Working hard is a large part of being an entrepreneur, but playing even harder is also a great perk many business owners rightfully enjoy. In the past, business owners rarely took vacations as they didn’t want to miss out on sales opportunities, important meetings or time-sensitive information. Thankfully, with the advent of i-Phones, BlackBerrys, i-Pads and other PDAs missing out on business while traveling is a concept of the past.
One of the main things to keep in mind when traveling is to not let the business side of your life takeover. You planned a vacation for a reason. Rest and relaxation are two big reasons that instantly come to mind. So, try to remember the main reason you planned a trip and keep that reason forefront in your mind.
Follow these simple yet effective tips so that you can balance work and play:
- Keep your Blackberry, i-Pad or i-Phone on you during business hours meaning 8-5pm or 9-6pm. These are the primary hours when you will most likely receive the most pressing emails or phone calls and will allow you to stay abreast of any news or information.
- Designate a certain time during the day for conference calls so that you won’t find yourself getting pulled away every few hours. Be sure to reiterate this point to your assistant and other executive level employees so that they will only schedule conference calls at that set timeframe.
- Put your Blackberry, i-Pad or i-Phone on silence after business hours and only answer business calls if it is an emergency. It is important that you actually enjoy your vacation and don’t spend the majority of it working.
- Use the business center at the hotel where you are staying. This is a great resource for faxing, printing out documents or other business needs that may arise.
- Depending on the destination where you are headed, set up some business meetings with potential clients or associates during the early afternoon or evening. There is nothing better than to put yourself in front of potential clients and to treat them to drinks or dinner. This can help seal the deal.
- Try to conduct calls in the privacy of your room with the television off and no other distracting noises in the background. You want to maintain a professional appearance.
- Be sure to request the local newspaper be delivered to your room and/or watch the news on a daily basis, preferably first thing in the morning as there may be pertinent information that relates to your business both directly and indirectly.
- Find one day during your trip when you leave all business functions, events or calls behind and plan a day of complete relaxation. Book a tour, schedule a massage or just find a quiet, peaceful place to lounge for a few uninterrupted hours. Vacations are all about rejuvenation of the mind, body and soul.
Ripley Daniels is an editor at Without The Stress, a passport, travel visa, and immigration advisory firm located in Los Angeles.
