Lucid Marketing Blog – Plain & Simple Marketing

Part 5 in a series of Internet Marketing videos featuring David Congreave and his assistant Beth Rudkin. This week Beth experiments for dress-down Friday. Make sure you watch to the end!

To ask David and Beth an Internet Marketing question, send an email to video@davidcongreave.com

http://www.TheLucidGuys.com

http://www.Elance.com

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DAVID
Hi. I’m David Congreave and this is my assistant, Bethany Rudkin.

BETHANY
I didn’t know we did dress-down Fridays.

DAVID
This is a HOME business. Every day is dress-down day.

BETHANY
Really?

DAVID
Yes, Really

BETHANY
Excellent

BETHANY rushes off. DAVID looks anxious like he may have made a mistake

DAVID
Anyway, the reason I’m dressed down is because, tomorrow I’m taking a weeks vacation. So while we’re on the subject, let’s talk about how to take a vacation without worrying about your home business falling apart while you’re away.

The temptation most people fall into is to take their work with them. That is a mistake. Even if you only plan to check on your emails while you’re away, it’s too easy to get sucked into doing more and then you’re no longer a vacation, you’re just working in a different office.

A vacation is supposed to refresh you and recharge your batteries. To accomplish that, you need to be able to leave work behind altogether.

Most of the time, unless you’re taking a really long vacation, the only things to really worry about are customer support and emails. If you’ve already outsourced these, then you’re set. Just leave a mobile number with your virtual assistant to use in emergencies, and you’re all set.

If you don’t have a virtual assistant then there is a way to obtain a temporary assistant while you’re on holiday, without having to pay huge amounts of cash.

DAVID
So we’re talking about how to find someone to look after your emails and customer support while you’re on vacation.

B-FIZZLE
Simple. Use Elance.

DAVID
Elance is one possibility but a faster, and probably less expensive, way is to ask a family member to step in. Ideally this should be someone between the ages of 12-15.

B-FIZZLE
Seriously?

DAVID
Seriously. Any born after 1995 probably already knows more about computers and the Internet than you ever will. And all they really need to know is how to you’re your computer on, access your customer support admin area and how to download and sort your emails.

B-FIZZLE
But won’t they have to learn all about your business?

DAVID
No. All they really need to know is how to identify the difference between emails that can wait until you get back, and those that need dealing with straight away. Most of the time, all they’ll be doing is sending a standard email reply that says “David’s on vacation, if this is an urgent matter please call me on…”

B-FIZZLE
And then presumably they can call you if there’s something they can’t handle?

DAVID
Exactly.

B-FIZZLE
But you’d still pay them?

DAVID
Sure, you can work it out at something like an hour a day, so it doesn’t have to cost you a fortune.

B-FIZZLE
Cool. So who are you hiring while you’re away?

DAVID
No-one, I already hired you.

B-FIZZLE
Oh yes… so does that mean I’m in charge while you’re away.

DAVID

Yes… Yes… You’ll manage right?

B-FIZZLE
Of course, I’m a professional.

DAVID
Good.

B-FIZZLE
Fo sheezy.

DAVID

What?

B-FIZZLE

Fo sheezy.

B-FIZZLE
How do you turn your laptop on?

B-FIZZLE
Don’t sweat it gee. B-Fizzle will keep the business is business, kna’ am’ sayin? Peace up.

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