For many business owners, vacations are a mere distant memory of life in the corporate world, where company policy required you to take time off and you had plenty of people to cover for you when you took your annual break. But when you’re a solo operation, a husband and wife team, or even have a small team of employees, one of the biggest challenges of being in business for yourself may be to find the time to get away from the business long enough to relax and rejuvenate. But vacations are critical to our physical and mental health, so use these tips to make sure you get the time off you need:

- Plan ahead. Schedule your vacation time far enough in advance that you can plan your work load around your time off. It’s also a good idea to coordinate your schedule with your family to make sure that everyone is planning for the same goal.

- Build a back-up network. Look for people you trust who can handle work that can’t wait while you’re gone. If you’re a solo operator, develop a strong network of similarly-situated business owners you trust who can help you and who you can help. It’s a good idea to draw up a written agreement to protect everyone in terms of the client’s status, obligations, and compensation.

- Notify your regular clients. About a week before you leave, tell the clients with whom you communicate regularly that you’ll be unavailable. You may need to tell them sooner if it means rescheduling some of their work. Most clients understand; they know you need to get away, and they’ll usually work with you.

- Take some of your work with you. Sometimes a change of scenery is worthwhile even if you can’t totally escape your business. Use technology to keep up while you enjoy some time at a resort.

- Consider several short breaks throughout the year instead of one long vacation. A Friday through Monday break can often be achieved without your clients even being aware that you were gone.

Whether you’re one of those people who believes in the value of vacations or you’re a workaholic who views them as a waste of time, it’s a good idea to structure your business so you can take time off if necessary. Think about what might happen if you become ill or have another emergency that takes you away from your business–you need a plan in place that will take care of your clients and protect your company.