You started a business for freedom.

Freedom to make choices, decisions and of course; your time.

Before you start your business you think; I can take a vacation anytime I want! No problem.

But, once you have clients you realize that it’s a bit harder to leave for any length of time.

This does not mean it isn’t possible – it is your life and you should enjoy it and take time away from your business to really disconnect and recharge. It just takes a little bit of planning!

There are a few things you can do to get your business ready for your time away.

Communicate with your clients:

Your clients depend on you. Once you know of your time off, let each client know the dates you are away and make sure to communicate whether or not you are reachable during that time. Tip: Tell your clients you will be away a day or two longer than you are so that you have time to play a little catch up and make yourself a to-do list without interruptions. This will help your sanity and ease you back into your daily routines. This is also a good idea in case something were to happen like a cancelled flight, it gives you a little bit of wiggle room.

Delegate:

If you have things on your plate that you don’t need to do yourself, pass those tasks off. It can be hard as business owners to pass things off, but it’s not always the best use of your time to do everything. This is super important when you have a team or even just one person working with you. Try not to take vacations at the same time so that the other person can deal with the day to day things while you are away.

Plan:

Plan out your content, blogs, and schedule what you can. Anything that can be done in advance, get those done ahead of time. There are lots of great schedulers out there that you can use to make sure your social media is taken care of while you are away (we use Later and Tailwind). You might be thinking – why do I need posts going out if I’m away – my clients know that I’m gone. Here’s the thing – a lot more people are watching what you are doing besides your clients so you don’t want it to appear like you’ve fallen off the face of the earth to those people who you haven’t told you’re on holidays.

Shut off:

Once you’ve told your clients and organized everything you can, it’s time to shut it off! If you can’t help but check your emails and social media notifications consider deleting the apps for the time you’re away. If you are nervous about emergencies coming up – that is when you use someone else to check in on things. As hard as it can be to really truly disconnect, it is so needed to help you destress and refocus!

Trust that you’ve done everything you can to prepare your business for your absence. It’s time to relax and take your well-deserved break. ENJOY!

Do you have any tips for taking time away? Share them in the comments below!