Meryl's Notes Blog

From Detroit Free Press and published in The Dallas Morning News (may require free registration):

Fewer small-business owners - 59% now versus 67% four years ago - expect to take a summer vacation of at least a week, according to OPEN, the small-business arm of American Express.

Of those U.S. business owners who said they were planning to take a vacation, 65% said they will worry about their business while away. What are they worried about?

1. Who will manage the business while they are gone.

2. Clients not getting the level of service they are used to receiving.

3. Staff judgment calls.

4. Employees slacking off.

As a one-person business, I fear falling behind and becoming more overwhelmed upon my return. For the most part, I don’t earn anything unless I work. So it’s hard to stop working for any length of time. I also like to respond to clients within 24 hours — while I tend to check e-mails from anywhere, it may not be possible while on vacation.