Staycation or vacation? Take a break

The survey shows that 14 per cent of the 1,000 business owners are scrapping foreign getaways altogether, whilst 38 per cent are staying closer to home. Those who are jetting off are taking less time off than in previous years, putting them at risk of burnout.

But while Jonathan Elliott, managing director of Make It Cheaper, advocates taking holidays, he says you shouldn’t go incommunicado, either.

“This is important downtime and shouldn’t be cut short because you’re worried about the business,” he explains. “It’s better to have a way of staying in touch and to have the peace of mind that, if something major happens, you’ll get to know about it.”

Annual holidays are an essential time to rest and recuperate, but they don’t have to be entirely unproductive, either.

“Being horizontal on a sunlounger is the perfect opportunity for business owners to read up on the latest management books and dream up new ways of increasing profits while reducing overheads,” Elliott adds.

Beverly Lay, founder of All Things Original, can certainly relate to this. Although she confesses that it’s hard for her to switch off, she uses this to her advantage and remains in constant contact. 

“The business ‐ or at least my Blackberry ‐ comes with me everywhere I go; so strictly speaking, I haven’t had a real break since I started my business,” she explains.

So why are our entrepreneurs hesitant to hand someone else the reins? A concerned 31 per cent admitted to being scared of leaving their business behind due to the economic climate, despite nearly two-thirds recognising the dangers of a melt-down.

Are you going on holiday this year? How do you ensure your business will run smoothly? Any tips?

Picture source

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