• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Big Ideas for Small Business logo

Barbara Weltman

Big Ideas for Small Business, Inc.

Whitepaper download

Subscribe and download our eBook, "150+ Tax Deductions for Small Business A to Z."

This field is hidden when viewing the form
Get the:

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Big Ideas For Your Business
    • Idea Of The Day ®
    • SMB Legal
    • SMB Taxes
    • SMB Financial
    • Small Business
    • Newsletter Archive
  • Services
  • Books
  • Blog
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Radio Shows/Podcasts
  • Be a Guest Blogger

Workless Weekends: What and How to Make Them Happen

March 7, 2017 / By Barbara Weltman

Workess WeekendsSmall business owners may find it challenging to disengage from their business activities. According to a finding a few years ago from the Alternative Advisory Board, 97% of small business owners work weekends, some every weekend and some at least one day each weekend. But staying connected all of the time can be a big mistake. You risk your health, raise safety concerns, and may not be productive beyond a certain point. In Japanese, it’s called karoshi (pronounced kah-roe-she), which means death from overwork. Don’t let this happen to you.

What can you do to ensure that your business runs smoothly while you take the time off that’s needed for personal health and family matters?

What does “workless” mean?

Understand what workless means so that you can really benefit from being disengaged. Even though you may be away from your workplace, it’s all too easy to remain connected through your mobile devices. To be workless, don’t check email, text messages, and social media on your off-time.

If you receive business phone calls on your smartphone, think twice before answering it. Consider letting it go to voicemail so you can determine whether the call is time-sensitive or can wait.

If you have a home office, shut the door! It’s all too easy to just view your email or do simple chores there, but you won’t be workless if you do.

Delegate

If the nature of your business is 7 days a week (e.g., a restaurant or retail establishment), you’ll need to designate someone who’s in charge in your absence. Be sure to give this person the authority needed to handle emergencies in your absence.

Make sure that your staff and your customers know your days off, and respect this arrangement.

Sabbath

Religious people think that God got it right by setting aside the Sabbath as a day of rest each week. Whether or not you spend this day once a week attending religious services or just use the time to be away from work, the benefits can be significant. I can attest to this. Years ago I stopped working one day a week and truly believe that without this time off I’d have burned out long ago.

Daily sabbaticals

While not as beneficial as one or two days off each week, consider spending some time each day on nonbusiness matters. Schedule time each day for nonbusiness activities, such as exercising, doing hobbies, meeting friends, and of course being with family. Depending on your work situation, it may even be possible to take a short nap mid-day to recharge yourself.

Final thought

Maybe achieving the ideal work-life balance isn’t possible for all small business owners, but being cognizant of the need to aim for it and take steps to make it happen is essential.

Maya Angelou said, “Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, nor solutions searched for.”

It’s up to you to make this happen.

Tags overwork small business owners time off weekends work-life balance workless weekends

Primary Sidebar

Categories

  • General Business (506)
  • Guest Blog (114)
  • Homepage (27)
  • Small Business (1,007)
  • SMB Financial (330)
  • SMB Legal (67)
  • SMB Taxes (327)

Barbara’s Recent Posts

  • Is Christmas in July for Your Small Business? July 10, 2025
  • How to Streamline Recruitment and Selection to Enhance Hiring Results July 9, 2025
  • One Big Beautiful Bill: Checklist of Tax Changes for Small Businesses July 8, 2025
  • What the U.S. Supreme Court Told Small Businesses in This Term: Part 1 July 3, 2025
  • Mid-Year Business Planning for 2025 July 1, 2025
  • 10 Ideas for Coping with Cash Flow Challenges June 26, 2025
  • 5 Insurance Traps to Avoid June 24, 2025
  • Creating a Feng Shui Office Layout for Your Business June 20, 2025
  • Scaling Your Business by Optimizing Social Media Marketing June 19, 2025
  • The Timeless Value of Business Cards in a Digital World June 18, 2025
  • What Does the Latest IRS Data Book Tell Us? June 17, 2025
  • Business Advice from Famous Dads June 12, 2025
Awarded Top 100 Small Business Blog medal (link will open in a new window or tab)
Marquis Who's Who 2023 Badge
Top Small Business Blogs (Link will open in a new window or tab.)
8 Financial blogs small business Owners Need to Read. Invoice home.  (link will open in a new window or tab)
Best Small Business Blog, Expertido.org
Top 50 Small Business Blogs 2018
Best Small Business Blogs
BizHumm Top 100 Business Blog Award to Barbara Weltman
FitsSmallBusiness.com: Award for Best Small Business Blog 2017 (link will open in a new window or tab)
FitsSmallBusiness.com: Award for Best Small Business Blog 2016 (link will open in a new window or tab)

Footer

Big Ideas for Small Business logo

Small business ideas, business tax news and small business consulting from Barbara Weltman to provide business owners with the information they need to succeed. Visit our small business blog, Idea of The Day®, small business books and articles on small business taxes, small business finance and small business legal advice.

Contact Us

[email protected]

(772) 492-9593

gacor maxwin situs slot thailand terpercaya situs slot gacor situs gacor akun pro thailand slot bandar togel terpercaya

Latest Tweets

bigideas4sb Big Ideas for Small Business® @bigideas4sb ·
July 10

5 Best Apps to Help You Delegate Tasks Easily - LifeHack https://bit.ly/4ktlMs8 #smallbusiness #delegate #workplace

Reply on Twitter 1943438117886726437 Retweet on Twitter 1943438117886726437 Like on Twitter 1943438117886726437 1 Twitter 1943438117886726437
bigideas4sb Big Ideas for Small Business® @bigideas4sb ·
July 10

Motivation vs Discipline: Why One Always Beats the Other (And It's Not What You Think) - LifeHack https://bit.ly/4eCTSIQ #productivity #smallbusiness #motivation

Reply on Twitter 1943384967964229673 Retweet on Twitter 1943384967964229673 Like on Twitter 1943384967964229673 Twitter 1943384967964229673
bigideas4sb Big Ideas for Small Business® @bigideas4sb ·
July 10

Use These 11 Guidelines to Decide When to Bend the Rules for Employees https://bit.ly/3GEPOeH #workplace #smallbusiness

Reply on Twitter 1943360134333276317 Retweet on Twitter 1943360134333276317 Like on Twitter 1943360134333276317 Twitter 1943360134333276317
Load More

Copyright © 2008–2025 Big Ideas for Small Business, Inc  |  Designed by Hudson Fusion

  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap