A month off as a founder

Sales for Startups is nearly six years old, and earlier this year, my business baby got some competition for attention from an actual human baby. Bertie Ker-Reid was born in October and for the first time as a founder, I took a month off to be with my family.?

As a founder I feel as though I’m thinking about the business 24/7 but I experienced some interesting and unexpected benefits by taking a chunk of time off out of the business.?

Let me know if you’ve had a similar experience, and what lessons you learned if any. Have you ever taken a month off? Did it make or break your business?

1.Better decision making

Within the business on a day to day basis I often find myself in a state of continuous analysis. I find myself thinking a lot about all the elements of the business and that state can mean that I’m not necessarily able to then zoom out and look at the bigger picture.?

Taking a month out of the business has meant I’ve come back looking at it more as though I’m a consultant. My perspective is less operational and certainly less emotional and this means I’m probably making better business decisions and supporting my team more effectively.

2. Your team will drive your business forward

It’s not unusual for founders to struggle to let go, but time out has made me realise that it really is your team that will drive the business forward.?

I didn’t think that the team wouldn’t be able to move things without me, I know how capable they are. There are going to be parts of the business that as a founder you see differently, but the value your clients get from the business isn’t going to be delivered by you as a founder in the long run. So getting out of the way probably isn’t such a bad thing.?

3. What does a brilliant business look like?

Anyone that’s experienced a newborn will know that they really do require (and deserve!) all your attention. My focus was needed elsewhere, and the space and perspective that I’ve gained from spending that time has given me the opportunity to come back with fresh eyes on what a brilliant business really looks like.?