2 Savvy Small Business Owners Explain How To Take a Break

2 Savvy Small Business Owners Explain How To Take a Break

Says Rachel Burns, small business marketing manager at Podia:

You should have taken a vacation long ago. Your small business can live without you for a few days, or even a few weeks. You feel exhausted, stressed, and irritated. If you want to prevent burnout, your body and mind are telling you that you need to take a break as soon as possible.

However, as a small business owner or solopreneur, it can often feel like your company is your entire world, and if you were to take a break, you could be concerned that everything would go up in flames while you were gone.

The truth is that by refusing to take a break, you could end up doing more harm than good to your business and yourself. In fact, one of the finest things you can do for your business is to take a break and look after yourself. Did you ever wonder if small business grants would help?

Here’s how to keep your clients satisfied and your company operating efficiently while you’re away.

A couple suggestions for taking time off without alienating your clients

1. Determine the length of the break you require. You must determine the length of your absence before you can make plans for your vacation. Taking a break may mean a long weekend for some people while a month-long trip may come to mind for others.  Your break’s duration is determined by a few factors: How long you’ll need to rest and recover. You may require more time to care for your body and mind if you are experiencing the emotional or physical impacts of burnout. How much time you can actually spend away from your company (and what resources you have to keep it running while you’re away)

2. Who (and where) are your target customers? For instance, three weeks or more of paid time off are required throughout Europe. Therefore, even though you work for yourself, if you primarily target Europeans, they won’t give it much thought if you take longer than a few days off. 

Ariel Krantzow, who has logged over a decade in educating small business owners in how to work hard and play hard, adds this: Perspective is created by distance: You can emerge from the weeds and gain perspective by taking a break. You will gain the much-needed separation from your work when you interact with new people, do new things, and simply have some quiet time to yourself.  Spend time with your friends or family and have fun: It’s no longer a secret how crucial it is to spend time with friends and family, and business entrepreneurs obviously don’t get enough of it. You should take some time to unwind, enjoy your surroundings, and appreciate the people that make life worthwhile. 

Create an automated response

The secret to preventing any misunderstandings and wounded feelings is to set up an automated “out-of-office” reply for your email. Make it polite, not abrupt. Make contact points available. 

Good for you if your holiday destination is somewhere you can’t possibly be reached. In this situation, be sure to designate someone to take care of emergencies for you if any develop.

Most likely, your brokerage manager or someone similar will do the trick!