5 Rules for Working Vacations

Technology has done so much to help us work faster and smarter. Still, too many of us feel chained to a desk in a confining office space --even if that "space" is a home office. The good news is that giving up a traditional office job doesn't have to mean giving up vacation time away from the office. With planning, entrepreneurs can enjoy more sun and fun while continuing to provide superior service to clients.

Satisfy Your Wanderlust Without Losing Income For the past four years, I’ve had the opportunity to work from home while providing public relations counsel to a range of technology businesses. However, I yearned to spend more time with family and take longer, lingering vacations. I have children in elementary school, and I wanted to be able to create memories that weren’t compressed into a single weekend getaway.

More and more, I began to wonder, why not? Technology has allowed me to leave behind the brick-and-mortar office. Couldn’t it also enable me to work easily from any location, not just out of that spare room off my den? With wireless access a ready commodity, I began planning my first working vacation at a seaside condominium to be shared with extended family and friends.

Since then, I’ve managed R&R at a variety of locales: the beach, a cruise ship, Walt Disney World and even an extended sojourn to Europe--all over the course of a single year and all without breaking my business stride. With each trip, I’ve mastered more of the nuances of working from any location without creating a hiccup in the services I deliver to clients. I do that by following a few specific rules:

1. Maintain Your Dedication, Even in the Face of Temptation
I’m going to get the hard reality out of the way first: Working from a beach or scenic mountainside locale isn’t for everyone. You have to have the discipline to keep commitments even when the sun and sand (or the ski slopes) are calling. Of course, if you're already an established entrepreneur, you're probably by nature a compulsive, must-get-the-job-done type of person.

This doesn’t mean your working vacation has to be all work and no play. It just means you need to set some ground rules in terms of when you check e-mail, return phone calls or finish that report. It's entirely possible to duck away from the laptop for an hour or two in the afternoon to go poolside, as long as that flexibility also means working an hour or two in the evening or early morning to meet your responsibilities.

Remember that “working” vacations mean just that--you're still working. Otherwise, it's simply a vacation.

2. Hit the Mute Button on Family and Friends
It’s natural for vacations to include conversation, laughter and screaming kids. However, you’ll want to spare your clients the unprofessional atmosphere.

Upon arrival at my working vacation destination, I stake out a quiet spot to conduct phone calls or do computer work. I typically choose one of the hotel suite bedrooms or the patio overlooking the beach. I’ve been known to hang a "conference call in session" sign on the patio’s glass door to ensure that I’m not disturbed.

Let family know that quiet is expected during certain times of the day. Ideally, plan to take calls or conduct work at times when others will be outside. Some hotels have space that can be reserved if you require more solitude or if your family is of the extra-noisy variety.

3. Take Advantage of Technology
Most U.S. hotels, even the smaller bed-and-breakfasts, now offer wireless internet. Double-check before making a reservation, however. You don't want to find yourself cut off from the internet when you arrive.

If you plan to travel internationally, make sure your phone has global access. If it doesn’t, you can add that feature or rent a properly equipped phone to take with you. And don’t forget to pack your phone re-charger.

Some hotels provide business services such as fax machines, computer printers and in-room phones with features such as call waiting, call forwarding and conferencing. Learn what hotels have to offer before you decide where to stay.

4. Have a Safety Net
For years, I’ve worked as part of Carabiner Communications, a "hybrid" PR agency built on the following model: Seasoned professionals each work from their own home offices but use technology to function as a team that serves clients as well as any traditional firm. This means I can rely on other team members to serve as backup when I'm out of town but need a face-to-face meeting with clients.

Not every entrepreneur has such support. But it's helpful to identify a business peer who can be on hand in such instances. Consider partnering with someone who provides a service similar to yours. Then you can cover for one another as needed.

When I am out of town, my voice mail tells clients that I'll be checking messages and e-mail on a regular basis and also provides a local contact person in case of a crisis.

5. Don’t Assume; Audit
Even if working vacations are working for you, they may not be going as smoothly for your clients. Conduct a "health check" to ensure that your time out of town presented no problems. Some clients will complain when they are unhappy with services, but others will remain quiet--and take their business elsewhere.

To take a pulse, I suggest a candid conversation with a few clients with whom you’ve developed a friendship or close working relationship. You should also check with business associates and make sure your time away didn’t create any kinks in the system.

For most of us with an urge to travel, the tools are available to make working from anywhere a reality. Think about the reasons you left your traditional office job in the first place. If one of them was to have more freedom and time with family, then working vacations might be right for you.

But these trips shouldn’t be a replacement for the real thing--all of us need time away from work without cell phones or laptops, even if only for a day or two. Working vacations should supplement those trips to help you get more out of life and expand on the opportunities provided by your entrepreneurial lifestyle.

With some discipline, you really can have it all.