business
calgaryherald.com
Thursday, July 31, 2014
B5
CAPITAL IDEAS CAPITAL QUESTION:
UPCOMING:
How does your business handle vacations?
Entrepreneurs share how they make it possible to get away
AUG
05 AUG
06 AUG
19 AUG Carolyne McIntryre Jackson, co-founder of Crave Cupcakes (cravecupcakes.ca), pictured here on the left with her business partner, Jodi Willoughby, says she works with her team to ensure everyone gets the downtime they need. “We have a fabulous team of people who work for our business, including store managers and operations co-ordinators, who take care of the day-to-day business operations. We work really well together as a team and plan our vacations so we are not all gone at the same time.”
22-24
Drop-In Business Research Help Get small business research support and one-onone assistance When: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Where: Calgary Public Library (616 Macleod Trail SE) Admission: Free. Details at calgarypubliclibrary.com
BNI Vibe Breakfast Networking A breakfast networking event hosted by Calgary’s newest BNI chapter When: 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Where: Venue 1008 (1008 14th St. SE) Admission: $25. Details at bnivibechapter.eventbrite.ca
The Business Link’s Network and Learn Network and learn how to put together a business plan When: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Where: Calgary Public Library, John Dutton Theatre (616 Macleod Trail SE) Admission: Free. Details at canadabusiness.ab.ca
Startup Weekend: Solutions for your City A weekend event hosted by Startup Calgary and the City of Calgary When: 4 p.m. Friday to 9 p.m. Sunday Where: The City of Calgary Municipal Building Atrium (800 Macleod Tr. SE) Admission: Free. Details at startupcalgary.ca/calendar
Have an event that Capital Ideas should know about? Contact us at hello@capitalideascalgary.com. “At Boast Capital, we realize how important it is for our team members to take time off to relax and enjoy themselves. Since our company is focused on results, we let our employees manage their own vacation schedules. We offer a generous amount of vacation time, but are very flexible if someone needs more time for a big trip or a certain circumstance. We’ve found this to be extremely successful as it meets everyone’s unique needs and wants.” — Alex Popa, managing partner of Boast Capital — boastcapital.com
Photo by Photobolic (photobolic.com)
“Vacations are difficult at the salon as we have a lot of regular customers who come in bi-weekly. Having said that, we are usually able to schedule appointments around people’s time off, and we rarely take more than two weeks off. We also ensure that we give plenty of notice to our regulars and have them make their next couple appointments several weeks ahead to ensure they don’t miss out.” — Jackie Appleby, owner and esthetician at Primp & Polish Beauty Boutique — primpandpolish.ca “BluEra employees have unlimited vacation time; you need to hire employees you trust to get the work done, and allow people the breathing room to recharge.” — Catherine Bell, co-founder of BluEra — bluera.ca “Have an assistant handle all your emails and urgent demands — I have a virtual assistant I can count on for all that. If someone texts me something urgent, I delegate it to my assistant. Check emails intermittently so they don’t pile up upon your return — I’d rather delete and delegate what I can while I’m away so I’m not overloaded with hundreds of emails when I get back. The emails waiting for me are important but not urgent, so there’s no stress.” — Sara Dasko, CEO of Free Mind — freemindls.com “Establish ahead of time who will take over your duties, schedule a check-in with the team and do a practice run before the vacation. Leave a decision-maker in charge while you are gone. It helps to know when your clients have down time, and book your time off then … Taking time off is very valuable — it always pays off.” — Elena Dumitrascu, founder of Caledonia Solutions — caledoniasolinc.com “I have a small team of people who rotate around helping each other cover things while people are away. I always check in daily, even if I’m away, just to make sure there are no crises. Having a great, self-directed, selfmanaged team makes it possible.” — Darlene Hull, owner and president of HotSpot Social Media — hotspotsocialmedia.com These answers were collected from Capital Ideas members. For your weekly opportunity to share your business advice the way these members have, join us at capitalideascalgary.com.
“I think the key to being away from your business for an extended period of time is to let your customers know in advance, if possible. I posted it directly on my website, newsletter and all my social media sites. I was still in contact with the business via the web, so I was able to reply to messages and orders on a daily basis. You have to be prepared to work a lot harder to catch up after being away!” — Valery Klassen, owner and designer at Sun 7 Designs — sun7designs.com “FreshInk prepares its clients with a quick email to let them know that some responses may be delayed or that someone else may be handling inquires during the vacation period. We also prepare our virtual team with a list of contact numbers and directions for the various situations we’ve had in the past. Most clients are more than thrilled to hear we’ve taken a break, as we’re usually highly responsive otherwise, and they appreciate the notification.” — Trina Lo, marketing director at FreshInk Communications — freshink.ca “Like most things in business, planning is key. Our plan is to schedule vacations during our slower times and ensure that the partners are not away at the same time. The other option we are considering is closing the business for one week during our slowest period and make that part of our business practice.” — Brenda Mahoney, owner of Vin Gogh Paint & Sip Studio — vingogh.ca “My business doesn’t handle vacations; I handle myself and put a plan in place for my business while I’m away. My vacations are arranged at least a year ahead so my clients know when I’ll be gone. I ensure no service delivery is booked during my vacation, have my assistant check my email to respond to anything important, and I turn off my email while away so I’m not tempted to answer.” — Nadine Nicholson, founder of MeJane — mejane.ca “I strive for quick getaways with friends or family to rebuild energy and provide new perspective. As a small business owner, I know time away is difficult to schedule, but the trust I have in my colleague, Marjorie Munroe, to look after my clients puts my mind at ease.” — Michelle Phaneuf, Alberta co-director at Workplace Fairness — workplacefairness.ca/alberta
“By being creative! The beauty of Calgary is you can bolt for the hills easily and at any time. We are so blessed being able to get away from the hustle and bustle to allow nature to recharge us. My priority in the summer season is to fit these times for me around my clients’ needs.” — Sam Tattersall, founder and integrative health coach at Mamaita’s Journey — mamaitasjourney.com “As a professional speaker and a marketing consultant, I travel a great deal for business. When I get an opportunity to go to a destination that is a great place to take a break, I will take some downtime to relax. It may be only a few days, but the mini-break is worth it ... Some clients have offered the incentive to stay longer, all expenses paid. In exchange, they get the opportunity to spend some informal time with me and I have some fun — it’s a win-win.” — David Saxby, president of Spark Communications Inc. — sparkcommunications.com
NEXT QUESTION:
What’s the best sales advice you’ve received? Securing sales can make or break your business, but sometimes it’s easier said than done. That’s why we want to hear from you: What’s the best sales advice you’ve received? Visit capitalideascalgary.com to respond to the question — we’ll publish the best answers, along with your name and the name of your business, in the Calgary Herald.
B U S I N E S S OW N E R S H E L P I N G B U S I N E S S OW N E R S
JOIN US! capitalideascalgary.com
Questions? Contact us at hello@capitalideascalgary.com. Follow us on Twitter @capitalideasyyc