A medieval peasant got more vacation than you

Unless you're a member of Congress, you get less vacation than a medieval peasant, Lynn Parramore writes in an opinion piece for Reuters:

Plowing and harvesting were backbreaking toil, but the peasant enjoyed anywhere from eight weeks to half the year off. The Church, mindful of how to keep a population from rebelling, enforced frequent mandatory holidays. Weddings, wakes and births might mean a week off quaffing ale to celebrate, and when wandering jugglers or sporting events came to town, the peasant expected time off for entertainment. There were labor-free Sundays, and when the plowing and harvesting seasons were over, the peasant got time to rest, too. In fact, economist Juliet Shor found that during periods of particularly high wages, such as 14th-century England, peasants might put in no more than 150 days a year.

What happened?

1. The U.S. has no national vacation policy;
2. High unemployment and less job security;
3. Corporate greed. 

You probably knew that. But did you know Congress has 239 days off this year?

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Yes, you CAN take a vacation as a small business owner! Here's how.

It's summer, and you know what that means: the beach.  Florida.  California.  Not your office.  Anywhere but your office.  Yes, its vacation time!

Now, that being said, for some small business owners, vacation time can be more stressful than running the business yourself!  My Dad ran a small business when I was a kid (this was an era before cell phones, of course) and I have very distinct memories of him sprinting off to payphones to check in on his office.  That being said, there are certainly ways that you can take a stress-free (well, at least a moderately stress-free) vacation as a business owner.  Here are some tips.

• Find an employee to stand in your place while you are gone.  It needs to be someone who knows your daily expectations for the business.  Not sure if that person will be able to handle themselves?  Give them a test-run at managing the company/business for a day/half day

• Similarly to above, make sure more than one employee is trained to manage while you are away.  These people should make your customers/clientele not even realize you are away from the workplace.  

• Share your goals and plans of actions with your employees.  This isn’t specific to a vacation either.  Your employees should be given knowledge about your aspirations for the business and how you expect to get there.  Once your employees know your plans employees will know what it is specifically (short and long term) that you are seeking for your business.  

• Unplug.  Really!  Check email less frequently and stop calling as much.  Remember, the less you check in, the more independently-motivated your employees will feel.  Furthermore, this can be used as a way of discovering which employees can be considered for future promotion

Anything else?  Let us know in the comments!

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Enjoy your holiday!

See you on July 9, and have a GREAT 4th of July!
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