6 Tips for Taking Time Off from Your Business
When you run your own business, you might find yourself hustling day in and day out. You probably started your business thinking you’d have lots of flexibility and would plan to take more time away from work. But as the months and years pass by, you find that harder and harder to do.
Part of this is due to hustle culture and western culture’s obsession with being productive at all times. And part of this is just simply because you know that you need to make ends meet, and you might even feel guilty for taking time away when you could be making money for your family.
The truth is, however, that taking time off is essential for your health, the well-being of your business, and your overall ability to be productive. It’s also just something that happens to be necessary sometimes, so it’s good to prepare a plan ahead of time for what you intend to do when you absolutely need to take time off.
Planned Time Off
There are so many reasons why you would want to take some time off. These might include…
Vacation time with your family
Needing a serious break from work on a regular basis
Having a new baby
Moving or other planned life things that require your full attention
Scheduled health events, such as surgeries
Caring for family members that need extra support
Traveling and other fun adventures
Planning to take a break from work is super essential for your overall mental and physical health. This is especially true if you work in a helping profession, such as a therapist, midwife, or other intensive care field. Taking a break will help you refill your own well so you’ll have enough to care for yourself before giving care to others.
Unplanned Time Off
Sometimes things happen that demand our attention. Recently, I broke my ankle one icy morning in early spring and needed surgery to repair the break. It was definitely not planned and caused me to scramble to figure things out for my life and business while I was recovering. As they say, shit happens.
Life doesn’t always accommodate your work schedule and it’s good to build flexibility into your schedule so you can take time away when you suddenly need to. This might look like...
Setting up your work in chunks that can be moved around to accommodate the unexpected
Creating content way ahead of time so that while you’re “out” it’s still being published
Hiring a virtual assistant who can continue to answer emails and do simple things for you
Creating services that can be done in project-based “chunks” so that you have built-in time off as needed
And so on. Unexpected life stuff really just requires a flexible mind and an understanding that running a business is always an adventure, especially in these situations. It also requires developing the kinds of relationships with your clients and customers that allows them to know you, the human. This will make them more compassionate when you need to say “sorry, I must reschedule” or “sorry, I need to put my shop on vacation” suddenly.
Ways to Approach Planning for Expected and Unexpected Time Off
I’ve put together a list of things to contemplate as you plan for time away from your business, be it a planned or unplanned break. While we like to focus on our business strategies and productivity, I urge you to also consider how you’ll make this part of your business strategy so that you’ll be prepared for those times when life and work intersect in surprising ways.
1. PLAN A SIGNIFICANT BREAK FROM WORK EVERY YEAR.
Please, just do it. You might not have the money to do so in the first couple of years, but at least make a plan for it to become an important part of your work as soon as you can make it happen. Work is part of life, but life is more important than work. Take time for yourself and the people you care about.
2. CONTEMPLATE WHAT YOU WOULD DO IN YOUR BUSINESS IF YOU WERE TO BE SUDDENLY CALLED AWAY FROM WORK.
Figure out what you would do for responding to emails, rescheduling appointments, and letting people know that your current projects need to be paused. Choose your clients wisely so that you’re working with people who will be compassionate to your situation instead of causing you more stress.
3. PROMOTE A CULTURE OF SELF-CARE IN YOUR BUSINESS.
This means prioritizing yourself. Establish work boundaries — do you have set hours for when people can contact you and expect a response? Do you have a firm boundary around working on weekends (at least for everyday sort of work)? Do you really need to give out your phone number or can you direct people to email you, message you in an app, or contact you in other boundary-respecting ways? Ensure that you always have time every week where you are completely disconnected from your business and your clients. Your mental health will thank you.
4. WORK ON YOUR BUSINESS FINANCES.
Money is such a pain point for so many people and, when it comes to running a business, it’s no different. You might just be making it hand-to-mouth in the early years of your business. But as soon as you can start making a financial plan that includes savings, definitely do it. Set aside the money you need to run your business (including paying your taxes), then divide the rest up into categories of need. Make sure one of those categories includes a significant savings for the unexpected. This will help tremendously if an accident were to happen or you just needed to take time off work for family or yourself.
5. PRIORITIZE YOUR OWN WELLNESS.
Just had a baby? Please take time off for your postpartum period. (Check out my blog post here on all the reasons why.) Plan to save up money so that you can take this time off. Hire a virtual assistant to take care of emails and such, so you can stay away from your work email and focus on your new baby. Your work can wait. Your baby is only tiny once and you only get those first few weeks for significant hormonal bonding. Can’t really take the time off? Hire some help and do the minimum possible (website automation is a gift in these situations). Rest and prioritize YOU as much as you possibly can.
6. TAKE 1-2 MONTHS OFF EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
Yes, you read that right. Especially if you work in a helping profession. Typical months that people with children love to take off from work include December and July. Build this time off into your calendar. Calculate how much you need to make each month to make this a possibility for you. Then make it a reality as soon as you possibly can. Guard your time off as precious and protect it. Life is short. Soak up as much of it as you can.
Building Flexibility into Your Business
Ultimately, the best thing you can do to protect yourself and your business is to build flexibility right into it. As you create strategies, think from a flexibility perspective. Run through “what-if” scenarios in your head. Create relationships with people who can step in to help you, as needed. Build networks with colleagues who care about you and want to help when you need it.
Always prioritize your self-care in your business, even if it means you earn a little less that quarter. A rested and happy business owner is someone who can create even more abundance down the road. A burnt-out business owner tends to be unproductive, therefore hurting earning potential and not giving fully to clients.