The Business & Leisure Quandary:

5 Tips to a Stress-Free Vacation

A true vacation is tough for many small business owners and managers who feel the need to relentlessly check e-mail and texts from the beach. Many fear of missed opportunities, employees slacking off, or that business will not operate smoothly when they are away.
 

In a recent survey commissioned by Sam's Club, nearly 50% of small business owners only take major holidays off (if any days at all). And when they do find time to relax, many still find themselves attached to their laptops or smartphones and taking calls.
 
However, taking a vacation is an important component to avoiding burnout, relieving stress and re-energizing creativity. Here are a few steps that you can take to help you achieve a more enjoyable (and much deserved) vacation.

5 Steps to a Stress-Free Vacation
 
1. Plan your vacation around slow periods in your business
For those owners and managers who fear that going away will wreak havoc on the business, experts suggest scheduling a vacation in a historically slower time for your company. These ‘slow periods’ depend on your industry. If you are a florist, taking a vacation during any holiday season may not be ideal. However, if you have an office job, holidays may be the best time.
 
2. Tie up loose ends and complete any big projects
If you must, stay late for a couple of days and make sure that any big projects that you are working on are completed before you leave for your vacation. Not only will you have less weighing you down when you're away, but if you're able to start fresh, you'll also have a smoother transition back to the office.
 
3. Empower your employees and delegate
Put a good plan in place with your employees and don’t forget to delegate tasks and responsibilities. Start handing off assignments early so you can answer any questions well before you leave. If certain aspects of the business are of particular concern to you, ask for brief daily emailed updates to keep your mind at ease. 

Do not assume the worst, trust your employees.

If necessary, pick the right person to manage your small business while you're on vacation and train them to do it ahead of time. You should do this even if you're not planning a vacation just in case you are unable to work for some reason.
 
4. Set a Schedule (to check in, if you must)
If it makes you feel more at ease to keep tabs on things, set aside specific times during the day to check e-mail or make calls. But stick to only those times. For example, check your email first thing in the morning before your kids get up.

Use technology. It is your friend.
 
Many business owners and managers are able to take advantage of current technology and take their work with them when they travel (just in case something should come up). As long as you can work remotely and are vacationing in places with acceptable technological resources (such as electricity and wireless Internet) you can use your smartphone or laptop/tablet to check in.
 
Many business phone systems also offer advanced call routing so you can have calls forwarded directly to your hotel room or cell phone. You can even customize your settings by day, time and caller.
 
5. Manage Client Expectations
Tell any clients that you work with directly when you will be taking vacation well in advance so you can address any concerns before-hand. Also, inform them of who they can contact in case a question or issue should arise while you are away.
 
Planning a stress-free vacation takes a little planning on your part, but it will be well worth it in the end. And once you have your processes and procedures solidified you may be surprised by how many more “vacation” days you could actually take (and enjoy).

8 Tips For An Effective Business Plan

Becoming a successful entrepreneur is a dream that many of us go-getters aspire to reach. This journey in building a successful business can be exciting, yet at times can also be troublesome. Building your own business is most definitely a risk; but if done correctly, your business can be a successful one. 

Let me introduce you to MaryEllen Tribby, a business consultant who has coached some of the most successful entrepreneurs, such as New York Times best-selling author, Michael Masterson. 

Her many years of experience in the corporate world and passion for a successful life have motivated her to write an informative book, Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions for Your Business. Aimed at helping entrepreneurs looking to develop and grow their business, Tribby suggests that in order for a business to be successful, one should create a solid business plan. 

"I know so many entrepreneurs and business owners who make excuses for all the failures within their business. Sadly, so many of those failures could have been avoided with the construction of an effective business plan," states Tribby on her website.

Most people agree that creating a solid business plan is important, however, sitting down and actually doing it seems to be a weak spot for many business owners.  

Business Plan Development Tips

1. Execute A Summary- The summary is usually followed by the title page. This summary should consist of a general synopsis of your business plan. The summary should be able to tell the reader what it is that you want. Don't worry, you don't have to make the summary lengthy like a book; that's why it's called a summary! It should be no more than one page and should be put together in a professional and businesslike manner. 
2. Market Analysis- There are two important things that a market analysis can do. It can familiarize you with all aspects of the industry your business is in. It can also enable you to establish pricing, distribution and marketing strategies which will allow your business to grow in today's competitive markets. Start your marketing analysis by defining the market in terms of size, structure, growth aspects, trends and sale potentials. Before a business can begin and become a successful one, it's crucial to familiarize yourself with the market that you will be competing in. 
3. Company Description- This description should include the nature of your business and the important elements that you believe will make your business prosper. 
4. Organization and Management- In this section, you should include your company's organizational structure, the details about the ownership of your company/business, descriptions of your management team and the qualifications of your panel of experts of board of directions. For any business to be successful, organization skills are extremely important. Sometimes a business can fall apart entirely if it is not performed in an organized manner. 
5. Marketing and Sales Strategies- MaryEllen Tribby emphasizes the importance of creating effective marketing strategies for your business. "This is the lifeblood of your business. Marketing creates customers and customers generate sales." In this section, you should define your marketing strategies. These strategies consist of a wide array of methods that you can apply to grow popularity and sales for your new business. Tribby suggests using both direct marketing (when a customer hears about your product or service directly through a salesperson that is representing your business) and indirect marketing (when a customer learns about your product or service via third part entities, such as internet, newspaper, advertisements, television, radio and/or billboards.) A combination of both direct and indirect marketing would lead your business start up to great success!
6. Service and/or Product Line- This is the section where you describe the product and/or service that you want to sell. State the benefits of your product or service, not the features. You want to tell your customers why they should invest in your product or service. What will they get out of it? 
7. Funding Requirements- Funding is one of the main reasons why businesses fall apart. So be smart, and plan your funding requirements ahead of time. In this section, you should state the amount of funding you will need to start your business. But don't just stop there; also lay out the amount you will need to expand your business. Always think of the next step, especially if you want to be a successful entrepreneur.    
8. Financials- This consists of your company's balance sheet, income statement, annual report and all other indicators. Tribby suggests creating financials AFTER you have analyzed the market and set clear objectives for your business.  

Keep in mind that an effective business plan should always be written more than once, in fact many times. An aspiring entrepreneur, like yourself, should understand that this business plan will evolve and change as you further invest yourself in your business. Marketing strategies can change, environments can change and so can your funding capabilities. So don't put a final stamp on the first business plan you develop, be prepared to create revisions on that plan.

Mary Ellen Tribby is confident that after following these steps in creating your business plan, that sky will be the limit for you! Don't be discouraged if your previous efforts in starting a business did not go smooth. You have this chance to get it right and reach your dream of becoming a successful entrepreneur! All your needed was the right advice from the right person. Forbes magazine, here you come!