As a solopreneur or small business owner, it can be hard to find time for a day off let alone a vacation of a week or more. Many business owners, myself included, dreamed before they got started that they’d be able to take as many vacations as they’d want for as long as they’d want until reality set in and they realized that running a business is more than a full time job.
While it may be hard in the early stages of a business to take time off, it’s also important to give yourself a break to unwind and recharge. This time off is not only good for you, the business owner but for the business as well.
I’m the first to admit that it can be hard to let go but over the past few years I’ve realized that it’s actually a necessity to allow myself vacations or long holidays to give me a fresh perspective, recharge my body and mind and keep myself and my business running optimally.
You may be wondering why I waited until the end of summer to talk about planning for vacation but with the holidays fast approaching and some upcoming traveling of my own, now feels like a perfect time to talk about it.
So if you are planning a vacation from your business, the question then is how you prepare to be away from it for a short time without losing momentum or getting so far behind that you never get caught up.
Plan Ahead
While many of us can say that a spontaneous road trip or long weekend getaway is great, the key to your own sanity and maintaining a healthy business is good planning for the time you’ll be away.
Knowing well in advance that you’ll be away allows you to work ahead, notify clients, customers or vendors or put a temporary hold on accepting online orders.
As a blogger you can schedule guest posts or schedule posts out as far as you need so that your readers consistently receive the content they have become accustomed to.
Automate What You Can
While I would argue all day long that automation should be part of your regular business practices, it’s especially key during times when you’ll be away. How a business automates may be different from one to another but the key is to find ways to make your business run itself. This not only helps while your not around but it also saves you and your staff time day-to-day.
Don’t Take Work With You
Vacations should be vacations, not working remotely while traveling. Allow yourself the time away from emails, phone calls, and all the other tasks so that you can actually enjoy your time away, be present and allow your body and mind to recharge.
Prepare your Team Members and/or Staff
If you have employees, an assistant or VA, make sure they know your plans well in advance so that they can also help you and your business prepare for your time away. If there are tasks your team will need to pick up while you aren’t there, leave yourself time to train or prepare your help to take charge.
Schedule Your Vacation Wisely
Depending on the business you are in, it may be wise to plan your vacation during a slower time. For my business, the hardest time to take vacation is right after Christmas and Summer because in the wedding industry those are peak time for couples to be hiring their wedding vendors. Fall and early winter are much slower and that’s why I choose to vacation in September after the bulk of “wedding season” is over.
Time away from your business or blog is important for your overall well being. Taking a break can do wonders for clearing your mind and giving you a fresh perspective. Whether you are taking a day or a week, following these simple tips will free up time and alleviate stress so that you can make the most of your time away. Making many of them part of your regular practice also means it will be easier when you do want to take time off.
How do you prepare for time away from your business or blog?
Leave a Reply