Taking a Vacation as a Business Owner: Yes, It Can Be Done

By Victoria Stoklasa, CEO

Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting Athens. My husband presented at the International Pynchon Week conference, while I spent time soaking up the history and culture of Greece. Since I'm a business owner, however, this meant being responsible in how I manage my company so that there would be no hiccups in our delivery for clients. In the scramble to prepare for our trip, and during the trip itself, here are the lessons I learned for business owners who want to take a vacation but are afraid of leaving their business behind.

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Front-Load Your Work

In the weeks before your vacation, budget some extra time to take care of the stuff that you won't be able to do while you're traveling. Schedule social media posts, meet with prospective clients, and sort out any financial information. Notice that I said "in the weeks before", and not "in the days before". Do not (I repeat: DO NOT) try to scramble in the last couple of days before you fly out. You will not finish what you need to finish.

Know How and When to Delegate

Business owners are often Type A--they are the "if you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself" sort of people. However, it pays to trust other people in your business to handle important work. Had it not been for my ability to hand off projects to some of my associates, I would have spent a huge swath of time working on projects for clients instead of visiting the Acropolis or going to the beach.

Let People Know You'll Be Gone

This was my biggest failure--I had forgotten to let a couple of clients know that I would be out of the country. Fortunately, it did not result in any problems, but that doesn't mean that not being clear about your travel plans can't result in a fiasco. Inform any contacts you're working closely with when you'll be traveling, and set up an away message on both your phone and email for any impromptu communication from potential clients.

Budget Your Time and Have Fun

I'm incredibly lucky that my work is so portable; many of my projects can be done from my laptop. Unfortunately, this can cause me to get glued to said laptop and forget the world around me as I tap away at my work. That's why I had to give myself a schedule: I would spend certain hours of the day doing work for my business, and certain hours exploring Athens and enjoying myself. The result was that I got a lot of tasks accomplished and still was able to enjoy myself at historical sites and museums.

What is your best advice for taking a vacation from your business? Leave a comment and let us know!