#10 - Switching off?

It’s that time of year again….

Out-of-office emails.

Kids off school.

People disappearing to Spain, the Lakes or the pub garden for “just a quick one” that turns into five.

And for business owners?

Chaos.

Covering for staff.

Picking up the pieces.

Trying to do five people's jobs while pretending you're absolutely fine.

All while checking your bank balance on the beach and pretending you're "switched off."

If this sounds familiar… you’re not alone.

The question is… do you work from holiday, or do you take a holiday from work?

Let’s get real for a second.

Do you actually switch off on holiday? Or do you just move the laptop to a sunnier postcode?

I’ve worked with dozens of business owners who tell me they’ve not had a “proper break” in years. Not because they don’t want one, but because they can’t.

The fear is always the same:

“What if everything falls apart while I’m away?”

Here’s the thing: if your business can’t survive without you for a week, it’s not a business. It’s a high-stress job with you at the centre of every fire.

And it doesn’t happen overnight, either!

But let me be clear — this isn’t about guilt-tripping anyone.

Building a business that can run without you takes work. It takes systems. Planning. Trust. Time.

One client I worked with recently hadn’t taken a proper break in 10 years. Ten!

Within six months of working together, we had processes mapped, cash flow tracked, people in the right seats, and he took seven full days out of the business.

Phone off. Emails ignored. Business was still standing when he got back.

It wasn’t magic. It was a combination of:

• Documenting what he does

• Training people to do it where relevant

• Trusting the team he’d hired to do the above tasks

• And setting up clear financial targets so he knew things were on track

These things are fixable. You just need to start.

It might sound silly, but here’s a curveball you need to ask yourself: Do you even want to switch off?

For some, lying on a beach doing nothing is bliss. For others, it’s hell. And that’s fine.

I’m not saying you should force yourself into two weeks of doing absolutely nothing if that’s not your vibe.

But here’s the rule of thumb:

If you’re working because you want to, great!

If you’re working because you have to — that’s a problem.

Freedom is doing what you want, when you want.

Even if that means firing off some emails poolside, because you enjoy it, not because you’re panicking about the payroll run.

A business that survives without you doesn’t come from “trying harder.” It comes from:

• Clear targets — so you know what progress looks like

• Solid systems — so the day-to-day doesn’t need constant firefighting

• The right team — people who don’t just support you, but elevate the business in their own right, owning certain areas themselves.

If any of those three are missing, you’ll stay stuck on the “I’ll rest later” hamster wheel.

The real goal? Every week feels like a holiday

That’s the dream, right?

Not lying on a beach 24/7 — but building a business that feels calm, clear and in control. Where every week has pockets of joy, rest, and space.

That might mean a team that handles operations while you focus on growth.

It might mean a forecast that shows you can afford to say no more often.

It might mean taking Fridays off because, why the hell not?

But most importantly, it means being in a position where you choose how you spend your time, not your business choosing what time you have available for you.

So…

Can your business survive seven days without you?

Can you take time off without panic?

Do you even want to switch off?

Wherever you are on the journey, I promise this is all within reach, if you commit to building the right structure beneath you.

And if you want help figuring out what that looks like, you know where to find me.

Until next time!