Daniel J. Gisser
Many small business owners first go into business in hopes of becoming their own boss and having more freedom. They aspire to take time off when they please. However, once an entrepreneur gets their business up and running, they often get carried away trying to grow their business and forget this initial intention. Although growing the business should be important to every entrepreneur, taking some time off every now and again is vital to prevent burnout. Studies show that burnout among employees and business owners can lead to increased absenteeism and job turnover, lower productivity, decreased levels of job satisfaction, greater personal conflict with colleagues and at home and reduced commitment to tasks at hand, according to KISSmetrics – all of which can have a profound negative effect on your business’ bottom line.
There’s a simple solution to prevent burnout, and it’s a lot easier than you probably imagined: Take a break from the office. As a small business owner, it may feel virtually impossible to peel yourself away from your business even just for the weekend, but it can actually be beneficial to your business to take some time off for the holidays – any holidays (!)- allowing you to recharge and refocus your energy. You may even find that you may become more productive post-vacation.
AdviCoach Says Take Some Time Off!
Whether you spend your time off lying on a white sandy beach, skiing in the mountains or just watching television on your couch, some “me” time is vital for all entrepreneurs. Because getting out of “work mode” can be tough, AdviCoach reviews a few easy tips to get you through your vacation without putting work first.
- Plan ahead: The number one reason why people opt out of taking time off is because they dread the amount of work that will be awaiting them when they return, according to The Huffington Post. Coming back to an above average amount of work post-vacation may sometimes be inevitable, but there are steps that an entrepreneur can take to lower this affect. For example, AdviCoach recommends taking time off during the holiday season because this tends to be a lighter period of work due to many other people taking off to spend time with their families. Before you leave, make sure to let everyone you work with on a day-to-day basis know that you will be out of the office and let them know when you will return. Inform these individuals what is expected of them when you are out and who they can go to for questions rather than bother you. Inform your team and clients that you will have limited access to email and encourage them to limit reaching out only for emergencies.
- Disconnect. This is oftentimes the most difficult for entrepreneurs. Rather than having your head buried in your phone all day, actually try to be present in your plans and engage with others by unplugging your computer and turning your phone on silent or off completely. It may not be easy to peel yourself away from your email or cell phone for a full day, so if it seems unrealistic start small. When on vacation, AdviCoach and small business coaches advise entrepreneurs to designate one hour at the end of the day to tend to unplanned work needs. During this one hour period, allow yourself to access your email and voice mail in case anything time-sensitive came up. If nothing of dire need came up, then turn your phone and computer back off, and go back to enjoying your time off. Unplugging completely will allow you to relax and really take your mind out of the business, even if just for a few hours or days.
- Trust your employees. You hired your employees for a reason, so try and remember this when taking time off. Most likely you hired competent people, so trust them to do their jobs. Setting clear expectations and guidelines for your employees who will be taking over your daily tasks while you are out is crucial. Taking time off can serve as a test to whether you hired the right people to help operate your company. You may even find that while on vacation, your employees went above and beyond your expectations – encouraging you to take more time off in the future and even give more responsibility to your employees on a day-to-day basis.
Although your business’ success should be important to you, don’t let it run your life by making you miss out on spending time with your friends and family this holiday season. If you’re finding it hard to leave your business, remember these three tips to make sure that you and your business will be prepared in your absence. Hey, if everything goes as planned, maybe you’ll end up vacationing more often!