When you’re a franchise/business owner, you’re pretty much always busy. There are no set hours, there is no “lunch break”; you’re always going and working for your business. That’s the nature of the game and we commend that. There is an unbelievable amount of sacrifice that goes into being a successful business owner. So, you might be surprised at the title of this article— we get it, but we’re hoping that this may change your mind a little about it (for the better).
If you can’t remember the last time that you truly unplugged, you’re not alone. We live in a continuously connected world— where everyone is accessible at virtually any time. We’re going to tell you right of the bat that this way of life isn’t healthy. In fact, staying “alert” 24-7 has some serious health consequences.Continuous high levels of stress can cause heart disease, sleep problems, skin conditions, depression, digestive problems, and weight problems— not to mention the cognitive, emotional, physical and behavioral symptoms of constant stress overload. As business owners, we chalk all the above to being, well, business owners. However, we shouldn’t because it’s safe to say that your business runs better with you actively in it.
The idea of planning a vacation makes you strategically think ahead. It allows you time to plan out what needs to be done in order of importance. It also enables you to assess your employees to see which ones you trust to execute the daily on goings of your business and to manage your staff in your absence. This might be a good way for you to start process of delegating duties to these trusted individuals, which will lighten your workload, while you assess their capabilities in a “test mode”, if you will.
The simple truth is that when you’re on a deadline, your focus intensifies. This enables you to cut through the day-to-day clutter in order to make the workflow streamlined before you leave. Use the fact that you have a set timeframe to get specific established goals completed to get motivated.
The truth is that some businesses seem to fail when their owners are not watching every move, however, the reality is that those businesses were already failing long before. If you have a built a team of trusted, hard-working individuals that put your company’s best interests first, you could go away for however long and your business would be fine. With anything, success is largely influenced by who you surround yourself with (both in and outside the office). Planning for a vacation can be compared to preparing to entrust individuals with your child. You’re essentially taking this time to assess whether or not certain people should be qualified to care for it, those who could excel at it and help get everyone motivated to complete any outstanding deliverables. Plus, you can’t remember the last time you disconnected, it’s time for a vacation!