What Happens To Your Freelance Business When You Take A Vacation?

When you can step away from your business and it still runs without you, that’s when you have a true business rather than a job you’re in charge of.

Over Thanksgiving week, I didn’t check my email, Slack, my project management system, or anything else related to work for seven days. Being able to shut off my business (not shut down or pause) and truly detach, rest, relax, and recharge without any worry is pretty fantastic!

What’s even more fantastic is that while I played board games and explored the Oregon coast — visiting lighthouses, beaches, and waterfalls — my clients were educated and cared for.

One used the templates I provided to finish their website content so it’s waiting for me when I get back.
Some were surprised and delighted by bonuses packed with value.
Another received, completed, and returned the intake questionnaire for a new project starting next week.
Yet another followed instructions to review a demo site and sent their feedback over.
And I didn’t have to lift a finger once to make it happen while I’ve been gone.

That is true freedom.

A Freelance Job Vs. A Freelance Business

When you can step away from your business and it still runs without you… that’s when you know you have built a true business rather than a job you’re in charge of.

When you can step away without worry, guilt, or stress because everything still gets done and projects keep moving forward, you don’t come back to a mountain of work that makes taking time off more trouble than it’s worth. You come back to progress.

When you can step away without fearing collapse or lost business, it’s so much easier to take that vacation or turn off your business for a long weekend and give yourself the time you need to recharge and your loved ones the time and attention they need as well.

Learning how to do better business, surrounding myself with like-minded freelancers and entrepreneurs, and investing in the systems that run my business was the BEST decision I have ever made in terms of my own sanity, health, and happiness — and the health and happiness of my relationships and family.

I went from never taking a vacation to getting away every 6-8 weeks.
I went from working weekends, to never working weekends.
I went from working 16-18 hour days to working a roughly 30 hour week.
I increased my gross revenue and doubled my net profits.
I designed a consistent client experience that creates happier clients that spend more money and send more referrals my way.
And I did it with systems and software and content, and without hiring a single person.

In fact, the initial driver behind me documenting every part of my business and systematizing was to avoid hiring an admin employee or virtual assistant that I would have to manage. Instead, I invested in software that did everything a person could do.

Eventually, I did hire actual people.

I hired my husband full-time then grew the business to a team of five.

But freedom is one of my top values and drivers — and managing a team (even while on vacation) didn’t support the level of freedom I needed or wanted.

Luckily, as the boss, I get to create the business I want.

So over time, my business dropped back down to a team of two, and now it’s just me running the whole show and again, leveraging software to handle everything possible.

The systems and processes I developed are what make it possible. They are how I manage both the services side of my business and the courses/events side of my business. They’re also how I take an average of nine weeks of vacation away from my business every year without stress and worry — and without a mountain of crap to slog through every time I get back.

Again, that’s a glorious feeling. It’s one I want for you too…

Check Out Profitable Project Plan

That’s why I’ve packaged up everything I’ve created to not only run and manage website projects but also to increase profitability, speed up projects, and develop monthly recurring revenue in Profitable Project Plan — a 10-month business training and mentorship program for web designers, web developers, and people selling websites.

It’s been transformational for members who report successes that include:

Raising rates, closing sales with greater ease, doubling revenue, and landing the largest projects ever.
Smoother, more streamlined projects that not only get done faster but also have more flexibility and higher profit margins.
Greater control over business operations, systems, and processes — say goodbye to chasing your tail and never getting ahead!
Happier clients who pay their full rates without balking, want to keep working together on more projects, and refer their friends and family.
No longer working nights and weekends and having more time (that’s not filled with worries about work) to spend with family and friends.
Taking their first vacation in years and not working while on vacation.
Juggling multiple projects/clients at one time like a pro without stress and overwhelm.
Rediscovering happiness and joy in their work and why they started doing this work in the first place.

Check out their stories!

As much as the revenue and profitability achievements ring my bell, what touches my heart are the stories of vacations, quality family time, better health, and less stress and worry.

Seriously, that’s the best part!

I hope you’ll take some time to really dig into everything Profitable Project Plan has to offer.

The community is smart, supportive, and helpful.
The business training is second to none.
The done-for-you resources make it faster and easier to take action.
Opportunities to get specific, direct feedback abound.
I’m an open book, ready to share insights from successes and failures.

Are you ready to commit to not only making 2022 your best year in business ever, but also setting your business up for long-term, sustainable success so that 2023, 2024, and beyond are even more successful?

Check out Profitable Project Plan and: