Licensee holidays. They can be as elusive as snow on the roof on a hot Aussie Christmas Day. Yet, they can be done!
Gone are the days where as Licensee you are all but forbidden to take some precious annual leave. No longer are you tied to the physical compound of your desk. With all the amazing advances that come with cloud technology, you can keep your finger on the pulse within your agency from anywhere in the world!
All you need to do is choose the location.
Even with the boundless connections technology allows us to have with our work, there are still some logistical considerations to be undertaken. While it would be great to think we could clock off at 5pm on our final day and whisk away to a hammock with a cocktail in hand, the reality is, as Licensee, you have responsibilities.
But with the right amount of planning, you can tick these babies off your list and get the swimmers and sunscreen ready.
Your Pre Licensee Holiday Action Plan
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Write to Fair Trading Or Your Relevant Governing Authority
Notify your equivalent of Fair Trading of your departure advising them of your absence from the business and the duration. Detail the delegated person/s you have left in charge of the agency and their contact details. Keep a copy of the letter for your staff in your absence.
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Delegate, Delegate, Delegate!
Nothing says Christmas holidays better than a good dose of delegation. Clearly outline each and every person’s tasks clearly and ensure everyone knows who is responsible for what. Make it clear – pin it up on your office wall if needed. Let there be no confusion as this is key to your holiday happiness. Do note, the people you delegate to must be qualified and experienced to hold the responsibility during your absence. Ensure responsibilities are in writing, signed and a copy given to both parties. Just a few jobs to think about:
- Trust account management
- Daily banking
- Marketing
- Complaints and compliance (hopefully minimal).
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Prepare for an Audit
No doubt, when away the cats will play – and along with come the auditor. But do not fear as you have prepared for this! By correctly implementing steps 1 and 2, you have safeguarded yourself against any breaches. Hoorah! As a double safeguard and piece of mind, read our list of 10 Steps for Surviving a Fair Trading Audit.
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Get Jiggy with Technology
By now you no doubt communicate with your staff on one or several online platforms as well as utilising one or more project management platforms. Both are great ways to keep in touch with office happenings without being in the thick of it. Our favourites: Skype and Trello. Skype allows instant, urgent messages to be sent and Trello allows you to delegate tasks to staff and share amongst your team members. These two tools could be all you need to keep your finger in the pie, whilst probably eating pies of many varieties. As long as you have access to reliable internet, you are right as rain. Better yet, most platforms are free!
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Have a Plan
Preparing for the worst is always a good idea. It will allow you to create a risk management plan should everything hit the fan. Develop the plan and sit with your staff to run through it. There are heaps of templates available if you haven’t ever developed a risk management plan before. They can help you identify all the possible risks while you are away and rate each risk on their likelihood of occurrence and impact to the business. You will then identify the appropriate action for each risk; Avoid, Reduce, Transfer, Finance or Retain and delegate the responsible person/s for action.
If any of your holiday contingency plans are in doubt, get in touch with us and see how outsourcing your agency management in your absence can lead to a happy and stress-free licensee holiday.
– Jane Morgan is the Director of End of Month Angels, a consultancy firm specialising in Trust Accounting. Jane knows the legislative requirements of running a successful Real Estate office through her 20 years industry experience. Don’t trust just anyone with your trust accounting. Book an appointment with an End of Month Angel today.