It’s that time of year! The kids are out of school, the days are longer and the temperatures are warm and inviting. While it’s important to dedicate time to your family and friends throughout the year, summer is that special time of year for family vacations, trips to the beach, making memories at a local theme park, going to the county fair and more. Unwinding is important because gives you the chance to regain your emotional balance and the opportunity to reflect on your business and passions.

But checking out without checking in on your business can be a real challenge for some business owners. Can your business survive without you? Or, if you decide to take a vacation, will you be hanging a closed sign in the window? Even a very small business should be able to operate without the owner in the shop every day. You wanted to OWN a business – not just RUN a business.

So, can you leave your business unattended? Ask yourself these questions:

1. If you won a cruise vacation and had to leave tomorrow, what would happen to your business?
2. If you decided to leave for a month, who would run your business?
3. If you were injured and had to leave work for three months, would your business survive?
4. If circumstances were to change in your life and you decided to sell the business, who would buy it? Can it run without you?

If you found yourself unsure of the answers to those questions, you need to put systems in place so your business can run without you! Your operating systems need to be in writing, you need staff members who can operate the business in your absence and you need managers who are trained to do your day-to-day tasks. If you’re struggling with this, then it’s time to meet with a Growth Coach: http://www.thegrowthcoach.com/locator.aspx.