Taking Time off as a Boss

[GMES]

As per title I've decide to have a few days off after talking to my lads I realised that apart from weekends and Bank holidays I have had no time off since Christmas.
I don't have any plans to go anywhere or do anything, I just think i need to recharge the batteries, it's probably the only thing I miss about working for someone else. The fact you could book a week or two off when you wanted and all your problems stopped the minute you clocked out so to speak.
I have 3 lads on the books and they naturally get their holidays and I don't bother them while theirs off unless it is totally unavoidable, where as even though I've decided to have a few days my phone will still ring and that's fine, it's what I signed up for when I set the business up.
Well that's my little moan for the day.
So what about other self employed lads do you ever just say bigger it and take time out.

 

[Squid]

If you are the Boss then why are you asking?

 

[Nigel]

I do have holidays but the laptop is always with me and I am yet to have a holiday without dealing with work while on it.

Like you say it is what we signed up to.

 

[GMES]

If you are the Boss then why are you asking?

Wasn't aware I had ???
Apart from asking other members if they take random time off.

 

[SparkyChick]

Yes... I had a week off a couple of weeks ago as I hadn't really stopped since the start of June. In the end though I was just as busy, tidying the house, tidying the garden, tidying the van.

The rain has put paid to alot of the jobs I was supposed to be doing today and tomorrow so I'm having a few days off now. Probably going to play Diablo III, do a bit of programming and just chill.

It's one of the reasons I don't want to end up working for someone else though, the ability to just say I'm having a day or two off next week and just not schedule anything in

Whatever you decide to do, have a nice time off.

 

[plugsandsparks]

Currently in Spain, bit of R&R, phone is on and laptop, but as i am SE and the boss, its no stress, have organised a few bits and bobs for when i come back, its all good... could not imagine an easier life..lol

 

[Squid]

I do have holidays but the laptop is always with me and I am yet to have a holiday without dealing with work while on it.

Like you say it is what we signed up to.

Life is too short, just do it, put a plan in to place, delegate bugger off and turn your phone off.

 

[Squid]

Yes... I had a week off a couple of weeks ago as I hadn't really stopped since the start of June. In the end though I was just as busy, tidying the house, tidying the garden, tidying the van.

The rain has put paid to alot of the jobs I was supposed to be doing today and tomorrow so I'm having a few days off now. Probably going to play Diablo III, do a bit of programming and just chill.

It's one of the reasons I don't want to end up working for someone else though, the ability to just say I'm having a day or two off next week and just not schedule anything in

Whatever you decide to do, have a nice time off.

I did the same in 2016........... Had about 5 days work since ;o)))))

 

[GMES]

Life is too short, just do it, put a plan in to place, delegate bugger off and turn your phone off.

Its very hard to turn the phone off, I have quite a few really large companies that I do work for all year round who don't like not been able to get hold of you and the money they spend with me I can't blame them, I'm guessing Essex is the same.
It's probably a lot easier for one man bands that can book jobs as they want but when you get in to the blue chip company's etc it gets harder to drop off the radar.

 

[Andy78]

I'm self employed and take time off as it suits my life. No employees for me though so it's a lot easier.

 

[Squid]

Its very hard to turn the phone off, I have quite a few really large companies that I do work for all year round who don't like not been able to get hold of you and the money they spend with me I can't blame them, I'm guessing Essex is the same.
It's probably a lot easier for one man bands that can book jobs as they want but when you get in to the blue chip company's etc it gets harder to drop off the radar.

Get a secretarial company in that can field your calls and sort out the emails, use one of your lads as a trusted employee maybe even offer them a cut in so you can share responsibilities and risk as well as time off, to be honest life is too short, I was contracting on good money and the worry always was if I wasn't working then this holiday costs me treble as anyone on PAYE gets paid, you don't. £1500 holiday 2 weeks lost wages £3000 and spending money ---, it took its toll lol.

 

[Nigel]

You just cannot be a business owner and seperate yourself from the business for any length of time. Not until you reach super staus anyway and have lots of managers.

It is a small price to pay for what I get from the business.

