Attention Small Business Owners: You Need a Vacation!

Running a business is hard work. Now that summer is here, it’s time for you to schedule some well-deserved time off.
 
On average, business owners work 50 hours a week while some work more than 60 hours a week. Sam’s Club commissioned a survey on how many small business owners took vacation to rejuvenate from their long hours. Fifty percent of those surveyed only take major holidays off or nothing at all.

When you’re the owner of a small company it can be hard to think about taking a vacation. There are several reasons for not taking one: you’re too busy, there’s no one to take care of the work when you’re not on the premises, and what if something happens while you’re gone? Who will step in?
 
Vacations are possible and should be made a priority. It’s important to your health and the longevity of your company. By preparing your company to operate while you’re on vacations, you are also preparing your company to survive if you have an emergency or illness that takes you away for an extended period of time.

Here are a few ideas for taking some worry-free time away from work.

1. Plan vacations around your slow time. For instance, bakeries don’t do as much business during the summer months. Some bakeries close for a week or two during this time. They always post their plans for customers to know in plenty of time and they close during the same time every year.
2. Don't schedule anything to go "live" (i.e., a new website, a major website redesign, big mailing, big ad campaign) right before you leave or while you're away. The reason: you don't want to be dealing with last minute problems or mistakes as you're about to get on a plane, or when your family is waiting for you to get in the car so you can start exploring the national park you chose to visit.
3. Delegate your work that has to be done while you are gone. Make sure the people you delegate tasks to know how to do them to your satisfaction. Have your employee(s) do the task a couple of times before you leave so you can rest assured they know what to do.
4. Make sure your employees have the contacts and information needed so if the computer crashes, or the ice machine or the air conditioning breaks, they know who to call.
5. Establish a second-in-command for urgent matters in order to give yourself the best possible break. This person should be someone you trust completely to make decisions on your behalf. But they should also be someone who isn’t afraid to make those decisions without having to interrupt your vacation. Have a few trial runs before your big vacation by taking a day or two where you take off and see how they do and if they need additional training.
6. Enjoy yourself! Have faith that the people you hired and trained will do what needs to be done while you recharge your batteries.

The more you plan ahead and prepare your staff for what needs to be done on a daily basis – with or without you – the more you can rest assured things will run smoothly in your absence. This will allow you to properly relax and enjoy yourself during your well-deserved vacation.

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Allied National

Founded in 1970, Allied is one of the nation's oldest and most experienced third-party administrators. Allied National is a 90 Degree Benefits Company, a subsidiary of Blue Cross Blue Shield Alabama. As the small group benefit experts, Allied works with small business employers to provide unique and affordable group health benefits.