Annual leave is the most stressful time of year for owners of small businesses, according to top twenty accountancy firm, Kingston Smith. Preparing for a holiday means extra work in advance, with the added pressure of meeting a deadline or finishing a project before going off on holiday.  And whilst one member of the team is on holiday, others have to pick up on their workload, resulting in extra stress in the office.

According to Paul Samrah, partner at Kingston Smith in Redhill, “It is important not to feel guilty about taking time off – people work much more effectively if they have had a proper break than if they are stressed out and tired. The key is to prepare for your well-earned holiday. It’s also important to be realistic about what will happen while you are away.

“Preparing for a holiday can mean lots of extra work. However, experience suggests that most people tend to over prepare, spending ages preparing plans and notes about events they think might happen whilst away, yet return to find that very few of their actions actually did happen during their absence. Much of this is driven by anxiety - the worry that things will go wrong while they are away. We all need holidays – so minimise the stress and use them as an opportunity to recharge your batteries. Without the owner at the helm, it’s also an opportunity to discover what runs smoothly when he/she is not around and what needs attention.”

Kingston Smith’s top 10 tips for a stress-free holiday period are listed below.

• Take holiday in your quiet period and when other key staff are not going away;
• Keep one week either side of your holiday free of important meetings.
• If you are involved on the purchasing side of the business, then ensure that the existing bank mandate for cheque signatories is adequate/sufficient.
• Alert key customers/suppliers to your holiday.
• Clear your desk before you go.
• Prepare your ‘To Do’ list before you go on holiday, ready for your return.
• Empower (as well as delegate) your key supporting staff. Allocate sufficient time to schedule a proper handover of your work in progress, prior to your departure. Consider setting targets (debtor recoverability/new orders etc).
• Ensure your staff check your email, voice mail and incoming post.
• Leave your contact details, but strictly for emergency use only.
• Finally, ensure that the holiday recharges your batteries. Make sure you really do take time to relax, especially during the first few days when you will probably be winding down not only from work but also from the journey.

Paul Samrah concludes, “Remember that too much work and too little leisure is counter productive. Make the most of your holiday. Relax and enjoy it and don’t remain in constant contact with the office. The business will benefit from your refreshed approach on your return