Time to Get Away

Do you keep coming up with excuses for why you can’t take a vacation? Is your spa too busy during the summer season? Is money too tight? Your work ethic actually might be indicative of a deeper flaw in your spa’s overall business structure.
      Having to forgo vacation time may be a sign that your spa is not running efficiently, according to experts. “If the dollars that an owner makes are that critical to the survival of the company, it’s a symptom of a bigger problem,” says Neil Ducoff, salon and spa business consultant, and founder and CEO of Strategies in Centerbrook, CT. “Then the owner is the business.”
      To schedule some much-needed R&R, Ducoff offers the following tips:

Claim your vacation time in advance. Ducoff says it’s too easy for business owners to forsake personal time. By planning your vacation several months in advance, you can make sure systems are in place to run smoothly in your absence. Also, looking forward to a vacation can be motivating. “It’s a window of opportunity to know all the hard work you’re doing will have a payoff,” he says.

Yes, you can afford it. Depending on how you structure your business, a spa owner usually functions as an employee of the company. In other words, you deserve a paycheck. Pay yourself regularly by contributing to your annual vacation fund. Ducoff also suggests “mini-vacations” throughout the year, such as scheduling personal time at business conferences or training seminars in enjoyable locations.

Let go and allow your employees to do the same. Once you’re on vacation, leave your computer at the office and keep your cell phone turned off most of the time. Share your hotel information with one trusted employee in case of emergencies. “The one thing you have to do is stop checking in,” Ducoff says. “If you’re so paranoid about the business that you need to call a few times a day, that’s a symptom of a problem and you’re not actually on vacation.”

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Stay gone. For many high-functioning business owners, Ducoff says it takes several days to unwind and start enjoying the vacation. Ideally, he suggests taking two weeks off at a time. As your confidence grows, you may want to consider a longer sabbatical. “It’s an opportunity to ponder where you are, what you like and what changes you want to make,” Ducoff says. “If your business is sound, a sabbatical should be a wonderful opportunity for your leadership team to rise to the challenge and for you to come back and redefine your role.” Ducuff’s upcoming book, “No-Compromise Leadership,” is scheduled for release this fall. For more information, visit www.strategies.com.