The kids are out of school, the first day of summer is this Tuesday, and Father’s Day is Sunday. These are all reasons to take some time off to be with the family, right?
Not if you’re a small business owner, you may think. But really, it’s healthy and rewarding for an entrepreneur to take a vacation once in a while.
Not many did last summer, according to a study of 500 small business owners released in early June by American Express. The study shows that only 46 percent of business owners are planning to take a vacation this year, down from 67 percent in 2006. A majority took no vacation last summer, listing busy work schedules, gas prices, airfare and the uncertain economy as reasons.
You probably thought that when you started your business, you’d have the freedom to come and go as you pleased. Not true, of course. The reasons listed in the study, as well as a host of others, prevent most from leaving it all behind and traipsing off to Disneyworld, the family cabin, Des Moines, Bora Bora or even just sitting at home with a cold Corona (or three).
But as Jay Goltz says in the New York Times' small business blog, “If you can take a vacation, take a vacation. There is always more you can do at work, there is always something more you can spend money on — excuse me, I mean invest in. There is always some paranoia about what might happen when you are not there. You are not alone. It is an occupational hazard. But the place will be there when you return. And a vacation will do you good. Besides, your employees can probably use a break from you, too.”
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You may not want to think the last line is true, but it is. They're probably sick of you. When you leave for a bit, it can increase productivity, camaraderie among employees and just give everyone a much-needed breather.
So drop the excuses, look at your budget and see what you can do. If anything, stay home for a few days. Reports have shown that taking a long weekend has the same effects on productivity as two weeks.
If you need help with tips on how to pull yourself away from your biz, Intuit has a handy infographic for you.
