03/ 25/ 2005
by Judy Artunian
If you're like many small-business owners, you serve as the proverbial "chief cook and bottle washer" for your company. While it's honorable—and often necessary—to manage and execute every last detail of your company's endeavors, over time it can leave you exhausted, frustrated and ultimately unproductive. In other words, it can leave you in desperate need of a vacation.
More often than not, the entrepreneurs who could stand to gain the most from taking a two-week vacation are often the ones who can't bear to be away from their business for more than two days. If you're having trouble breaking away for that leisurely trip to the Bahamas or to your brother's lakefront cabin, it might be time to re-orient your thinking about vacations.
First, consider the benefits to your company. Being away from the same office, streets and people that you see every day can give you a new perspective on some of your most vexing problems. When you are driving down a picturesque highway or sitting in a coffeehouse in a town you have just discovered, your mind is free from the usual day-to-day worries and responsibilities. Suddenly, fresh ideas for expanding your customer base or improving your ad campaign are popping into your mind.
Ideally, those brainstorms for improving business should be the only work-related activity you allow yourself while on vacation. However, if you are on a strict budget, consider turning part of your trip into a tax write-off by planning a vacation that takes you close to a key customer or supplier. Spend one afternoon or evening visiting their facility or taking them to dinner, then proceed to turn off your manager's mind and enjoy your vacation.
Give your employees at least a week to prepare for your absence. Discuss with them how they should handle any key business activities that are on the agenda while you are away. Give employees who don't typically set their own schedules a list of tasks you expect them to accomplish before you return. If you ask an employee to take on new responsibilities in your absence—such as bookkeeping or calling on customers—review the procedures in detail. To guard against employees relaxing too much while you are gone, consider offering them a bonus if they meet certain goals before you return.
If you deal directly with certain customers and suppliers, let them know that you will be on vacation and unreachable. Reassure them that your employees are more than capable of handling any business matters while you're away. If you don't have employees, ask a colleague if you can give his or her phone number to important customers and suppliers in case an urgent business problem arises.
Eighty percent of small-business owners check e-mail or voice mail while they're on vacation, according to the results of a recent survey conducted jointly by Thomas Industrial Network and the U. S. Small Business Administration; try not to be one of them. Too much checking in will dilute the regenerative powers of a vacation. Urge your staff to call you if they need help with a matter that can't wait until you return, but stress to them that you need this time to decompress from the pressures of work.
If your business is undergoing a particularly stressful period, postpone your vacation until your company is more stable. Another option is to spend a long weekend lounging in your backyard or visiting a nearby bed and breakfast. This will only work if you treat those three days like the vacation they are intended to be. That means checking voice mail and e-mail only once a day, if at all.
If you continue to postpone vacation planning, make an appointment with yourself to take a vacation by putting it on your calendar. Refuse to set business appointments during that week. It's your time to recharge your batteries. You've earned it.
