As a small business owner, I know that you sometimes feel caught in a delicate balancing act – juggling the demands of running a profitable business venture while ensuring the well-being and satisfaction of your employees.

My solution? A four-week vacation.

Huh? Sounds counterintuitive. Think about it though. Can you truly relax over a 1-week vacation? Moreover, does your business learn how to survive without you? 

If you want to set your business up for long-term success, you must reduce redundancies and linchpins, as well as uncover any unnecessary use of resources. The best way to do that is to create systems to cross-train employees so that if someone is out unexpectedly, your company runs without a hitch, eliminating disruptions and chances of lost profit.

Here’s how it benefits your business for you and your team to take a 4-week vacation:

• Employee retention – When employees see that you care about enhancing their wellness and work-life balance you’re going to curate some major loyalty. And when that happens, your team begins to act like owners. 
• Increased creativity and innovation – Immersing yourself in new experiences ignites creativity and innovative thinking. During extended vacations, you have the opportunity to explore different cultures, perspectives, and environments, which can lead to fresh ideas and solutions upon return. We’ve noticed that embracing these new perspectives fosters a culture of innovation within our small business, propelling us forward in a competitive market.
• Skill development and knowledge sharing – Extended vacations provide employees with ample time to invest in personal and skill development. By nurturing continuous learning, we empower our team members to expand their expertise and bring valuable insights back to the business. 
• Cross-training – During an employee’s extended absence, cross-training becomes essential. When team members cover for their colleagues, they develop new skills and gain a deeper understanding of different aspects of the business. Cross-training promotes collaboration, teamwork, and versatility within our workforce. Moreover, it ensures that the absence of a team member doesn’t disrupt the overall workflow, providing stability and continuity even during vacations
• Redundancies and bottlenecks are eliminated – By cross-training and distributing responsibilities during extended vacations, small businesses ensure that the absence of an employee doesn’t disrupt the overall workflow or create bottlenecks. When multiple team members possess the skills and knowledge to handle various tasks, the business can maintain its operations smoothly, ensuring business continuity. This reduces the risk of delays, errors, and setbacks that can occur when a single employee is solely responsible for critical processes.

Sure. Your employees will be excited to hear they get a month-long vacation, but they’ll also love that they can truly detach stress-free, knowing that the systems they have in place will ensure their tasks don’t fall to the wayside. And you? You’ll love the break, a chance to step away and refresh knowing your business is running on autopilot, and will be ready for you and your new ideas upon your return.

I asked my team to offer up some testimonials about how they feel about 4-week vacations, and this is what they said:

Kelsey: I love traveling and learning about different cultures and the 4-week vacations allow me to see new places and immerse myself with a longer stay. The time off also allowed me to pursue a certification in meditation leadership, which has been a long-standing dream of mine.

Andrea: Time. Balance. Relaxation. Focus. If you are like me, these words are unrealistic ideals. As a working parent, every year I strive to prioritize myself and my family and fail miserably. That is, until now! Looking forward to aligning my personal goals with my career aspirations in the coming year. Carving out time for a four-week vacation is an amazing starting point in my pursuit to reclaim some sanity and escape from the frenzy and be…present. My job > your job. #goals #career #mom #thankful

Erin: We all know that 1 week away from work is never enough time to really decompress and refresh. Having a few weeks off with time to breathe and just be, and not feel pressure to have a big packed vacation in a short time is so liberating!

Amy:  As a cancer survivor, time is more valued than ever to me, and a big chunk of time with my family is priceless. Our four-week vacations have allowed me time to plan and go on my big Bucket list European Vacation trip.  Having that kind of extended time gave us the opportunity to really relax into the experience of it, and in that relaxation was my family’s playfulness and fun, as well as my own sense of adventure. What an unreal gift that our company made very real!

Jenna: Shortly after I began working with Mike, it became clear that he lives every system he creates. He shares these systems with other business owners to empower them, and he includes himself, and us, in that equation. The result? For me, I am the healthiest I have ever been physically, mentally, and emotionally because I’m not trying to be everything at once. Our systems allow each of us to create true balance. While a lot of companies talk about balance, it’s not always accessible to all employees. The result is that I get to use my brain at work to add leverage to our mission of empowering entrepreneurs so they can have profitable, sustainable businesses – and, I get to be a very present mother and grad student. I’m able to be 110% when I am in each role for the first time in my life.

Adayla:  Well, my first real experience with the flexible hours was different than most to say the least… I broke and dislocated my ankle and needed urgent surgery. The flexible schedule allowed me to work when I could, rest when I was exhausted, and take as much time as I needed to focus on healing. I was able to make every doctor’s appointment and work from the comfort of my couch. Even now 4 months out from the accident, my schedule still allows me to make time for physical therapy in the middle of the day. The classic 10 days of sick leave would have never allowed me proper healing like this environment does. 

By embracing the power of 4-week vacations, we cultivate a work environment that prioritizes employee well-being, encourages innovation, and strengthens our small business as a whole. It is through this practice that we nurture loyalty, retention, and a culture of continuous learning. So, as small business owners, let us seize the opportunity to transform our organizations into places where our employees thrive, knowing that their vacations are not only beneficial for them but also shore up your business!

Wishing you health and wealth.

– Mike