Learn how to set up your business to run on autopilot while you rest. You’ll get the confidence you need to truly unplug and come back next year, ready to hit the ground running.
As multi-passionate entrepreneurs, it’s easy for work to become our default. We talk about it with our friends. Or while cooking dinner. And our minds race with ideas while we’re laying in bed.
For the most part, it’s a beautiful and wondrous thing: Who’s luckier than those who love what they do?
But sometimes, we spend so much time working, we don’t notice the early warning signs of burn out, like how many cups of coffee we need these days to keep our focus.
Lots of us think the harder we work (and the less we sleep), the more we’ll get done and, therefore, the more successful we’ll be.
But it’s been scientifically proven that constantly putting the pedal to the metal at work leads us to be less productive.
Arianna Huffington wrote, “We sacrifice sleep in the name of productivity, but ironically our loss of sleep, despite the extra hours we spend at work, adds up to 11 days of lost productivity per year per worker, or about $2,280.”
After everything 2020 threw at us, combined with our habit of overworking, we could all use a real break this year.
Which is why we invite you to…
Join the Rest Challenge: December 7-9, 2020
With your big goals for 2021, you’ll need all the productivity you can get. Getting dedicated R&R this holiday season is key to hit the ground running in the new year.
Because we know how hard it is to step away from your business, we’ll share one actionable step you can take each day.
By the end, you’ll be set up to run your business on autopilot, giving your customers a jaw-dropping client experience even while you’re away.
Ready to join the challenge?
- Log into your HoneyBook account (or start a free HoneyBook trial).
- Follow all three steps below for rest success.
- Complete one step each day or do them all at once.
HoneyBook Rest Challenge Day 1: Set Your OOO Dates
First things first: Decide which dates you’ll be out of office. Be intentional about actually taking that time off by letting your clients know in advance. By setting their expectations and carving out the time, you’ll give yourself the permission to truly unplug.
Be sure to add your time off to your email signature & calendar (Tip: Make sure to sync your Google Calendar with HoneyBook so blocked off dates are reflected in your HoneyBook Online Meeting Scheduler).
To edit your HoneyBook email signature:
- In HoneyBook, click your profile photo in the top right corner>Company Settings.
- In the Email Signature section, click the Edit button to add your out of office message.
To sync your HoneyBook account to your Google Calendar:
- In HoneyBook, go to Tools>Calendar.
- Click the Google Sign In button.
- Select Google Calendar.
- Follow the prompts to sync the Google account of choice to your calendar.
Need more details? Learn more.
HoneyBook Rest Challenge Day 2: Get Your Auto-Responses Ready
Next, set up an auto response for new inquiries so you don’t have to worry about missing any last minute outreach.
Set up an auto responder in your email that includes:
- A link to your HoneyBook Contact Form (all inquiries will be funneled into your HoneyBook account, ready for you to act on when you get back to business)
- Your HoneyBook scheduling link for current clients/inquiries who want to set up time to chat in the new year
Bonus: If you’re using the HoneyBook contact form, you can also set up a Workflow to automatically send your HoneyBook Brochure to any new inquiries that reach out while you’re offline. Inquiries can select the services they’re interested in, and HoneyBook will automatically create a proposal they can sign and pay at the same time.
Need an OOO auto-responder template? Customize this to make it your own:
Hi! Sorry I missed you. I’ll be out of office 12/15-1/4. If you have a new project, please submit an inquiry via my contact form [ENTER YOUR CONTACT FORM DIRECT LINK HERE] or schedule time to chat [ENTER YOUR SCHEDULING LINK HERE] in the new year. I’ll get back in touch with you then. Happy holidays!
To set up your HoneyBook Contact Form:
- In HoneyBook, go to Tools>Templates>Contact Forms.
- Customize your Contact Form questions, look and feel.
- Click Publish.
Need more details? Learn more.
To set up your HoneyBook Scheduling:
- In HoneyBook, go to Tools>Scheduling.
- Click + New Session Type.
- Enter your Session details.
- Click Save and Finish.
Need more details? Learn more.
To create a HoneyBook Brochure Template:
- In HoneyBook, go to Tools>Templates>Brochures.
- Customize your Brochure’s look and feel.
- All changes save automatically.
Need more details? Learn more.
To create a HoneyBook Workflow:
- In HoneyBook, go to Tools>Workflows.
- Click Create Workflow.
- Choose the first action in your sequence, set the trigger, adjust timing and add additional steps.
- Click Save and Finish.
Need more details? Learn more.
HoneyBook Rest Challenge Day 3: Analyze your business performance
Review your 2020 lead sources to see which marketing platforms worked best for your business so you can double down in 2021. You can find your top lead sources in the HoneyBook Reporting dashboard.
If you didn’t use HoneyBook in 2020, go back through your emails, DMs, texts—wherever you get new leads—and make a tally of how each client heard about you.
This will help you understand where to invest your marketing efforts and dollars in 2021.
To review your HoneyBook Reporting:
- In HoneyBook, go to Tools>Reports.
- Scroll to the section “Know where your best leads come from.”
Need more details? Learn more.
Finished the Challenge?
Hurray! You’re on your way to rest success and increased productivity in 2021.
