Taking Time Off As A Virtual Assistant: Pt. 4

All month long the Association of Virtual Assistants has been devoting the blog series to taking time off as a virtual assistant. 

Part 1 discussed and shared the science behind planning a vacation that makes us happier.

Part 2 was how to plan your time off so you can get the most out of it. 

Part 3 shared how to ensure your clients are taken care of while you’re out of the office. 

This week we’ll be sharing how to ensure your business is taken care of while you’re out of the office. You are your first client and taking care of all your other clients without taking care of your own business is sabotaging yourself. 

Create and keep a running checklist of your business needs. Even if it’s just you, creating a checklist is a must. It’s far too easy to forget all you do. Whether it’s because you do them so easily or out of habit, when you have a lot on your plate a proper checklist means nothing will get missed. 

Schedule. Schedule. Schedule. Schedule all your posts, emails, newsletters, etc., well in advance of your vacation. Getting ready for vacation shouldn’t feel like too much work. Spending an extra hour a day (or week, depending on your business) scheduling out your needs a month prior to your vacation goes a long way. 

As with your clients, work ahead of schedule. Don’t simply work on schedule, work ahead of schedule keeping in mind what your workweek will be like upon your return. 

Hire a virtual assistant. You can hire someone to manage your business when you are on vacation just like clients do. Of course, there will need to be some training time, but the bonus is the training time can pay off for future vacations, long weekends, mental health days, and sick days. You might start taking off more time for yourself! Hiring a VA can certainly be a valuable resource if you get paid for your calendar time and meetings. The right VA can ensure that your sales cycle doesn’t come to an abrupt halt when you’re away.

Create your perfect week back in the office. The best vacation time off doesn’t have to be a faint memory the moment you reconnect back to your business. Know how you choose to ease or jump right back into business. Plan enough time to respond to emails, catch up on social media, run any reports needed, as well as begin your client meetings again. Your time is always yours unless you don’t plan and then clients have a way of planning your time for you. 

Freedom and flexibility is the number one reason that people become virtual assistants. If you’re not taking time off as you choose you’re not taking advantage of the very reason you likely became a VA. With this month’s blog series we sincerely hope you are planning, taking, and enjoying your time off as a virtual assistant!

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