How to Take a Holiday (Without Everything Falling Apart)

Written by LiveLink
June 21st 2025

How to Take a Holiday (Without Everything Falling Apart)

If you’re a small business owner, the idea of taking a proper holiday might feel like a pipe dream. Who’s going to answer the phone? Check the emails? Keep clients happy? Keep everything from going off the rails?

It’s a common problem and one that too many business owners ignore. They skip the break, carry on through burnout, and tell themselves they’ll rest later. But let’s be honest: later never really comes, does it?

Taking regular time off isn’t just good for you, it’s vital for the health of your business too. You’re not a machine and you need time to recharge. And believe it or not, with the right planning and support, you absolutely can step away without your business collapsing.

Let’s look at how to do just that.

Why Holidays Matter for Small Business Owners

Before we dive into the how, let’s just say it clearly: you are allowed to take a break. In fact, you should. Here’s why:

• You’ll make better decisions when you’re rested. Exhausted people don’t think clearly.

• Your creativity needs breathing space. New ideas often appear when you’re not staring at your laptop.

• Burnout is real. And it doesn’t just cost your health—it costs your business too.

• You’re setting an example. If you’ve got a team, showing them that rest is important creates a healthier culture.

So, if you’ve been putting off a break, consider this your official permission slip. Let’s talk about how to make it happen.

Start with Some Honest Planning

First things first. When are you going away? And how much are you hoping to switch off?

It might be a full two weeks offline in a sun-drenched villa, or just a few days where you check in once a day max. Either way, start with some honest answers:

• What dates are you planning to be away?

• How “offline” do you want to be?

• What tasks can be paused, and what absolutely has to continue?

• Who needs to know and when?

The earlier you start planning, the better. Even just three to four weeks of prep time can make a world of difference.

Delegate Like a Pro

Now’s the time to identify what can be delegated and who can step in.

If you’ve got a team, great! You might already have someone who can take on day-to-day tasks. But even if you’re a solo operator, there are plenty of ways to get support while you’re away. A few options:

👉 Use a virtual assistant or freelance admin support

This is where services like ours come in. We work with small business owners all the time to keep things ticking over when they’re away—from monitoring inboxes and answering calls to chasing leads or handling client queries. It’s a flexible, professional way to get temporary cover without the hassle of hiring.

👉 Ask a trusted colleague or friend to keep an eye on things

It doesn’t need to be formal. Just someone who can let you know if anything urgent crops up. But make sure they know what “urgent” actually means.

👉 Automate what you can

Think email autoresponders, scheduled social media posts, and automatic invoice reminders. Tools like MailerLite, Buffer, and Xero can all help you run things behind the scenes.

Communicate with Clients Early

One of the biggest sources of stress for business owners is worrying that clients will be annoyed or disappointed if they take time off.

In reality, most people are perfectly understandin. As long as they’re told in advance.

Let your clients know the dates you’ll be away, what to expect during that time, and who to contact if they need something urgent. This doesn’t have to be a big song and dance. A short, friendly email usually does the trick:

“Just a quick heads-up that I’ll be taking a break from [date] to [date]. During this time, emails may be responded to a little slower than usual, but I’ll still be keeping an eye on anything urgent. If you need immediate assistance, please contact [Name / Service]. Thanks for your understanding. I’ll come back refreshed and ready to hit the ground running!”

Bonus points if you also use it as a marketing moment: show clients you practise what you preach when it comes to healthy business boundaries.

Set Boundaries (And Stick to Them)

We’re not saying you have to go fully off-grid (unless you want to!). But if you’re going to relax even a little, you’ll need to set clear boundaries.

Try these:

• One check-in a day, max. Ideally in the morning so you’re not thinking about work all day.

• No replying to non-urgent emails . Flag them for when you’re back.

• Turn off notifications . You don’t need to see every ping as it comes in.

• Set an autoresponder – even if you are checking in now and then, let people know there might be a delay.

You can even hand off the decision-making altogether. With the right support in place (like a virtual assistant or business support service), you don’t need to worry about what’s coming in. Just trust that they’ll flag anything truly important and handle the rest.

Create a “While I’m Away” Plan

If you’re working with someone to cover you, it helps to give them a quick reference guide. It doesn’t need to be fancy. A simple document or email will do. Include things like:

• Key contacts and how to reach them

• What to do in case of an emergency

• What not to do or touch

• Instructions for handling the most common tasks (calls, emails, bookings, etc.)

• Access to logins or tools (use a secure password manager like LastPass or 1Password)

If you’re handing over to a professional service, they’ll likely help guide you through this process too.

Trust the Process

This is the hardest part for many of us: letting go.

You’ve done the prep, you’ve briefed the people, you’ve set up your safety nets. Now it’s time to actually take the break.

Yes, you might come back to a full inbox. Yes, things might not be perfect. But your business will still be standing and you’ll be in a much better headspace to tackle things once you’re back.

And if something really does go wrong while you’re away? It’ll still be waiting for you to solve. But chances are, with the right cover, you’ll only hear about the truly important stuff anyway.

What If You Really Can’t Fully Step Away?

Sometimes it’s just not possible to disappear completely and that’s okay too.

Maybe you’re in the middle of a launch, or you’re the only person who can do certain parts of the work. If that’s the case, try a “working holiday” approach:

• Reduce your hours to just an hour or two in the morning

• Batch your tasks ahead of time so you only have to do the bare minimum while away

• Use professional support to keep the admin and customer-facing stuff covered so you can focus on only the essentials

Even a lighter workload in a new setting can feel restorative and it’s still better than no break at all.

Let Someone Else Hold the Fort

This is where we come in.

We work with small business owners just like you to keep things running smoothly—whether you’re away for a weekend, a week, or longer.

That might mean:

• Answering your business calls so clients don’t get voicemail

• Managing your inbox and flagging anything urgent

• Handling diary bookings or client follow-ups

• Taking care of admin tasks that just need to get done

You get peace of mind knowing someone reliable is holding the reins, and your business keeps up its professional face while you’re away.

Even better? You come back to fewer fires, a more manageable inbox, and the energy to actually enjoy being back.

You Deserve a Break

Running a small business is rewarding. But let’s be honest, it’s also relentless. Taking a proper holiday isn’t a luxury. It’s part of building a sustainable, successful business that doesn’t rely on you being glued to your phone 24/7.

Whether you go fully offline or just step back a little, the important part is this: you’re allowed to rest.

And if you need help holding down the fort while you do? We’re right here.