to take your vacation because you will have scheduled a time for everything that needs to happen while you’re gone. Production deadlines, accounting deadlines, sales reports, all these things need to be clearly mapped out in your calendar. Assign tasks to other people to be handled while you’re away, or reschedule the task for a time before or after your vacation. It really is that simple, as long as you have everything in your calendar and leave detailed instructions for your staff.

Written Production Procedures: Don’t leave your employees guessing as to what’s expected of them while you’re gone. Meet with employees and discuss written guidelines as to what they need to accomplish in your absence.

Inform Clients: Touch base with your major clients and let them know your schedule. Make sure they know who to contact when you’re not available. Address any concerns in advance as to projects that have delivery dates during your vacation.

Provide Backup: Make sure your employees know who is handling your duties in your absence. Clearly define the interim responsibilities and reporting structure. Your business coach is an excellent resource for questions and concerns while you are away. A good coach can provide support to keep departments functioning at peak performance.

Enjoy!: You are no good to your business or your family if you are too focused on one or the other. Everyone needs time away, time to refuel and time to rest. It’s often in those down times that inspiration happens. Your business coach can steer you away from overwhelm at the thought of taking time for yourself to confidence that your team has got you covered.

We all have different ideas of what “having fun” means. A winning business allows for vacations and having fun within a structure of established procedures and timelines.