Making Vacation Happen as a Small Business Owner.

If you’re like a lot of small business owners, you may feel too busy to think about vacation. You might be too focused on immediate tasks to give any thought to taking a break. Or you might think, “Sure, I would love to step away, if I get lucky and have a free week somehow.” 

That’s all understandable. But thinking that “vacation will magically happen” can lead to a year where you look back and realize that you never took any time to relax and decompress!

Instead, plan ahead to take the vacation time you deserve.

It’s a brand new year, which makes now an ideal time to target a week or two to recharge your batteries.

You can manage vacation the same way that you manage other aspects of your small business. (Spoiler alert: 17hats can help.)

Vacations remain important.

We all want our small businesses to succeed. Taking a vacation doesn’t undercut that goal – it supports it!

Research has shown that taking a break from work improves your physical and mental health. Vacations can also improve your sense of well-being. Many people return to work after time away feeling refreshed and reenergized, with a renewed passion for what they do.

By contrast, if you skip vacation and keep your nose to the grindstone all year, you run the real risk of burnout.

Of course, you may have other family members in your household, too. If so, your spouse and kids will want you to join them on family vacations, making cherished memories.

So let’s plan ahead, and make that vacay happen.

Planning ahead is crucial.

Grab a calendar, and think about the year ahead.

Take note of holidays, including kids’ days off from school, and any paid time off that your significant other may get from work. Then start to overlay obligations and wish list items, such as time to enjoy with extended family near year’s end. This should still leave your year-at-a-glance calendar with vast eligible stretches for vacation.

Next, start to think about your particular business. Are there slow periods when it would be easier to get away?

Or, failing that, is there a time when your clients will be occupied with other things too? Maybe you’ll opt to take the four-day week after a Monday holiday as vacation. (At least you know no one will need you on that Monday!)

Of course, you may not be able to be choosy: It could be that your kids’ school schedule or your spouse’s work schedule narrows you down to a certain week for vacation. That’s OK – with some planning, you can make that week work.

Make a plan – and stick to it.

Once you have identified your best chance for vacation, mark it off on your calendar.

Are you running your small business with 17hats? (If not, you should be.) Our Calendar feature keeps your work and personal schedules organized. And with 17hats Online Scheduling, you can let your clients book appointments easily, while shielding the days you have set aside for rest and relaxation.

But blocking off time on your calendar is only half the battle.

You need to tell your clients – early and often – about your vacation plans. Make them aware of how often, if at all, you’ll be checking email and your phone when you’re away. Be candid and firm – remember, you’re doing this for the good of your business too.

Something else to consider? If you have a friend who’s in the same field, consider asking her to serve as a contact for your clients while you’re on vacation, and vice versa. Think of it as a form of barter: You can both help each other to realize your shared goal of a much-needed vacation.

If you do choose to pursue kind of reciprocal agreement with someone, be sure to communicate. Talk openly beforehand about what issues are likely to come up, and which, if any, merit interrupting your getaway or staycation.

Poolside, here you come!

You’ve planned ahead, and worked hard all year. Now take that vacation with a clear conscience – you’ll return to your small business rejuvenated and even more prepared to help your clients.

Don’t forget to set your out-of-office reminder for email. You might even tweak your 17hats Lead Capture Form language to acknowledge when you’ll be back at your desk. (Of course, the good news is, with 17hats, any potential new clients can still fill out your automated questionnaires as they await your return from vacation. You still project a sense of responsiveness, even if you are chilling on a beach somewhere!)

___ 

The fact is, you deserve a vacation this year. You need a vacation this year. And you can have a vacation this year. It all starts with planning ahead.