The Business Owner’s Guide to Summer Vacation: 8 Essential Tips

Plan on working extra hard the week before.

Let’s face it – the week before you head on vacation is usually the pits. Don’t beat yourself up about it because the reality is that when you’re a business owner, this is usually just the way it is. The best thing you can do is anticipate that “hell week” beforehand and rest up so you can get through it with as much grace as possible.

Tell your clients early on and set expectations.

The worst thing for a client is surprises. They’re never good (unless it’s a surprise party in their honor!). Tell any clients who may be affected by your time away as early as you can, and then remind them as the dates approach. This way if they do get a bit huffy about it, you can gently remind them that they were informed more than once.

Decide how much you’ll unplug in advance.

Every business is different, and only you can decide how much you’re able to unplug. While going without ANY email for a whole week or longer can be pure bliss for some, others may feel a whole lot LESS stressed if they check in for 20 minutes a day to stay generally abreast. You know yourself. Decide what will work best for you, and whatever it is, just go with it. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable with your check-in plan so you can enjoy your vacation to the fullest.

Give yourself a day or two to ease into a vacation mindset.

Isn’t it funny how we expect ourselves to go from running around like a crazy person to experiencing total relaxation in the span of minutes? Our brains simply don’t work that way. An object in motion wants to stay in motion, so after your crazy week of wrapping up loose ends, relaxing can (and probably will) feel a bit strange at first. You might feel guilty about it or even MORE stressed than you were before because now you’re out of the loop. Plan for these feelings ahead of time and give yourself a day or two to ease in so you’re not caught off guard.

Have a plan for emergencies.

First of all, what constitutes an emergency? Decide on this beforehand so you (and your team members if you have any) know when it’s necessary for you to get involved. And secondly, what happens in case of emergencies? Having a plan beforehand means less stress for you if it actually happens.

Get your autoresponder right.

Ah, the art of the autoresponder. A few tips that I follow: first, keep it short and sweet. No need to ramble on or get into details. Second, keep the tone friendly. You can thank them for writing or say you’re looking forward to connecting upon your return. Third, if possible, let them know roughly when you’ll be getting back to them so their expectations are set.

Come up with a mantra for if you get anxious about being disconnected.

We hope this doesn’t happen but it’s possible you might start to feel like you can’t relax on your vacation because you’re so caught up with thinking about your business! If you start experiencing this, a simple mantra can be a great way to recenter and remind yourself why you’re taking a vacation in the first place. Below are a few ideas to get you started.

Whatever I’m missing right now, it will not make or break my business. I choose to be here and be present.

I’ve worked hard and now it’s my time to relax. I’m proud of myself for giving myself this break.

Pre-plan time to catch up when you return.

Ever made the mistake of scheduling meetings on your first day back? We’ve all done it once. If you can, give yourself one, two, or even three (you’re in control after all!) days to play catch-up before you schedule any meetings or engagements. Not only will this give you a chance to get back on top of things after your trip, but it will also minimize the anxiety that can happen at the end of your vacation due to fear of the workload waiting for you. Be kind to yourself and take care of yourself as best you can.

In Closing

Yes, you love your work. But you also NEED that vacation and even more so you DESERVE it. Don’t let the planning involved get in the way of an awesome and rewarding break from your work. For your next trip away, follow the steps above as much as you can and see for yourself. Above all, the primary goal is that during your vacation you can have more time being in and enjoying the moment. I wholeheartedly believe that good preparation can allow you to have that.