The daily pressures of life get to all of us sometime or other and for many their respite is commonly known as vacation. But while the world of the entrepreneur is significantly different in the ability to “get away,” the need is probably even more acute.

When people who work for someone else go on vacation or take a few days off, they have the luxury of knowing one thing: The company can and will run without them. Indeed, a hallmark of successful companies is this very depth of talent and capability. Concurrently, vacation periods are encouraged, if not flat out demanded. Successful companies recognize that capable and talented people need a recharging if they are to live up to the expectations that the company has for them.

But what about the small business owner, the one whose business card may say “president” but whose reality is chief cook and bottle washer? Given the total lack of depth and short-term performance requirements, how can he or she take some time and do so in a way that the much needed benefits are realized?

This is a very real and very tough dilemma. On the one hand, the entrepreneur is probably the one most responsible for driving the revenue line, the lifeblood of the organization. So anything that disrupts this process is very dangerous to the enterprise. On the other hand, bills have to be paid, supplies ordered, production overseen, potential investors chatted up and the list goes on. So the absolute need for recharging is amplified given the parallel requirement for high performance.

When most entrepreneurs decided to follow their calling, most also accepted the fact that theirs would not be the “normal” business routine that they were leaving behind. And most very quickly found out that this has proven true in ways that they could not even imagine. But when you chat with entrepreneurs about this confrontation with reality, many remark that their aspiration for more flexible time has been difficult if not impossible to achieve. While the decision on the use of time is theirs, it seems that the quantity of demands for this time has gone up dramatically.

While successful people always figure out ways to cope with imbalances, many entrepreneurial managers have come to realize just what a benefit a properly organized three-day weekend can provide. When you are slaving away 24/7, a three-day weekend can almost feel like a three-week vacation. The key is to make sure that peace of mind accompanies the three days. Taking advantage of a slow period, proper planning and then proper execution is just as important for productive leisure as it is for productive work. Interestingly enough, peace of mind for many entrepreneurs also involves “staying connected,” so their cell phones are never turned off. For many organizations at certain stages of their growth, this is not a statement of misplaced vanity, but a real operational need.

The message is that to manage your entrepreneurial opportunity to the best of your ability requires you to also manage your fitness for the challenge. Take a day off. Try it and see if your personal productivity doesn’t significantly increase along with an overall improvement in your outlook.

John F. Riddell Jr., director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Growth-Hamilton County, writes each Tuesday about entrepreneurs and their impact on companies and the marketplace. Submit comments to his attention by writing to Business Editor John Vass Jr., Chattanooga Times Free Press, P.O. Box 1447, Chattanooga, TN 37401-1447, or by e-mailing him at business@timesfreepress.com

Comments