Oh my goodness -- it seems like FOREVER since we last touched base! For the first time in more than a decade, I took a vacation -- not just a long weekend but a two week long trip out of the country! It was amazing on all sorts of levels.

Of course the vacation itself was fantastic. A new country, incredible healthy food, beautiful scenery and the time away was cathartic but it was so much more than that.

First of all, I went with my boyfriend. For those that know me well, you all know it is a shock that I even have a boyfriend because... well, because I am such a workaholic there is barely room in my life for anything else. But he is worth every minute of time (and then some). So going on a trip and being able to share it with him was a wonderful new experience for me.

Second, we had zero electronic access to the outside world. Well, not exactly zero. I set up a Gmail account for emergencies. My operations manager and children were the only ones who had that address and we only checked it a few times while we were gone.

(As you can imagine, there was no way I wanted access to my regular business email because it can suck you in and one could be lost for hours at a time.)

So no, no phone and no internet access other than the occasional hotel lobby computer -- and we purposefully limited that to no more than about five minutes at a time. How refreshing to have no electronic tethers!

Third, we were in Australia for two-thirds of our time away and the culture there is so different than our own. Well, in a lot of ways, 'Americanism' has taken over the country, but the one thing that was glaringly different is they put much less emphasis on work and made time for fun. We spoke to a number of local people who told us they take regular vacations; they go home from work at a reasonable hour; and they have less stress than we do --- FOR SURE.

Truthfully, I loved every minute of our time away -- we laughed and had adventures and maximized each day to soak up the culture and beauty that is Australia (and Fiji). But you know what was especially great? The fact my company ran smoothly without me.

Yep! It's true. Many of our clients had no idea I was even away. Mary, our Operations Manager, did an outstanding job. She worked from my office so she could respond to my email in a timely manner; she managed our employees and addressed all issues promptly and professionally.

 

And that is the point of this message. One sure sign of a successful company is how it operates when you walk away. You must be able to effectively delegate, you must train people to work the way you do and you must be able to rely upon the decision making skills of others.

How can we rely upon others' decision making skills? Well, for one thing, employees must clearly understand your expectations, how to do their jobs properly and in particular, they need to understand the inputs and outputs of their individual tasks.

This can only be accomplished if you effectively train and communicate. When people understand what drives their workload and how what they do affects the next person (or client) down the line, they make better decisions, are more productive and are better able to work independently.

In order to guarantee the quality of your services and to insure your company functions appropriately even when you are not available, it is imperative you have written policies and procedures. These documents clearly explain the 'what, why and how' of your company's everyday tasks and duties.

We here at Concierge Business Solutions® offer a full range of consulting and support services for the small business owner, including the following:

1. Process engineering and the creation of policies and procedures for your company
2. Forms, policies and procedures you can use to build your own -- so you don't have to reinvent the wheel

The worst thing an entrepreneur can do is fumble his or her way through the building of a company. Why? Why do that when there is someone right here who has already been there and done that? Why not draw upon the experiences -- both good and bad -- of others? Save yourself the time and cost (and agony) of unnecessary and expensive mistakes by using our documentation and experience to make your life easier.

Concierge Business Solutions® is your 'go to' resource for all things business related. Let us help you make sure all the right elements are in place so you too can take time off without worrying about how the company is progressing.