Top tips to manage your business over school holidays

Next week is spring break here in Scotland and the UK, and while I am looking forward to having more time with my girls and my family, I'm also anticipating the stress and overwhelm that can come with trying to keep my business going while I 'take a break.'

When you're self employed, there is no one to just cover for you when you take a holiday. You can't pass some work off to a coworker or get your boss to stay on top of things because you are ALL of those people. You're the admin, the marketer, the PR associate, the accountant AND the maker or service provider to name a few. If you decide to take time off, these things are simply not getting done.

The thing is though- you deserve a break. You need one. So if you're wondering how you can juggle your kids and your business while still enjoying the holiday time? I've put together some top tips to manage your business over the school holidays- without stress and anxiety running the show (or the need to work for hours once the kids are in bed).

Why taking a break from your business is important

We all need a break. You cannot be "on" all the time, with the business burner on high 24/7, 365 days a year. I can tell you from experience that this leads to burn out. Resentment. Losing the passion and energy and enthusiasm for your business. Human beings need a break from work- and that includes those of us who are self employed. Good old google AI tells us that "People need holidays from work to reduce stress, improve mental and physical health, and boost overall well-being, leading to increased productivity and job satisfaction when they return."

And if you take a little read into this article by The Happiness Index, you'll quickly see that a break from your day to day work life isn't just a luxury, it's a necessity.

But how can we take a proper break when we are worried about our business staying afloat?

We all deserve time away from our business and our work- time to recharge and reset and just be in the moment with the people we love. But that can be really hard to do when we are worried about our livelihood. We don't get paid holidays, and if we want to make sure there is work waiting for us there when we come back, we need to make sure we are organized enough to take that break and know that things will be running smoothly in the background while we do.

So how can we take that much needed time away, be in the moment and NOT be stressing about our small business imploding while we are away from our laptops and phones? I've been self employed for eight years now, and a mum for almost as long- and I've learned the hard way how important it is to take a proper break. Thankfully, I've also learned a few things about how to make that happen- while ensuring my business will be ready for me when I come back.

How to plan for time off from your business

The earlier you can plan your holidays, the better- no matter what you do. When my oldest daughter started school, I started blocking out the school holidays in my diary as soon as they were published. Does that mean I never take work on for any days she is off? No- but it does mean I'm not caught by surprise.

If I am just taking a day or two off, I don't need to adjust my workload too much- I can make up those hours in the evenings or even on the weekends if need be. But if I want to take a week or two off from work, I need to:

1) Adjust my workload for that month. If I'm taking two out of four weeks off in the month, I need to reduce the amount of client work I take on by half- possibly more.

2) Plan in some flex time for the projects I'm working on before that holiday, in case they run longer than planned. I need to know that there are some extra hours available to me if I need them so that I can finish up that work before I go. That way I don't end up having to work on my holiday, or let my clients down by not having their work done by the agreed upon timeframe.

3) Consider taking on less in the first week I'm back. I'll likely need some time to catch up on emails and admin, plan out some new social content and get back in the awing of things. Depending on where we've travelled to, I may also be dealing with jetlag (not fun for anyone, but especially not with kids) and have disrupted sleep or extra childcare needs, for example. Knowing that first week back will be an adjustment, and planning accordingly covers me for whatever might come up.

Top tips for keeping your business running smoothly while you take a holiday

1) Set up an out of office- and stick to it! Let your clients know you will be off on holiday to manage expectations and share that information publicly too- on your socials, your voicemail and your email too. That way no one will be expecting a response until you're back- and you can rest easy knowing that.

2) If you're worried about not posting on social media for the length of your holiday, schedule some content in. Whether you do it right through the app or use a scheduling app to plan out your posts you can make it look like you're working even when you're sitting on a beach somewhere.

3) Think about outsourcing. If you get a lot of emails with fairly urgent responses required? Think about hiring a VA who can help you out regularly- and take on more when you do want a holiday. (This has been a game changer for me- my VA is on a monthly retainer, and she often covers more during holidays and busy times so I can take a real break. She even covered my admin while I was on maternity leave- that's a story for another day). If you struggle with an every-busy workload, think about outsourcing some of the tasks you don't have to do yourself. A lot of photographers hire editors to help them through busy times- could you set up a relationship with an editor and book in extra time with them to keep on top of your editing while you're away? Different services will work for different businesses, so have a think about what the best option is for you.

