Tidbits: 5 Tips To Keep Your Business Thriving While Travelling

Most people, while traveling, are on vacation. They are consciously taking a break from their work. Unfortunately, in our line of work, taking a break and being “on vacation”, is not an option.

Welcome to a new segment The Boost Network is taking on called Tidbits. Life is busy and we understand that, these blogs will be short, sweet and to the point. They are meant to be quick reads and packed with great information and insights into the influencer world.

Today’s Tidbit focuses on 5 Tips to keep your business thriving while travelling.  Most people, while traveling, are on vacation. They are consciously taking a break from their work. Unfortunately, in our line of work, taking a break and being “on vacation”, is not an option. Whether you are specifically a travel content creator or are just an influencer doing some travelling, your work does not stop. We recognize that, so here are some tips and tricks to keep you and your business on track so you can still enjoy your trip. 

#1 Keep Your Inbox Organized! 

This is easier said than done. Organization is key when it comes to running any business, especially through email. As emails constantly come in, it is very easy to open one, not have the time to respond and then it gets buried and unintentionally unanswered. The solution is easy, use Gmail. We choose to run our business through Gmail because it gives us some much more value than any other email client. For example, the ability to star your emails. Yes, literally click the star icon beside every email that comes in if you don’t have time to respond. When you do have time and return to your inbox, you are able to easily see which emails still need responses and also, which ones are the most important. You are actually able to create multiple star colours so you can organize on a deeper level. Say yellow star is most important and blue star means follow up in 48 hours. Once you respond, unstar that email. You do not realize the power this simple feature can have.

Another simple feature Gmail offers is Labels. You could create a label that says “Needs Responding” or one that says “Waiting on Response”. This way you can quickly look at your inbox and see what needs attending to ASAP and what can wait till later.

Lastly, use the Snooze feature. This allows you to snooze an email and have it pop back up to the top of your inbox at a specific time, on whatever day you choose. This is very handy when you are out and about, getting lots of emails, but you really need to remind yourself to respond to something when you get back to your hotel at 4PM. Set your snooze for that time and it will come right back to the top.

#2 Research Time Zones 

It is important to know where your emails are coming in from. Depending on the country you are in and the one they have been sent from, response times can be greatly effected. So our suggestion is to educate yourself on when/where your emails/contact is located. If you are waiting on a response then research what hours a work day would be for that brand, client, PR agency and what hours that translates for you. Therefore, you are prepared and ready for when you do receive your response. Tips: Set reminders for incoming email times and add countries you are working with to your world clock on your phone. This makes it super easy for you to know the time in LA when it is midnight in Bali. 

#3 Make a Plan & Stick to it

It is the inevitable truth in this industry that the work never stops. However, you can stay ahead of it by creating a work schedule and sticking to it.  Set a couple times a day for example, once in the morning and once at night to sit down and dedicate yourself to your business. Edit, work your way through your emails, respond to DM’s and then most importantly let yourself feel guilt free throughout the day because you worked and/or will work again. Give yourself the ability to soak up everything the country you are in has to offer by setting a work plan in motion. This can be as easy as a couple hours in the morning or a couple at night. Just make sure you stick to it, because you will feel a lot better during the day, when you are out exploring, that you are on top of your work.

#4 Be Responsible but Forgive Yourself 

Of course, you have to stay readily available for certain jobs, PR agencies, Brands or your manager reaching out if you are running a campaign. Therefore, buying a sim card should be the first thing on your to do list when you land. Remember though, this is only for emergencies. Having a sim card is meant to keep your head in your phone all day, it is there to give you the freedom to be wherever and still have access to your business when you ABSOLUTELY need it. Second piece of advice, inform your contacts and brand partners. It is okay to let a brand or PR agency know that you cannot get back to them right now but you will at some point today. Simply letting them know you’ve received their email and responding to them is on your to do list will let them know you are serious about your business and reassure them they are important to you. I would say even letting anyone of importance know before you leave would be crucial so they understand why a response might take a bit longer than usual. A lot of people use bounce back emails to ensure everyone is well informed of your situation and intentions while you are away. Set a little vacation bounce back so when somebody does send you an email, they are informed you will respond to them in the next 12-24hours.  

I also want to just take the time to tell you in case no one has yet, please forgive yourself. You are only human and you are allowed to respond to an email later than it is received. Give yourself the space to make mistakes, take the time for work but also time for yourself. It will only make you a greater creator in the end and you will not burn out. 

#5 Ask For Help 

At the end of the day all each of us wants to do is succeed in this industry and therefore sometimes it is hard to take a back seat in our careers. Sometimes letting go of the reigns a little can be a daunting task. However, let me assure you, asking for help will only empower your business more. Involving a manager does just that. All the missed email stress…taken care of,  late replies…gone. Which gives you the freedom to connect with your community, dedicate real time to your editing, actually enjoying where you are visiting and the beauty and culture it has to offer, and the list goes on. You now have someone who has your back. A manager covers a lot of ground, but for the sole purpose of this tidbit we are focusing on time. Any chance you can get to spare some time for yourself, take it. It is healthy for you and your career. Just simply ask for help. You will thank yourself later. 

Thank you for reading and we hoped you soaked up this first tidbit of information. As we want to offer you the best information and value to build your business as possible, what other tidbits do you want us to dive into? Comment below some ideas and let’s talk business! 

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