Why you should go on a business retreat as a entrepreneur

In the regular hustle and bustle of business it can be so easy to focus on production and day-to-day just to lose sight of the bigger picture.

Are your practices still in alignment with your values?

Have your values changed?

Have your priorities changed?

Make sure your business is always adapting with you and doesn’t get left behind, because you are your business.

A retreat is a great way to re-center and work on things that always take the back burner. It can also give you perspective on what has been falling through the cracks lately. I just got through my first tax season on my own and decided that it’s the best time to ask myself questions like:

What did I like?

What would I not do again?

How can I improve?

What are goals for next season?

Make Your Business Retreat Simple

Here are some ground rules for a retreat:

-      Switch up your atmosphere from your normal workspace – I went to the beach and stayed a condo on my own. If you are on a budget then perhaps rent an office at a co-working space, work out of a friend’s house, hit up a library or coffee shop.

-      No day-to-day or production work allowed during the days or time period allotted. Just no.

-      Mandatory breaks so that you don’t get stuck. Coming from an accountant, diving into creative aspects can be overwhelming in long periods of time. I break it up to get perspective, to look at the big picture and to keep productivity high. Do a puzzle, go on a walk/hike, read a book, but try and stay away from electronics.

-      Prepare for the communication break by informing those who may need you during these dates that you plan to stop production while you are at the retreat. Then set an auto-reply on email. If people really need you, they can call but make it clear that it must be an emergency.

-      Stick to your agenda – it is so easy to get swept back into reality. But make this time intentional and stay on track. If this is impossible for you (haha you know who you are), consider hiring a facilitator to plan and keep you on track and productive.

Stuck? Start Here

Not sure where to start with the agenda? Start with any items that you’ve been wanting to do but have been putting off. The areas I focused on are operations, financial, foundational, marketing and personal. Here is my agenda as an example:

1.      Operations - What can I delegate next season?

2.      Financial – Budget to actual spending, forecast next season and remainder of year

3.      Foundational – Write about my “purpose” “why” and “how” – just get it on paper/screen (aka word vomit).

4.      Marketing – review my website, update google profile, start writing for my blog, and do my social media calendar.

5.      Personal – Schedule items that I put in busy season off like doctors appts, summer camps for my son, etc.

Shameless plug: If you need any help with the financial portion, I love helping my clients with CFO services to prepare all the information that you need to reflect on your year + look towards your future.