Take a Load Off Missing out on R&R can mean big trouble for your business. If you haven't taken a vacation lately, make it No. 1 on your to-do list.

Ahhhh. The sounds of island music drift through the air from adistant cabana. A tropical breeze brushes across your skin as thegentle waves wash up on the white-sand beach. You feel the warmthof the sun on your legs as you sip your mai tai and enjoy the viewof a turquoise sea and sky. Beep, beep, beep! Your alarm remindsyou it's only a dream, and you've got a zillion people tocall, plans to draft and numbers to crunch today.

If the closest you're getting to a vacation is dreamingabout one, it's time for some serious restructuring. Whileentrepreneurs in general can be stingy with their time off,homebased entrepreneurs tend to be even harder on themselves andeven more reluctant to get away. Karen Frost, founder ofWashington, DC-area Frost Media Relations, explains thishesitation: "Since my business is just me, I think there'sa concern from my clients that some ball is going to drop [whileI'm on vacation] and nobody's going to know how to pick itup. And as the company grows, there's even less opportunity totake a vacation."

Likewise, Stacy Brice, president and CEO of AssistU, admits being scared aboutwhat would happen to her Baltimore-based virtual assistant businessif she went away. When she took her first vacation in 1998, hersecond year of business, she gave her assistant a day-by-dayitinerary of her trip, with instructions to call if anything wentwrong. Says Brice, "Like any other business owner, I thoughteverything was going to crumble without me."

So why bother with vacation time? According to Alan Muney, M.D.,chief medical officer and executive vice president for Oxford Health Plans Inc., a Trumbull,Connecticut-based health-plan provider, vacation is a lot more thanfun and games. "Vacations have been traditionally viewed asfrivolous behavior, particularly in a high-productivity culturesuch as we have," he says. "Studies have shown, though,that taking regular vacations actually helps reduce stress-relatedillnesses. Vacation is preventive medicine."

Mary Naylor, CEO of VIPdesk, a Washington, DC-area onlineconcierge service, relates the issue to homebased entrepreneurs:"Most people work to the point of exhaustion and then take avacation as a reward at the end of, say, six months," shesays. "Or they think it's a badge of honor thatthey've gone two years without a vacation. In fact, you shouldreally look at proactively planning a vacation each quarter as apoint of renewal and mental rejuvenation. The entrepreneur is thechief idea generator, and when you lose that edge, it'scritical."

For Frost, her time away allows her to remember that there'sa world beyond her to-do list. "When you step out of asituation for a moment, you may be able to look at the same picturebut in a different way and bring something new to the table,"she explains. "It offers perspective and the ability to stepback from your day-to-day working environment and the tunnel visionyou find yourself getting into."

Indeed, Brice attributes many of her greatest business decisionsto her time out of the office. "When I'm doing things thatare good for me, I have these flashes of brilliance about places Ican take my business," she says. "I take a little notepadwith me, and when I have one of those flashes, I write it down inthe book, close the book and put it away, so it doesn'tinterfere with my time but I also don't forget it when I goback home."

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Unplug Yourself

Both Muney and Naylor stress the importance of making your tripa true vacation, minus the pager, cell phone and laptop. "You[can't be] reading industry publications while you'resitting on the beach," advises Naylor. "You really needto disconnect."

While many experts would say your goal should be to get away forat least a week, Muney acknowledges that shorter vacations can be agood place to start. "Try taking one over a three-day weekend,and then add another day or two," he suggests. "That way,it's fewer days missed, because the rest of the world has beenon vacation for those three days as well."

Once you've mastered that, try moving on to longer getaways.Brice points out that during the typical seven-day trip, youdon't really get to relax because you spend the first three orfour days getting into "vacation mode." "Then youonly have a couple of days to relax before you have to come backhome and pop back into things," she explains. "Soit's not really about relaxation and rejuvenation."

Make it a point to schedule your trips in advance-the morenotice you give your clients, the more time they'll have to getused to the idea. Besides, as a busy business owner, you'llneed the extra time to prepare for the vacation. Frost is planninga two-week trip to Peru in the next few weeks, and she's takingcare to work out the details and make contingency plans."I'm telling my clients that I'm going on a vacation,that I need some R&R for myself, and that in order for this tobe a positive, healthy working environment, this has tohappen," she says.

Naylor suggests planning a minimum of four vacations a year-aweek at the end of each quarter-and making them non-negotiable."Call it a creative retreat," she says. "It'snormal, and just because you're a homebased entrepreneurdoesn't mean you have to be accessible through your pager24/7."

Brice, for one, schedules her vacation time before she doesanything else. "If I override the time I create for myself,then I'm not likely to get it back," she says, "andonce you start to give it up for one reason, it becomes easier togive it up for any reason." Brice also suggests structuringyour business and using technology in a way that allows for revenueto keep streaming in even when you're not there. Enlist thehelp of an assistant, and be ready to hand things off to them.

And don't forget about travel agencies and conciergeservices. "As an entrepreneur, you need complete resources;you don't have time to keep going back and forth between theWeb, phone and other research. Charge that task to someoneelse," suggests Naylor. "At the end of the day, yourbusiness is important, but it's not a life-or-death situation.This is for your health."

Adventure and Specialty Travel

Group getaways for the perpetually active

Maybe tropical breezes and sunsets aren't your cup of tea.That's OK-you've got options:

New England HikingHolidays: This company offers walking and hiking trips for allskill levels throughout Canada, Europe and the United States.

Amelia CulinaryAdventures: Ever dreamed of learning Italian cooking techniqueswhile traveling in Sicily? Check out Amelia's packages andtours.

Adventure TravelSociety: Unusual vacations galore.

AlternativeTravel: This site includes Frommer's suggestions foroffbeat travel-that includes helping out on an archaeological dig,saving the wetlands or participating in an organic farm homestay.Note: The volunteer trips are a great way to make a difference andsave money.