The Challenge for a Small Business Owner Trying to Take Some Extra Time Off Durinng the Summer
Running a small business takes up a lot of time. So much so that sometimes it's almost impossible to take that extra time off that, for many, comes with summer. To understand why, let's take a step back and talk a bit about the whole idea of running a small business.
It's always amusing to hear people, who might be frustrated at their current job, say they want to "work for themselves." They think that will make everything just Jim Dandy. It doesn't work that way.
First of all, you don't "work for yourself." You'll have customers and/or clients who, in varying degrees, want or need your products and services. To stay in business, you've got to satisfy those wants/needs. And that can - and likely will - take up a huge chunk of your time. In addition, depending on the sort of customers you serve, demands can be made on your time that may get frustrating if not downright annoying. (Fortunately I'm rarely subject to such demands, but they do occasionally happen.)
The point is, while you may already work long hours, the chances that you'll work fewer if you "work for yourself" are slim and none. Not that every once in a while someone doesn't start a business, and get things humming to the point where they've got competent, reliable employees who can shoulder the burden of day-to-day activities. If you can do that, you'll get more control of your time, and - if you're smart - figure out how to take time off where you're actually away from the business. But that's rare. More likely, you'll be more or less a slave to your business.
When I started my business, I worked seven days a week virtually the entire year. Even my "time off" found my mind ruminating on this or that project or task that hovered over me like a sword of Damacles. So at times, work was 24/7. That can be wearing.
Of course, the retort to this might be that you'd rather be a slave to your own business, rather than a wage slave. Fair enough.
Or maybe you're thinking that at least you're "building something" for yourself. While that may be true, sometimes that's just a pipe dream. The typical small business dies with its owner. There's no "equity" built up that can be sold to a willing buyer. That's because the business really is the person. Apart from the owner, there's nothing that stands on its own.
Even in those cases where the business has matured to the point where it can survive the retirement or death of its owner, it's not uncommon for that small business owner to find disappointment - sometimes deep disappointment - where the rest of us see success. We're referring here to the individual who built what they thought of as a "family business." Years of sacrifice, hard work, combined with a dose of good luck result in a business that can be passed on to the next generation - except that no one in that next generation cares to pick up the gauntlet and run the business. And even in those situations where an heir steps up to the plate, it's more the exception than the rule that succeeding generations will keep the business humming as the founder had envisioned. Maybe the child who takes over isn't particularly astute in business, due either to a lack of serious commitment, or an inability to respond to the inevitable shifts in the marketplace that challenge so many businesses to "keep up with the times."
The founder who watches his son or daughter fail, who witnesses the deterioration of something built with years of sacrifice and sweat equity, might be tempted to step back in the saddle here - if they're physically, emotionally, or psychologically able. But that kind of defeats the purpose of handing over the reins in the first place. Besides, they won't live forever. The solution becomes a temporary fix that won't stick.
Our last point today concerns the concept of the "entrepreneur." The term sounds impressive to some of us. But real entrepreneurs are few and far between. I'm not an entrepreneur. I simply started and now run a small business. There's a big difference between a real entrepreneur and the more common species of "small business owner." Do some research and thinking about the difference between starting a small business and being an "entrepreneur." And don't be discouraged if you conclude you're really not an entrepreneur. There's nothing wrong with being a "mere" small business owner. The key here is if you're thinking of starting a business, do so with your eyes and your mind wide open.
Well, we started today's post talking about taking time off during the summer. As you might suspect, the nature of running a small business makes it difficult to take those extra summer vacation days. Before starting my business, when I worked for a company that gave me "X" number of vacation days per year, I always enjoyed plotting out my time off. And that always including some summer vacation. Indeed, at one point I worked for a bank that required that you take two full weeks off in a row. And when you took the time off you were basically forbidden from checking in. You had to be completely separated from your work. (The reasons are interesting but we won't get into that now.) The best I've been able to do in my own business is to take off a week in the summer (but that includes checking in to the business at least once a day for a few minutes. The days between Christmas and New Year's are a little easier to just take off, since so many people do, and so many businesses are kind of in a holding pattern - unless, of course, you're in retail, which means it's your busy season.
