Taking a break as an independent business owner can seem impossible — what if things completely fall apart? But it’s crucial to preventing burnout, a malady most entrepreneurs have likely experienced at some point in their journey.
What’s more, merely planning a vacation can do wonders for your state of mind. On that front, take a data-driven approach and let the analytics features in Square Dashboard help you figure out the best time to go.
Here’s how you do it. When you sign in to your Square account to access your dashboard, click Sales. There you’ll find detailed POS reports on your biggest sales days and busiest months — the times when your business is typically in a lull. Read: optimal window to book that ticket to Cancun.
How else can you plan? Many Square sellers we talked to said that delegating a go-to staff member is the best way to put your mind at ease while you’re away. In the months before your vacation, pick an employee you can trust and go over all sides of the business. This person can easily take care of the day to day through Square Point of Sale — managing everything from invoices to appointments and inventory. This will also give you a point person for other employees while you’re out, so you don’t have to worry about staffing and schedule changes.
Most sellers say that these employees really appreciate being selected as second in command — it lets them know they’re doing a great job and that they’re trusted. You may even consider giving a bonus for the time covered.
So start researching those flights — your mental sanity will thank you. And if you want to check in on your business when you’re on the beach, just sign in to your Square account from from any mobile device. Then get back to your margarita.
photo by Nattu on Flickr
