Every single one of us needs a break from the system once in a while. Refuel the engine, step away from the daily grind, exposing yourself to new views, new experiences and new impressions or just simply to relax and only do those things you want to do (reading a book, taking a stroll over a beach, visiting musea or castle gardens). Revitalise, both for your own health as in fact your business health.
But closing shop does not have to mean the enquiries or sales have to "close" too.
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Phone answering services are one option to redirect your business phone to if you know your prospects/clients won't leave a message on your own answering machine.
- Some service offices can even take care of more than just answering your phone on your behalf, I know of one who posts your marketing material in answer of specific enquiries.
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Online shops can use fulfilment businesses - they pack and dispatch your products to your clients.
Takes some upfront logistics of course, but hey, that's keeping the business going during your own break for you.
In our case it would mean
- not booking installation work for those two or three weeks holiday, not that much of a problem logistically or frustrating for clients - we're normally looking 1.5 -2 months ahead anyway in busier times.
- Online orders for small products could be handled using drop-shipping (as we often do now) in combination with a fulfillment service.
- Phone would be redirected to an answering service, who we would "stock" with marketing materials.
- And for all the enquiries through our website the CRM program will come into its own. Octane HQ will keep doing what it does now, as soon as someone fills in one of our webforms it will email the requested leaflet or access details to the Full Colour Online Wooden Floor Ranges Brochure and email the follow-up messages in the same automated sequence it does now.
- Even our most popular webform: "Ask Personal Advice on Wood" could keep functioning by redirecting the notification email containing the question to a service office - which will have access to our online ScreenSteps Live database of FAQ to find the correct answer.
Of course not everything will go as smoothly as you would be on stand-bye but, hey relax, you're on your well deserved holiday. This means letting go, delegating the control too. It's only for 2 - 3 weeks. And besides, you still got your smart phone to read your daily emails from the answering and/or fulfillment service in case of emergencies.
Systems to allow you to break out your system. That's modern business life for you.
Hmm, where did I leave that holiday brochure?