Next time we'll see how the challenge of taking time off for the summer can be a great opportunity for us to learn something quite interesting and ultimately beneficial in our spiritual lives.
It's always amusing to hear people, who might be frustrated at their current job, say they want to "work for themselves." They think that will make everything just Jim Dandy. It doesn't work that way.
First of all, you don't "work for yourself." You'll have customers and/or clients who, in varying degrees, want or need your products and services. To stay in business, you've got to satisfy those wants/needs. And that can - and likely will - take up a huge chunk of your time. In addition, depending on the sort of customers you serve, demands can be made on your time that may get frustrating if not downright annoying. (Fortunately I'm rarely subject to such demands, but they do occasionally happen.)
The point is, while you may already work long hours, the chances that you'll work fewer if you "work for yourself" are slim and none. Not that every once in a while someone doesn't start a business, and get things humming to the point where they've got competent, reliable employees who can shoulder the burden of day-to-day activities. If you can do that, you'll get more control of your time, and - if you're smart - figure out how to take time off where you're actually away from the business. But that's rare. More likely, you'll be more or less a slave to your business.
When I started my business, I worked seven days a week virtually the entire year. Even my "time off" found my mind ruminating on this or that project or task that hovered over me like a sword of Damacles. So at times, work was 24/7. That can be wearing.
Of course, the retort to this might be that you'd rather be a slave to your own business, rather than a wage slave. Fair enough.
Or maybe you're thinking that at least you're "building something" for yourself. While that may be true, sometimes that's just a pipe dream. The typical small business dies with its owner. There's no "equity" built up that can be sold to a willing buyer. That's because the business really is the person. Apart from the owner, there's nothing that stands on its own.
Even in those cases where the business has matured to the point where it can survive the retirement or death of its owner, it's not uncommon for that small business owner to find disappointment - sometimes deep disappointment - where the rest of us see success. We're referring here to the individual who built what they thought of as a "family business." Years of sacrifice, hard work, combined with a dose of good luck result in a business that can be passed on to the next generation - except that no one in that next generation cares to pick up the gauntlet and run the business. And even in those situations where an heir steps up to the plate, it's more the exception than the rule that succeeding generations will keep the business humming as the founder had envisioned. Maybe the child who takes over isn't particularly astute in business, due either to a lack of serious commitment, or an inability to respond to the inevitable shifts in the marketplace that challenge so many businesses to "keep up with the times."
The founder who watches his son or daughter fail, who witnesses the deterioration of something built with years of sacrifice and sweat equity, might be tempted to step back in the saddle here - if they're physically, emotionally, or psychologically able. But that kind of defeats the purpose of handing over the reins in the first place. Besides, they won't live forever. The solution becomes a temporary fix that won't stick.
Our last point today concerns the concept of the "entrepreneur." The term sounds impressive to some of us. But real entrepreneurs are few and far between. I'm not an entrepreneur. I simply started and now run a small business. There's a big difference between a real entrepreneur and the more common species of "small business owner." Do some research and thinking about the difference between starting a small business and being an "entrepreneur." And don't be discouraged if you conclude you're really not an entrepreneur. There's nothing wrong with being a "mere" small business owner. The key here is if you're thinking of starting a business, do so with your eyes and your mind wide open.
Well, we started today's post talking about taking time off during the summer. As you might suspect, the nature of running a small business makes it difficult to take those extra summer vacation days. Before starting my business, when I worked for a company that gave me "X" number of vacation days per year, I always enjoyed plotting out my time off. And that always including some summer vacation. Indeed, at one point I worked for a bank that required that you take two full weeks off in a row. And when you took the time off you were basically forbidden from checking in. You had to be completely separated from your work. (The reasons are interesting but we won't get into that now.) The best I've been able to do in my own business is to take off a week in the summer (but that includes checking in to the business at least once a day for a few minutes. The days between Christmas and New Year's are a little easier to just take off, since so many people do, and so many businesses are kind of in a holding pattern - unless, of course, you're in retail, which means it's your busy season.
Next time we'll see how the challenge of taking time off for the summer can be a great opportunity for us to learn something quite interesting and ultimately beneficial in our spiritual lives.
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