Having just returned from an excellent holiday (in Mauritius; highly recommended), I was thinking back to how I managed my business while I was away. This made me think about work-life balance and, in particular, holiday-work balance!
So, is it the same for everyone running a business? Probably not. In this context, I am talking about Business owners, with an emphasis on Solopreneurs.
Holidays are primarily for relaxing with family or friends with an overreaching intent to recharge the batteries to prevent burnout and reduce stress. Incidentally, this may include activities and exploration which would appear very “active”, but as these are different to ‘normal’ life, they do form part of R & R! After all, relaxation for some is getting lost in a book whereas, for others, it is trying something different (e.g. water skiing) or exploring a mountain or waterfall.
If you ARE the business (i.e., you don’t have any staff), it may be that your business cannot run without some of your attention while you are away. So, it does depend upon the nature of your job/business in terms of flexibility to manage your clients or any other contact (email, phone, etc.). This will drive the level of interaction—i.e., some form of quick check-in may not be too disruptive but will avoid major issues upon your return.
The use of technology is interesting as it can be either a bonus or disruptive! Laptops and Smartphones have made it so much easier to stay connected, but they can also be intrusive, which could lead to more business interaction/attention than is intended. Either way, it is probably a positive on balance, but it needs some level of scheduling to help maintain that balance.
In the world of small businesses (SMEs), work and personal time are inexorably linked. So, it is a question of setting/maintaining boundaries dependent upon personal preferences and expectations around family. This impacts relationships at home as well as personal preferences and the desire to disconnect (from business) and/or totally relax and immerse oneself into holiday mode!
In conclusion, I believe it is very difficult (sometimes impossible) to completely switch off from one’s business unless you have delegated staff who can pitch in ‘as you’. Therefore, I believe that Solopreneurs should maintain a healthy balance and set boundaries/limit work time in order to lead a healthy and relaxed holiday with their families.
I would welcome comments or a debate on this tricky subject!