How to Build a Weekend into Your Schedule as a Small Business Owner

When you’re a small business owner who’s responsible for every dollar you make, and maybe even a few employees, it’s easy to skimp on R&R…

There’s no doubt small business owners know how to hustle and that they’ll put in whatever time it takes to become a success story.

But with a schedule chock-full of appointments, classes, and marketing efforts — not to mention profit margins and business growth to worry about — it’s hard to remember to take a much-needed mental break every once in a while.

That’s why building a weekend into your schedule is vital.

Even if your job requires working Saturday and Sunday, which we know is a reality for a lot of service providers, finding a way to step away from the hustle and bustle of running a business is crucial for your mental health and personal life.

To help ensure you’re able to build a weekend into your schedule as a small business owner, we gathered up our best advice to help you take back your time. You deserve it!

Set Your Schedule (and Stick to It!)

One of the hardest things about running your own business is learning that you can’t do everything all the time. If you find yourself unable to finish one task without getting distracted by another, it may be time to reconsider your schedule and your online scheduler.

Reconsider Your Schedule

You already schedule time for clients, reviewing payments, even running errands for supplies — why not rest?

By penciling in a day or two off into your regular routine in advance, you’re more likely to stick to it. So take the time to think about which day(s) off you’d prefer each week. While it may not be Saturday or Sunday, it’s still important to have that personal time off away from your business.

Plan Weekend “Appointments”

If you’re a service provider who struggles with taking time away from work, you may just need to “book” yourself for your weekend plans. Of course, when we say book “appointments”, we mean a block of time made just for you!

First things first: Decide what you want to do with your day off. Go skiing? Take a hike? Spend a day with a friend to catch up?

Whatever you do with your time, give it an actual slot on your calendar like any other appointment. Prioritizing your time off like this will ensure you have the space to relax on your calendar.

Switch to an Online Booking App

With so many online booking apps out there to help service providers manage their schedule, like Vagaro, you can set your own work schedule. This way, you can schedule your days off online, then have the assurance that your booking app won’t allow clients to book on those days.

Plus, without fielding phone calls or DMs about appointments, you’ll have more free time, too!

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Optimize Your Most Productive Times

The benefits of scheduling your day on an app include being able to plan around your most productive hours. Is your appointment book full on Fridays? And maybe not so busy on Mondays? Focus more on getting the most out of your Fridays, while penciling in some time off for Monday.

Most scheduling apps have reports to tell you which days are busier than others, too. Once you have the data to know your busy times and not-so-busy times, you can then evaluate when you should schedule your weekend.

Take Your Days Off with Purpose

Lastly, if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t enjoy getting a little frivolous with your time off, we totally get that! (Hey, not everyone is made for beach days!) Instead of trying to force yourself, switch up how you view your time off. Use it for something you value outside of work.

Is there a home remodeling project you’ve been putting off. Or maybe you’d love to spend more time in your garden? Make it happen!

Think about your weekends more as stepping away from the hustle of your day-to-day and focusing on something in your personal life. If it’s a half-day, a weekend, or just a day off on a Monday, know you are ultimately taking the time to make your life more productive and improve your work-life balance.