When it comes to what matters most, many people I speak to put their family and their health at the top of their list (or close to it). But if family and health are so important, why do so many business owners seem to not have enough time to dedicate to them?

There are a lot of reasons why your business can take over your days to the detriment of you and your personal life. For example, maybe you’re just starting out and feel like you have to do everything yourself. Maybe a key employee is taking a leave of absence and you’re picking up the slack until they return. Or maybe a new client is extremely demanding. But whatever the reasons for your business taking up all of your time, it’s possible to put systems in place that not only help you serve clients and grow your business more efficiently, but allow you to take time to get away and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Allow me to explain!

Getting away from it all.

A few months ago, my sister-in-law asked if I’d like to join her on a European cruise. It wasn’t just any cruise, it was Royal Caribbean’s “Adventure of the Seas” and her daughter (also my Goddaughter) is a professional dancer on the ship.  Since I’m always up for an “adventure”, without even knowing any of the details I jumped at the opportunity and said, “Yes!”  

Being well-prepared is key.

As an accounting and productivity specialist, you can guess what I did after agreeing to go on the trip.  I created a detailed financial plan that included the costs of airfare and the cruise, adding in allowances for food, drinks, excursions, gratuities and even some extra fun money.

Knowing that the trip would take me away from my business (and my clients) for ten days, I calculated exactly how much more I needed to earn above my normal earnings so I could pay for the trip while still getting a paid vacation (a benefit that eludes many business owners.) With my trip in mind as an incentive, I set out to network and obtain new clients more effectively.  As I approached each new networking event, I jumped in with extra energy, excited by the prospect of 10 days in Europe. What a great incentive it was!

The “why” and the “how.”

When the time came, I had such a fantastic time on my trip, spending wonderful hours with my niece and sister-in-law as we explored London for three days and spent seven days on the ship. One of my goals is to take more vacations like this, staying in nice hotels and traveling to exotic cities and ports. In fact, I’m already planning my vacations for 2015.  One may be with my niece again, as she’ll be performing on a different ship, perhaps in the Caribbean. One may be another bicycling vacation.  The important issue is not necessarily the “where”, it is the “why” and the “how”.  

Remind yourself of why it is so important to take an annual vacation. For me, going on vacation keeps my actions in line with my values. I spend priceless time with family while giving myself a healthy dose of rejuvenation.  And that leaves us with the how.

How do I, a busy business owner, make it possible? It’s simpler than you might think!

By calculating my budget for 2015, I set goals so that my business will bring in enough to allow me to take the vacation I desire.  As an equally important measure, I brought on additional staff in 2014 and plan to increase my staff yet again in 2015, so that my clients are taken care of without my being physically present all the time.  This allows me to not only take more breaks, but to take on more clients all year long, which allows my business to earn more, and so on!

What it means for you.

Is there something that you want to do in your personal life that could be funded by more success in your business?  Do you want to spend more time with your family and less time on administrative tasks and processes?  As an outsourced Chief Financial Officer, Price Turner CFOs is able to review your processes and your operations, concentrating on your cash flow. The resulting improvements in efficiency and cash flow can finally give you the ability to take that vacation you want and spend more time with family and doing the things you love – on a regular basis. With improved accounting processes and more efficient use of human capital, it really is possible to live the life you want as an entrepreneur!

Are you ready to take more control of your time? Call Price Turner CFOs today and I’ll help you and your team learn to be so productive that you can be unproductive now and then, too!