Can you do this?

Business Owners: Do You Need A Vacation? Here is the Key

Do not go on vacation before answering these six questions.

One of the biggest issues small businesses struggle with is their owner’s inability to step away from their business. I consulted one of the most successful restaurant owners in North Texas and asked him to take a week off. His answer was. “No one knows how to buy groceries for the kitchen.”

I challenged him to teach someone else to buy groceries and write a procedure that can guide his staff to buy groceries. He did, and when I asked him to take a week off again, he answered, “I have to supervise my kitchen staff to ensure that the food is being cooked correctly.”

This example is common. Small business owners struggle with stepping away from their businesses every day. They make up excuses for why they can not take time off. My rule is simple: when you find yourself making an excuse, develop a guideline for that specific task. If you think people do not know how to do something, provide them with guidelines and train them.

Some business owners like to be in control, and stepping away makes them feel they are losing control. To change that, owners must develop systems and procedures to guide their teams.