My 2007 Sabbatical: Business
Reflections
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Alaska and Yukon Highlights
In 2003, when my
husband and I took a three-month road trip
around much of North America, I presented
seminars along the way and completed assignments
for clients, working an average of three hours a
day and spending the rest of the time
touring. On our 2007 trip, other than keeping
up with my email, I wanted not to work at all,
yet have enough passive income coming in to
cover our considerable travel expenses.
That goal (which
I did meet) required lots of preparation.
During the six months before my sabbatical, I
concentrated on creating several
new information products and a printed
product catalog. I also had to write 10
weeks' worth of Marketing Minute newsletters
ahead of time. The most tedious task
was writing very, very detailed instructions for
my virtual assistant on how to fulfill the
orders that my husband and I normally handled
ourselves.
Not only did the
preparation pay off in a stress-free trip, it
greatly shortened the time needed for such
instructions the next time we take another long
trip.
Although the word
"sabbatical" usually describes a year
off from one's usual routine, my ten-week break
was long enough to produce these additional
business benefits:
While I dropped a
couple of hints in my Marketing Minute
newsletter that I was planning some time off, I
didn't announce my sabbatical plans
publicly. Most of my long-time clients who
contacted me for help during that time had no
idea I was gallivanting around the farthest
reaches of North America. I worked out a
delayed start with them or, in a few cases,
referred them to a colleague who could help with
their immediate need.
Interested in
gearing up for a similar road-trip sabbatical or
a winter lolling around on a tropical
beach? Visit these two links:
Learn
how to manage your business while traveling.
Get
step-by-step guidance on creating and selling
information products so you too can enjoy a
money-still-coming-in sabbatical.
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