How to turn your business brain off so you can just enjoy your holiday

This is easier said than done- and I'd be lying if I said I was an expert at it. But there are some things that help me to be in the moment, even if that means I have to acknowledge the business thoughts when they come up and find a way to put them in a box until I'm back.

1) Turning notifications off of my phone- and staying off my phone as much as possible in general. I use my phone to snap photos and videos and I'll probably spend a bit of time on instagram, if I'm honest- but other than that I'm trying to stay off my work email, off my business social accounts and away from the constant notification- dopamine cycle that is so hard to break. Sometimes I even delete apps off my phone before I go so I'm not tempted to "just do a quick check." The added hassle of having to download an app or sign in on the web browser is usually enough to remind me that it can wait.

2) Journalling/ brain dumping. This is still a relatively new concept for me- but it helps a lot when you have a busy/neurodivergent brain and are struggling with all the thoughts of things you "need" to do. If you wake up feeling anxious or find yourself sitting at breakfast thinking about all the work waiting for you when you come back, try taking five minutes to just write down everything spinning through your head. Just getting those thoughts down on paper means you have acknowledged they are there, you've jotted them down so you won't forget them and then you can move on and enjoy your day.

3) Practice mindfulness and self care. Feeling stressed and anxious? Take a few minutes to yourself. Get some exercise. Sit down with a book for 15 minutes. Often taking a quiet moment or doing something to relieve that stress, in whatever way best works for you, is enough to shift your mindset and give you the endorphins you need to just be in the moment again. Movement is my stress relief, and I notice a massive difference in my ability to focus on what's in front of me and keep my anxieties and busy brain at day when I've been active.

And finally- a few important things to remember about taking a holiday as a solopreneur

1) You are the boss- and you set the rules. If you decide you want to post some holiday snaps halfway through your time off- that's ok! If you feel like writing a blog post, or taking a peek at your emails so there are less to go through when you get back- have at it! And do it without guilt. A holiday is about spending your time the way you want- so as much as we all need a break from work, you get to decide what that looks like.

2) Your business will be there when you get back- even if you haven't done any of the things I outlined above. In the past eight years, my business has survived:

• two maternity leaves

• two returns to work with varying degrees of change throughout

• a global pandemic

• numerous holidays- sometimes long weekends, sometimes several weeks away- often overseas

• three flat sales and one house purchase- plus all the corresponding renovations that went with it (the latest of which we are still in the midst of, almost three years later)

• a devastating diagnosis for my youngest daughter- and a year of figuring out how to navigate disability parenting and advocacy alongside all my other roles (more on my disability parenting journey here- in case you're in the same boat, or just curious about our story)

  
  

It has not been an easy road- and I have not done things perfectly. I have learned as a I went, always the hard way, and despite all of that I have two thriving businesses that have grown year upon year in the midst of all that chaos. Taking ten days off to enjoy some sun and some time with my family? That's norhing in the grand scheme of things.

3) The only way you can know what's going to work for you and your business is to give it a try. Embrace the "mistakes", learn from them, and plan differently next time. Know that we are all just figuring this out as we go along- and somehow we all manage to keep things afloat regardless.

I hope these top tips to manage your business over the school holidays have empowered you with the confidence to take that well deserved time "off"

School holidays are not exactly a "break" from your responsibilities, but they can be a break from your business if you play your cards right. I hope this post has given you some reassurance that you CAN take a holiday and your business will live to tell the tale. And I hope you are taking some well deserved time off- whether it's on spring break, in the summer, or whenever your schedule allows (and your body tells you it's time to).

If you're finding it hard to structure your business in a way that works for you- drop me a message. I offer power hour sessions where we can tackle your current challenge(s) together and one to one mentorship to identify and implement the changes that will make your business fit your life, and help you to achieve your next business goals. Get in touch here or at hello@rhiannonlouden.co.uk.

Now go enjoy some well deserved time off- I know I will be!