Tweet

Take A Vacation To Improve Your Results

Written by: Dave Ferguson

Article Overview: Do you own a business or does it own you? Sometimes it requires getting away from the business to improve results.

Take A Vacation To Improve Your Results

Do you own your business or does it own you?

It's a simple question, but the answer can get complicated. One of the most accurate tests is whether you can take a day off and have the business continue without your input. Can you take a week off? More?

It's not a question of whether you would take the time off. That's a decision you'll have to make for yourself. It's a question of whether you have the people and procedures in place to continue running your business if you are not there. It might not be an issue for you right now, but what if you were injured in an accident or were hospitalized? What would your employees do? Who would manage the business?

Some people I've talked to enjoy their business so much that it's like being on vacation every day. For the rest of us, though, it's important to take some time off. It's one of the few ways we can gain some perspective. It's the difference between being stuck in urban traffic and flying at 30,000 feet.

In traffic we are unable to see the whole picture, our focus is on the time that is passing and the vehicles in our immediate vicinity. But, from the higher vantage point we are able to see this congestion as just a small area on a much larger landscape that is mostly open space. In the day-to-day grind, it's hard to see that landscape of opportunity.

From a higher vantage point, you can look at what other businesses, including your competition, are doing. You can begin to see your business in a larger context, just one among many. They might be doing some things you would like to try or some things you thought about doing and see no need to try. Either way, it will save you time and money.

But, how can you take a vacation if it feels like you can't get away? Step one is to commit to the idea that you can. Begin by setting a date, one that allows you enough time to manage the expense and put procedures and people into place to keep the business running while you are gone.

Once you have these ready to go, test them by taking a day or two off. You will be able to see what works and what doesn't. It will give you the time to tweak the plan and it will make you more confident that it will work. Even for a sole practitioner in a service business, it could be as simple as deciding when you will be on vacation, letting your customers know, and telling them what to do in an emergency.

Take the opportunity to get away and you will probably find yourself spending more time working on your business than in your business. You will have more energy, you will make better decisions and you'll probably have more fun.

Related Articles
  Summertime Blues
  Working on Vacation
  Running Your Home Business While Traveling
  Be Happy and Healthy Take a Vacation
  Rest Relaxation and Recreation

Article Tags: accurate tests, congestion, landscape, open space, perspective, time and money, time off, urban traffic, vantage point, vicinity



Related Forum Posts
$500,000 Give-away - I like dreaming so here goes... note: I didn't have much time to dream this up... 1. pay off my mom's mortgage 2. Take family (mom and brothers) on Vacation - probably send each one off to their own destinaton - no need to mix pleasure and family members. 3. buy some beach front property in the US 4. Invest in a business 5. Buy myself some nice suits and shirts.
Re: Moderators on vacation - Vacation was great! Lots of boating, swimming, sun bathing, and over eating! Yes, I am having a heck of a time getting re-focused. I've been back for over a week now and still haven't gotten a single thing done business wise. To make it even worse, I am in the process of planning another 10 day vacation for next month so my mind isn't coming out of vacation mode.
Re: What I Enjoyed Reading This Week - Oct 14 - I really enjoyed the Improve your vision with an app article in the New Scientist. I don't wear glasses and think a lot of people cripple their vision by wearing specs from an early age instead of exercising their eyes... Nice to see someone has developed an ap that will help.
Creativity generation from the Office - Here's what i got from people in the Office: 1. On the Toilet while reading 2. While walking the dog 3. While networking 4. While relaxing on the beach on Vacation (expensive method huh!) 5. While writing in a Journal 6. While reading past entries in my Journal 7. While cutting the grass 8. While jammin on an instrument (several people mentioned different instruments) 9. dreaming (day or at night) 10. while commuting in the Subway (some mentioned that the subway ads gave them ideas)
Current Status Idea - Greetings All I recently wasn't able to come on the forums for about a month and a half recently due to going on holidays, moving house and having extra pressure on at work. I was thinking about this and thought that everyone would believe that I only came on for a month to win a prize therefore possibly decreasing my credibility. In saying this, is possible add an option in the Profiles called "Current Status" that allows a user to select an option like "On Vacation", "Out of the state", "Away", "Overseas" etc (maybe displays in brackets next to the username) so that everyone knows they are actually unable to participate in the forums at any given time during the year? Kind regards TheAnonymousMan


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

SEO Link Popularity and the Home Business Website

What Type of Business Should I Start?

Smart & Simple Internet Techniques

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.