Why you need to take time off from your small business
If you have a small business that is forced to close during the summer due to a holidaying customer base, take it as a blessing, not a curse, writes Chryssie Swarbrick.
As a small business owner, it’s incredibly difficult to yank yourself away from the ever-consuming demands of work and take some time for yourself.
But sometimes, whether you like it or not, it’s better to close than stay open.
For us, a small cafe located in a sea of residential neighbours in Melbourne’s north, closing over the Christmas break made sense. Most of our young employees are from interstate and wanted to go home for the holidays. My sister and I, the co-owners of Two Franks, are both parents of young kids and need time to be there for them.
Our location lends itself to a holiday closure, too. We are not part of a commercial strip and rely heavily on our close-knit community of regulars to keep ticking along. With most of those being young families who take the chance to flee the city for a break, all signs point to two weeks of closed doors for our cafe.
While interrupting our cash flow, losing momentum, and forcing our customers who stay behind to divert from their usual coffee habit is less than ideal, ultimately, as a small business owner, taking a proper break benefits us in other ways.
Taking a break has both mental and physical health benefits
Running a business is a marathon, not a sprint. The whole movement of “hustle culture” will inevitably lead to burnout, and, potentially, affect your health. Taking time off has been proven to improve your mood, help you catch up on sleep, as well as reduce stress and anxiety.
It gives you time to nurture your relationships, spend more time outdoors, and be more physical in your day-to-day, all of which leaves you feeling stronger and supported for your return.
Resting and recharging can boost productivity and creativity
As a small business that is open 7 days a week, being constantly “on” can be energy-draining. I pride myself on being a creative person, an attribute I love bringing to my business dealings, however over time, without a break, I feel that creativity being stifled.
It’s been shown that spending time in a new environment and engaging in new activities can “stimulate creativity and inspire fresh ideas” and I know that taking time off is not only physically refreshing but also allows me to see and experience new places and form new mental connections that will improve my business.
A small closure period can model a healthy work culture
Australians have a tendency to not use their holiday leave, with reports of over 160 million days of untaken leave. There may be multiple reasons for this – feeling guilty about abandoning their workload, not having money to travel and so seeing leave as unnecessary, or saving up leave for a larger trip later.
If you have the opportunity to, synchronised leave, with the whole company off at once, helps employees truly disconnect and recharge. There’s no chance you’ll be interrupted by emails or goings-on from the workplace and no pressure to check-in.
When teams come back from leave together, you are starting with your entire team completely refreshed, creating a collective energy boost that can drive innovation and productivity for the new year.
But even if your business can’t completely close down, there is still value in creating a culture where your workers feel supported to take time off.
One study found that scheduling mandatory time off for employees resulted in increased performance – creativity went up 33%, happiness levels rose 25%, and productivity increased 13%.
The most important factor, whether your staff takes time off together or separately? Lead by example and as their boss, take time off too. This will show that you are a business that values a work-life balance and sees the power of vacation time.
If you have a small business that is forced to close during the summer due to a holidaying customer base, take it as a blessing, not a curse. Begin the new year knowing that your team has had the time they need to close out last year’s chapter and begin the new year ready to hit the ground running.
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