 

[plugsandsparks]

When you are looking after commercial companies, that need your expertise to make product / supply service, its quite rude just to drop off the grid, trick is to not get stressed in the first place, then you dont need R&R so much.... worst part is putting on belly fat when i am not walking 6 miles and climbing 1000s of steps a day... hence coming back tomorrow, need to get fit again...

 

[GMES]

When you are looking after commercial companies, that need your expertise to make product / supply service, its quite rude just to drop off the grid, trick is to not get stressed in the first place, then you dont need R&R so much.... worst part is putting on belly fat when i am not walking 6 miles and climbing 1000s of steps a day... hence coming back tomorrow, need to get fit again...

Totally agree and I love what I do and wouldn't have it any other way, it's like at weekends, as much as I enjoy them I am always thinking the business and upcoming jobs. Again I'm not complaining more just explaining things.
The aim of the thread was mainly to see if other self employed people find time to some R & R.
Also I'm not putting one man bands down but I know a few and they only do as much as they want to and can book and cancel small jobs to suit them, whereas when you're dealing with big company's they want you at the end of the phone or email all the time.

 

[plugsandsparks]

i agree, had a call today, his boiler was letting water pass outside. I suspected an employee had opened the fill valve and not shut it, so i talked the client through how to do it over the phone, happy days..... then another client called to schedule a mtg for wednesday, all OK and more business to follow. The hardest i guess is the discipline to book the holiday in the first place, after its booked, then i run around like a scolded cat before i go, and organise, whilst away , what i do first when i come back, so far in 8 years , all good. Where i have had an emergency which needed physical presence, then i can call on a couple of trusted individuals, who have been very kind to help me out, again i organise it whilst away. I have stopped working out how much money i could have earned if i did not take holiday, whats the point, it is what it is..

 

[buzzlightyear]

If you are the Boss then why are you asking?

maybe he is asking us canny take time off ,considering you earned it .go GMES .but you did not need to put your hand up .but be back Monday proto .

 

[GMES]

maybe he is asking us canny take time off ,considering you earned it .go GMES .but you did not need to put your hand up .but be back Monday proto .

I'm off until Tuesday so looks like I'm in trouble

 

[Tes369]

Like a boss...

 

[Midwest]

I was sole trader up until April. Worked 3-5 days a week before that, and never at weekends, except doing admin, banking etc. Holidays off as much as I could afford or take.

Jacked it in, and looked around for a payee job. Had the whole summer off. It was great; bought & sold house(s).

Got a maintenance job, working 8 hrs a day, 5 days a week, weekends off. On call rota, and 28 days a year holidays (including BH's!). Sometimes the grass is never greener.

 

[ferg]

I don't worry while I'm away, it's the run up to it that's the problem for me.

I am a sole trader though.

 

[Frimley111R]

When you say the grass in never greener, what does that mean? Working for yourself wasn't as good as you hoped?

 

[Midwest]

When you say the grass in never greener, what does that mean? Working for yourself wasn't as good as you hoped?

Working for oneself is better it terms of when and how long the hours you work. AL you have to factor into your hourly rate. And the salary, for me was peaks and troughs.

Now I have to work M-F and have weekends off. My leave is paid for, but I can only have 4 weeks paid leave a year (plus BH’s), which sounds a lot, but isn’ when you take the odd day off here and there. But now I know what each monthly salary I’ll be getting.

 

[Frimley111R]

Working for oneself is better it terms of when and how long the hours you work. AL you have to factor into your hourly rate. And the salary, for me was peaks and troughs.

Now I have to work M-F and have weekends off. My leave is paid for, but I can only have 4 weeks paid leave a year (plus BH’s), which sounds a lot, but isn’ when you take the odd day off here and there. But now I know what each monthly salary I’ll be getting.

Yep, I used to buy and sell cars and while the flexible life was great, every time everyone else was off (weekends and evenings) I'd be dealing with customers. I'd go out on a Friday, have a beer and get a call to see a car at 9am the next morning which sort of dampened the fun. Going back to 9-5 was a revelation! I just left at 5pm and didn't have a care in the world!

That said, I've been running my company for 3 years now! But I do enjoy it and so working longer hours etc and building it up isn't an effort, it's a pleasure (well most of the time).

We're off on hols in Jan and I'll have to wind down the marketing but keep an eye on emails but at least on hols there's always plenty of down time to do this.