5 tips from Satellite Office for stress-free vacations
Berlin, July 2015:Just before the vacations arrive, things get turbulent in Germany’s offices. Transfer lists move from one to the other. Telephones are being switched. Vacation substitutions briefed. But what do small and medium-sized entrepreneurs and self-employed consultants without a personnel base actually do during this time?
So that “self-employed” doesn’t have to mean “self” and “all the time,” Satellite Office has developed a professional vacation phone service specifically for this type of company. Entrepreneurs can use this service for fourteen or twenty-one days (69,- Euro / 85,- Euro). Phone calls will be answered professionally with the name/company name. Entrepreneurs receive call notes by mail or SMS. Special VIP callers are immediately transferred to a number to be defined, if required.
“With this service, business owners have one less thing to worry about and can fully focus on their vacation,” says Anita Gödiker, CEO of Satellite Office. In the past, she said, she also had a hard time letting go during the vacations. Over the years, she has developed five helpful rituals for herself that help her enjoy vacations to the fullest.
Tip 1: Speak openly with your customers Anita Gödiker: “For many entrepreneurs, the company phone or cell phone stays on even when they’re on vacation. I know this from myself: the guilty conscience always travels with me. The feeling of having to be reachable is to the detriment of relaxation. But it doesn’t have to. Customers understand that you are on vacation – you just have to announce it in good time. Open communication is important!”
Tip 2: Preparation is everything Anita Gödiker: “Nothing is worse than a full desk on the day of departure. Don’t take on any new, short-term projects just before your vacation. You’re not doing yourself or your client any favors by doing so. Prioritize your to-do list. Get everything that needs to be done before your vacation done right away and leave the rest relaxed to work through after your vacation.”
Tip 3: Vacation replacement Anita Gödiker: “As an entrepreneur and visionary, you are often irreplaceable, there is no question about that. Of course, many customers would like to talk to the boss. And nevertheless it is important that you are also once not attainable and allow yourselves vacation. Trust your employees. They will take care of it. Switch your phone to your right hand and hand over important issues. For customers it is a positive sign when they see that things are going well without you for a few weeks. For micro-entrepreneurs and consultants, I recommend our vacation phone service during this time.”
Tip 4: Clean up your desk – a cleansing ritual Anita Gödiker: “Very important: Before you turn off the light the night before you leave, clean up your desk. Believe me: this “cleansing ritual” works wonders. The stress of the last days and weeks falls away and you literally leave a “clean slate”. Finally a vacation, you deserve it!”
Tip 5: Forget the clock Anita Gödiker: “As a full-throttle person, many entrepreneurs also go full throttle on vacation. Gallery tour here, bungee jumping there. At 3:00 p.m. a treatment at the spa. At 5:30 p.m., arrange to meet friends for an aperitif. At 8:00 p.m. dinner with your sweetheart. Stop! Forget about appointments. Let yourself drift on vacation. Enjoy doing nothing. Recharge your batteries. Your body will thank you!”
