Should we take a break1/11/2024 ![]() I know what I’m about to say is counter-intuitive to everything else I’ve said in this article. If there is an emergency, you’ll be able to get in touch and address the issue. (Even though I told my parents that it wasn’t… sorry Mom and Dad.) So I doubt in 2017, there are many places left in the world where you can’t get online if you need to. 4) WiFi exists everywhere:Įven when I was backpacking through rural India, in the summer of 2008, internet access was available everywhere. Make sure they know who to contact in your absence and explain to that person what they need to know about any current issues clients are facing. If you have a client based business, let them know you’re leaving and when you’ll be back. It went off without a hitch! My boss (and I) recognized that I could handle the pressure and more responsibility. Without being able to reach him, I had to step up, deal with the situation, and make real decisions to push the project forward. In a previous job, I was put in charge when the boss went out of town and while he was flying one of the employees and the primary stakeholder of a project due the next day quit. Finally, that person should know where you are and how to reach you, in case of an emergency. Make sure that person left in charge knows what decisions they are allowed to make and what needs to wait until you return. It may even pave the way for a rising star to come out of the woodwork. They’ll want it, and they won’t want to let you down. Your vacation is an opportunity for a team member to step up and take the reigns. Select someone you trust to man the ship in your absence. Carve out those dates and book the time you need to get away 2) Prepare your employees: Find a time in your schedule that has the least amount of deliverables due, meetings, etc. We know that summer may be your busy season. Here are five steps to prepare your business for your well-deserved break. ![]() Now that we’ve established it’s better for you and your business to take a vacation. If anything, you deserve some time to sit back, relax and enjoy the people around you who make life worth living. It’s no longer a secret that spending quality time with your friends & family is important, and business owners definitely don’t get enough of it. ![]() 3) Enjoy quality time with your friends or family: Meeting new people, experiencing new things, and just getting some time to think will give you some much-needed distance from your business. Getting away allows you to get out of the weeds and gain some perspective. (Not to take all the credit for his success, but in the 4+ years we’ve been together his business has grown over 200%. Before we met, he had not taken a real vacation in ten years! I do all the planning, but he shows up, generally enjoys himself, and he has said (to my face) that having a break helps him run his business better the rest of the year. I have a travel addiction, so I force my business-owner-husband to go on vacation for at least a couple weeks a year. If you don’t let yourself relax once in a while, you’re not doing what’s best for your bottom line. Your business is only as good as you are. 1) Taking care of yourself is taking care of your business: Here are three reasons to give yourself a break and add a little work-life balance, if the above didn’t convince you yet. And negatively affects the bottom line from loss of focus, reduction of interpersonal skills, and impaired judgement calls-making work-life balance an important part of building a successful business. This HBR article points to a study that shows that overworking yourself leads to several health issues including lack of sleep, impaired memory, and heart disease. (Trust me, I’m married to one.) But what if I told you that taking a break, a real break, as in you really don’t think about work, whether it be for an afternoon, a few days, or even a couple of weeks, could be the best thing for your business and your health. You may look like you’re “taking a break” or “on vacation,” but every family member of a business owner knows better than to believe that facade. If there is one thing in this world that I am certain of it is that business owners never truly turn off. Although work-life balance is important, according to this OnDeck study, only 57% of small business owners take a vacation during the year.
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