Taking a vacation

Yup, I went on vacation and yes, it took a lot of convincing that I will be ok and it took trust in my business partner to handle all my business dealings. As a small business owner, we, of course, worry about making money while gone and not being on location or behind the desk. A statistic says that only 43 percents of small business owners are taking time off !  

How does a Realtor leave for vacation when there are schedules to meet, contacts to be made, blogs to write, deals to close, and an entire business to keep running smoothly? The list of things to do before you leave can be long but I found that the following things are helpful: 

1. Team up with a good business partner
Going on vacation is a must do break and we all need it. Work with a partner who works as hard as you do to succeed and know that when your partner goes on vacation, he or she feels the same way about you. Before you head out,  spend a few extra hours getting together and review files in progress, discuss leads, agree on compensation for certain task and leave current files with your partner.

Let people know that you are going on vacation and that they can trust that he/she takes as much care for everything as they expect it from you.Tell people you’re going on a vacation, and say it without feeling guilty. If you’re known for having a strong work ethic, taking a break will seem natural and necessary to everyone around you.

3. There is no "clean break"
There is no way you can take a clean break. There is always work and one cannot handle everything. Let it go and relax. Some things will fall apart and others will continue. Don't stress out over it. Have a vacation responder on your email setting and info who to contact. If absolutely necessary to be reached, the application  "WhatsApp" is easy and free for texting and calls anywhere in the world. Make sure your friends and family and your best clients have it on their smart phone.  And of course, one can continue to network but avoid sitting on the computer all day and spoil your vacation.

4. Bring a notebook
Relaxing is not easy as you keep think about the million things you have to do. Or suddenly you have the best ideas, but you are on vacation. Write it down, take notes. That helps and when back from vacation, refer back to your notes with a fresh head and renewed spirit.

A vacation should be relaxing, so do whatever you need to do in order to relax. It’s impossible to turn it all off. Just make sure to stay focused on that singular assignment. When done, turn off your phone, grab a drink, return to vacation mode and re-connect with the world beyond the computer screen.