Why taking a break can be the BEST thing for your business

Let’s face it, as business owners and entrepreneurs we tend to be workaholics. Our minds are constantly buzzing with new ideas, adding tasks to our never-ending ‘to-do’ lists, thinking of how to improve our services and products.

It can sometimes feel impossible to switch off - let alone take a break! (particularly if you are a small business or a solopreneur who keeps it all ticking over and have worked so hard to make your business the success it is today.) 

But without a break, you not only run the risk of burnout, but you are also missing out on the potential to grow and boost your business.

First of all, let’s look at:

How to recognise when it’s time for a break…  

Taking a break is the best thing for your business because it’s the best thing for you. You can’t run on an empty tank and neither can your business. 

If you recognise any of the following tell-tale signs in yourself (or in your business buddies), I’d advise you book that break, pronto! 

• You’re irritable, angry and often so tired that you can't string two thoughts together 
• You’re burnt out, overwhelmed, and dropping balls left right and centre 
• You cannot switch off (this an essential skill that all business owners need to master)
• The little things feel like big issues – even though you know you're being a bit silly
• You’re struggling to sleep, and wake up in the night with that niggling thought about that thing you can’t quite identify
• You’re not 'present' in the room with family, friends, partners 

I must admit, I’ve experienced a few of these things myself - it’s hard not to when you care so deeply about the success of your business.

Why taking a break is a non-negotiable for all business owners:

This may sting a little, but I’m going to be honest with you: your business is not healthy if you cannot walk away from it. 

If business is booming but you’re working your socks off to keep up, you may be saving a couple of quid on staff, but you’re actually stunting your business’ growth. 

While you are at the centre of your business all of the time it will not grow, you need to learn to let go and trust others. This is especially true of bigger SMEs where you want to exit in the future, or step away into a more strategic role or invest in other businesses leaving the operational side of your primary business to others. 

If this is you, then here are my top tips for putting the structures in place to help your business thrive and scale to success without you: 

1. Take a total break - Ensure your breaks are something you enjoy and force you to be away from your mobile/laptop. For example, choose a remote location with poor wifi, go fishing, biking, camping - in our case, we often choose caravanning and touring. Wifi is usually absolutely rubbish and unreliable - particularly overseas. You don’t want any temptation to be glued to your electronics.  
2. Look at who you trust to keep your business ticking over - my operations manager keeps up the messaging about my online offerings and my Virtual Assistant (VA) ensures my diary is up to date – she also answers urgent emails. 
3. Use a telephone answer service – I use a service that takes all of my calls and they liaise with my VA on anything that needs action. If it’s an emergency, I have given them an alternative number to reach me – which is not given to others. 
4. Inform clients privately (if relevant) and let them know when you'll be back. After all, the mantra is ‘stay in touch’ not ‘be in touch’. 

A break is part of the bigger business picture…

Of course, there are tons of reasons why you should take a break, but here’s what helps me:

• It allows you to switch off and just 'be' wherever you are - for me this takes about 48 hours to completely switch off.
• Stop overthinking it - sometimes by just 'being' and not 'thinking' the answers just arrive, or you come to a realisation or acceptance of something quite naturally. 
• You feel refreshed and energised - you can feel dog tired and drained without realising how bad it is. This also means when you take time off you can get quite ill. 
• Don't have an agenda, let your time off flow - it's fine to be bored, it's fine to just walk, it's fine to just read or watch films all day. It’s fine to just be.
• On the last day of your time off - ask yourself this: are you excited to be going back to your business? If not, then you need to ask yourself if it's time to do something different. If you are, can you keep operating in this way? If you’ve decided you need some help then do something about it. What you do might require the help of a coach, however, one of the solutions they’re likely to suggest if you’re overwhelmed is usually outsourcing or delegation. 

So next time you’re making excuses not to take the break, think about all the good it can do for you and your business. Your business’ vision, strategy and drive may come from you, but growth always comes by working with others - there is just no way around that.