For many entrepreneurs, being a “workaholic” is the default status. Though such drive and dedication can be positive in short bursts, in the long run it leads to stagnation, burnout, and worse. Have you thought about doing an entrepreneurial retreat?

Just as experts advise us to step away from what we’re working on for short breaks throughout the day to maximize creativity, the same applies on the macro scale. An ideal way to escape the insane pressures of running a company is to attend one of the numerous different entrepreneurial retreats available.

Entrepreneurial retreats are specifically designed to remove stressed-out business owners from their demanding daily routines, so they can focus on improving themselves mentally, physically, and/or spiritually. While there are dozens of different retreats to choose from, most offer a blend of personal and professional development activities aimed at giving attendees a chance to relax and recharge their creative batteries.

If you’re not sold yet, here are four reasons you should consider taking a little extra “me time” by attending a retreat. They can be one of the most beneficial events you can attend for both yourself and your business.

It’s far too easy to stay trapped in the “busy bubble” by throwing ourselves into the daily demand of running a business for months—or even years—at a time without a significant break. This can easily lead to tunnel vision, exhaustion, and health issues if you don’t disconnect from those responsibilities on a regular basis.

By attending a retreat once or twice a year, you’ll have the much-needed time and space to slow down, relax, and look within to more fully develop yourself, not just your business strategy. Recharging your creative energy in this way frequently results in a renewed sense of motivation, focus, and vision, which you can use to enhance your business upon returning.

Even though retreats are a terrific way to disconnect from the daily grind, many also provide the option to engage in professional-development training through coaching, seminars, and workshops.

So beyond personal development through quiet introspection, you can also use these retreats to hone your business and leadership acumen as well. Not only is this a good option for those who find it difficult to spend a week or more doing nothing “productive,” but it also allows you to write off the cost of the retreat on your taxes as a business expense.

Entrepreneurs are a special breed of people, and it can be extraordinarily beneficial to surround yourself with a group of like-minded peers. Doing so provides a valuable sense of community, social support, and networking opportunities.

Who knows, maybe the guy you meet doing yoga or ziplining has encountered and overcome the very same challenge you’re currently facing. Or maybe he can recommend another professional who can help with your next big project. Or maybe you are that person for him. Or maybe you two simply hit it off and become lifelong friends.

No matter who you meet  at a retreat, there’s the real potential that those people can become trusted allies and even partners long after the retreat is over. 

Limit employee access to company computers and servers containing sensitive customer data to only those team members who actually need it. This is most often done with password protection and password sharing applications. Password sharing apps, like LastPass, allow you to share passwords with your team without actually displaying those passwords across cyberspace.

Beyond electronic access, also limit physical access to computers, servers, and other devices that store such data. This can mean installing access controls, keeping hardware in secure off-site locations, and/or storing devices in locked rooms and cabinets when the office is not in use. Be sure to also inventory all devices that store client data to ensure they haven’t been stolen or misplaced.

Anti-virus software, firewalls,  intrusion prevention systems, anti-subversion software—these security systems and others like them should be used to protect your company’s server and computers. The key is to add as many layers of security as possible, since hackers are likely to move on to an easier target, if your network and devices are particularly well defended.

And don’t forget to regularly install updates and upgrades to your security software, so you’ll be defended against the latest viruses and malware. Regularly check your software vendors’ websites and the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team’s (UC-CERT) site to stay up-to-date on the latest threats, vulnerabilities, and patches.

Web hosts are businesses that host your website and data on their own off-site servers. These servers tend to be fairly extensive and may host hundreds—and even thousands—of websites on the same machines. There are numerous web host businesses out there, but they come with varying levels of server-side protection, including things like security cameras, different types of anti-virus and anti-spyware systems, and hard-wired firewalls.

Be sure you select a web host that offers a high level of security, especially against cross-side server attacks, which involve hackers who open a fake account with the company to access other websites on the same host server. For enhanced protection, use a virtual private server (VPS), which partitions your website from other sites that share the same server.

For maximum protection, open a private server account in which your website and data are maintained on your own separate server. This option is pricey, but still a lot cheaper than getting fined and/or sued for a data breach.

While your normal IT guy or gal may be able to offer you a minimal level of protection, it may be best to hire a seasoned security professional to monitor your company’s server and computer activity. These experts will be specifically trained in the latest trends in hacking and other electronic infiltration methods, offering the most effective safeguard for your customer information.

However, these IT security professionals are quite expensive, so as your Creative Business Lawyer®, we’ll help you think through the risk and reward of hiring one and advise you on whether your company requires such an investment or not.

If your computers or servers are hacked and your data is compromised and/or stolen, immediately contact your customers to let them know. Not only will this allow clients to take steps to protect themselves, like closing their vulnerable accounts or alerting their financial institutions to be on the lookout for suspicious activity,  but it’s also required by state and federal data breach laws. 

As a business owner, you’ll need to stay apprised of the latest legal requirements for protecting your sensitive client data. As your Creative Business Lawyer, we can advise you on what safeguards you should have in place and how to implement them. And if you’re ever hacked, we’ll defend you in court against any lawsuits and/or penalties that might result. Contact us today to learn more.

We offer a complete spectrum of legal services for businesses and can help you make the wisest choices on how to deal with your business throughout life and in the event of your death. We also offer a LIFT Start-Up Session™ or a LIFT Audit for an ongoing business, which includes a review of all the legal, financial, and tax systems you need for your business. Call us today to schedule. Or, schedule online.

