Vacations Spent At Home. Staycations — vacations spent at home — have become a common option for many people looking to cut expenses during the recession. Granted, staycations zap the cost of lodging, gas, plane tickets and other vacation expenses, but they can be problematic for entrepreneurs whose lives are intertwined in a business that may be a scant mile or two away. For those people to get away, they really need to get away — literally.
Happily, it's not impossible for entrepreneurs and small-business owners to enjoy a happy, rejuvenating vacation while remaining within the confines of home — but it does mandate some planning.
Here are five things small-business people can do to achieve their own dream staycations:
Vacations Spent At Home
Plan like you’re going out of town
Nothing sabotages a staycation faster than taking a hands-off, we'll-see-what-we-feel-like-doing approach. Not to suggest needlessly stressful, obsessive planning, but it's important to set specific goals of just what you want to do during a staycation. That might involve day trips, beach outings or that bestseller you’re itching to read, but it's essential to plan ahead so inactivity and indecision don't drive you back to work.
Says Clayton, Missouri, public relations consultant Iris Salsman: "First, I select a couple of good books that I haven't had time to read. Then I get a copy of the most recent tourist publications and make a list of everything in a 60-mile radius that I've never seen or haven't visited in a long time. Then I make a schedule to visit one attraction each day."
Act like you're on vacation
Adherence to your usual routine can also torpedo otherwise well-intentioned staycations. Break out of your everyday mold. If you’re an early riser on workdays, stay up later and make a point to sleep in. Eat out more often. Unplug the television. "If you went on vacation to the cottage or the Caribbean, you wouldn't be watching TV," says Internet marketer Nicole Dean. "You don't want this to feel like every other day at home."
Hire good employees, then trust them
No small-business owner wants anything but the most energetic, dedicated people on staff. If you’re planning a staycation, let those talented folks do their jobs to the utmost. Delegate responsibility and decision-making in your absence and have confidence that your people will make the right calls. Make it crystal clear what they can handle and the sorts of emergencies that mandate your involvement.
"It helps to have good employees who can be empowered to make decisions in my absence," says Donnie Austin, owner of House Wine, a wine shop in Worthington, Ohio. "We set boundaries for what's really dire and needs my attention. For other matters for which I normally make the call, the employees take care of it. When I get back, we regroup, discuss what happened and move forward."
If you feel the need to be involved, try planning instead of managing
For many small-business owners, the idea of being totally detached from a nearby business simply isn't plausible. If that's your position, map out what you plan to do work-wise along with all the fun stuff. In particular, try earmarking time for long-range planning in lieu of putting out the usual everyday fires. The down time may be just the ticket to spark fresh, creative thinking.
"I not only stayed at home, but I used the time to conduct strategic planning for my business and my life," says Cara Stewart of WunderMarx|PR in Tustin, California. "I thought about the direction of my company and charted a course for the upcoming year. I not only emerged truly excited about our business, but re-engaged in how to make it stand out."
Be ready when you get back to work
If your staycation has been the refreshing interlude it's supposed to be, you'll return to work ready to hit the ground running. Like after any other time away, be ready to play catch-up for the first few days or so that you're back. Knowing what's in store can help smooth the transition. "The first two days back were hectic. We specifically left the schedule open for those two days to catch up and do what was needed," says Hannah Oliphant of Tyler LearningRx in Tyler, Texas, which helps students improve school skills. "By the next day, you couldn't tell we were ever gone except we were more relaxed, less upset about the struggle, and our kids were happier. This is what we learned: Nothing was different when we came back. The messages were there waiting, the hundreds of e-mails were there waiting and all was fine." [ businessonmain ]
Happily, it's not impossible for entrepreneurs and small-business owners to enjoy a happy, rejuvenating vacation while remaining within the confines of home — but it does mandate some planning.
Here are five things small-business people can do to achieve their own dream staycations:
Vacations Spent At Home
Plan like you’re going out of town
Nothing sabotages a staycation faster than taking a hands-off, we'll-see-what-we-feel-like-doing approach. Not to suggest needlessly stressful, obsessive planning, but it's important to set specific goals of just what you want to do during a staycation. That might involve day trips, beach outings or that bestseller you’re itching to read, but it's essential to plan ahead so inactivity and indecision don't drive you back to work.
Says Clayton, Missouri, public relations consultant Iris Salsman: "First, I select a couple of good books that I haven't had time to read. Then I get a copy of the most recent tourist publications and make a list of everything in a 60-mile radius that I've never seen or haven't visited in a long time. Then I make a schedule to visit one attraction each day."
Act like you're on vacation
Adherence to your usual routine can also torpedo otherwise well-intentioned staycations. Break out of your everyday mold. If you’re an early riser on workdays, stay up later and make a point to sleep in. Eat out more often. Unplug the television. "If you went on vacation to the cottage or the Caribbean, you wouldn't be watching TV," says Internet marketer Nicole Dean. "You don't want this to feel like every other day at home."
Hire good employees, then trust them
No small-business owner wants anything but the most energetic, dedicated people on staff. If you’re planning a staycation, let those talented folks do their jobs to the utmost. Delegate responsibility and decision-making in your absence and have confidence that your people will make the right calls. Make it crystal clear what they can handle and the sorts of emergencies that mandate your involvement.
"It helps to have good employees who can be empowered to make decisions in my absence," says Donnie Austin, owner of House Wine, a wine shop in Worthington, Ohio. "We set boundaries for what's really dire and needs my attention. For other matters for which I normally make the call, the employees take care of it. When I get back, we regroup, discuss what happened and move forward."
If you feel the need to be involved, try planning instead of managing
For many small-business owners, the idea of being totally detached from a nearby business simply isn't plausible. If that's your position, map out what you plan to do work-wise along with all the fun stuff. In particular, try earmarking time for long-range planning in lieu of putting out the usual everyday fires. The down time may be just the ticket to spark fresh, creative thinking.
"I not only stayed at home, but I used the time to conduct strategic planning for my business and my life," says Cara Stewart of WunderMarx|PR in Tustin, California. "I thought about the direction of my company and charted a course for the upcoming year. I not only emerged truly excited about our business, but re-engaged in how to make it stand out."
Be ready when you get back to work
If your staycation has been the refreshing interlude it's supposed to be, you'll return to work ready to hit the ground running. Like after any other time away, be ready to play catch-up for the first few days or so that you're back. Knowing what's in store can help smooth the transition. "The first two days back were hectic. We specifically left the schedule open for those two days to catch up and do what was needed," says Hannah Oliphant of Tyler LearningRx in Tyler, Texas, which helps students improve school skills. "By the next day, you couldn't tell we were ever gone except we were more relaxed, less upset about the struggle, and our kids were happier. This is what we learned: Nothing was different when we came back. The messages were there waiting, the hundreds of e-mails were there waiting and all was fine." [ businessonmain ]
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