There are many reasons people decide to start their own business: to be your own boss, set your own hours, control the people and projects you work with. Yet the reality of business ownership isn’t quite as rosy—it’s one of the most stressful endeavors you’ll ever undertake.

While running your own company will inevitably have its maddening moments, some of the biggest stressors can be successfully managed if you know how to approach them. Here are three of the most unnerving parts of owning any business and how to handle them like a champ.

You’d think that running your own business would mean you’re in control of everything, with no one else telling you what to do, how to do it, or when to do it. And you’d be right—mostly. Paradoxically, by going it alone, you’re in control of everything and nothing at the same time.

With a steady 9-5 gig, you can pretty much count on consistent paychecks, predictable hours, a stable office location, and even regular vacations. But when you’re your own boss, consistency and predictability go out the window.

Dealing with inconsistent income can be a huge stressor, as you never know if you’re going to be able to pay your bills. What’s more, it’s often the case that if you’re not working, the business is not functioning, making things like days off and vacations seem like a fantasy.

Before launching a business, it’s crucial to have enough clients to ensure a fairly stable income. So it’s a good idea to keep your day job to pay the bills, while building a stable of regular projects on the side. Of course, there’s no guarantee that any clients will stick around forever, so it’s also prudent to set aside several month’s worth of savings to get you through the lean times.

And though it may be impossible to do in the beginning, make hiring a robust support staff a top priority, so you can eventually take time off when planned—or unplanned—events require you to step away from the driver’s seat.

Unpredictability and time management go hand in hand. Without a structured and enforced schedule to adhere to, it’s easy to get sidetracked by the day-to-day minutiae that comes with running a business.

Time management is arguably the most important skill for business owners to master, as not having enough time to handle key tasks will freak you out and wreck your business at the same time. It’s vital to establish an effective way to budget your time and then stick to a schedule as if your life depended on it (since it kind of does).

The first step to budgeting your time is to establish your top priorities and then set aside blocks of time each day/week/month strictly dedicated to those tasks. Focus on these items first and fit everything else in around them.

It’s also crucial to figure out the times of day you’re most productive and schedule your top tasks during these periods. Some people like to handle the most challenging items first, but others find their groove later in the day, so pay attention to your own energy and build your schedule around it.

Even if you’re one of those people who “live for their work,” if you don’t devote enough time to rest and relaxation both your work and life will suffer. Ironically, many people launch their own business specifically to have more time for themselves, but once you see what’s actually involved, you’ll often find the business is the one who owns you—not the other way around.

Having an effective work/life balance is the key not only to being effective at your job, but also being healthy and happy. Running a business can take a toll on your mental and physical health, and if you don’t find a proper balance, it can lead to literally fatal outcomes.

Think business is all work and no play? It’s that mindset that will hold you back from reaching your potential. Your happiness matters. The problem is, the pressure of running a business can make it seem that prioritizing self-care and your overall well-being is next to impossible, or even irresponsible. But, in fact, the opposite is true.

If you don’t prioritize self-care, your business will never succeed to the level you want. It’s a tricky balance that you will only be able to master if you see through the belief patterns that are holding you back.

Here’s something to look at that can have a big impact on your achievement of true success, going forward.

Quite often, traditional success is driven by fear of failure, a need to prove something, or a mind that tells you that when you [insert your favorite achievement oriented goal], then you will be able to be happy.

Unfortunately, what most often happens with success driven from this place, is you’ll hit the goal, but still not be happy.

Or you’ll be happy for a few minutes, and then it’s on to the next goal. Always chasing, never satisfied.

Typically, that’s happening because your relationship to discomfort is out of whack.

You are trying to solve for your discomfort with achievement, when really what your discomfort is asking for is self-care.

And, if you don’t listen to the request properly because you were never taught what self-care looks like, or because you don’t know how to listen to the part of you that’s uncomfortable, you will keep feeding the discomfort the wrong kind of nourishment.

In order to get into right relationship with your discomfort, you first need to notice that your mind is driving all of this.

It is using discomfort to speak to you.

But only because it’s the only way it knows to get your attention. Like a small child that keeps trying to get your attention, until it needs to use the most atrocious negative behaviors to do so, your mind will keep trying to tell you what it wants.

And, it’s way of doing so will get louder and louder, and uglier and uglier, until one day, it may make you very sick, just so you finally hear it.

Ideally, you can see it far before that point (like right now) and make the life changes it’s asking for, not by achieving more, but by caring for yourself more.

Entrepreneurs make tough decisions every day. They also have tough conversations. Whether it’s discussing an employee’s performance or a recent hiccup in operations, approach uncomfortable situations with a well-thought out plan, specific suggestions for improvement, and confidence.

Along those same lines, put preventative measures in place—like drafting better legal contracts—to mitigate uncomfortable situations.

Driven entrepreneurs often hire like-minded people who are passionate about work and motivated to do whatever it takes to succeed. They work hard and get results! But it’s just as important to set healthy boundaries, especially with a team of dedicated professionals. It’s vital that you model excellent self-care by taking good care of yourself and encouraging your team to do the same.  Work hard and don’t lose sight of the importance of your own mental health and well-being.

As a business owner, your bandwidth is not unlimited. Running a business is a mentally draining endeavor. When you suffer, your business suffers.

Put systems in place to ensure legal and financial issues are taken care of before they stress you out. This can include proper tax planning and auditing your insurance policies to ensure your business is well protected. Minimizing problems can free up your mental energy so you can actually enjoy the excitement and freedom of entrepreneurship.