Taking an Extended Break

Since opening my studio almost 7 years ago, I’ve never taken more than 2.5 weeks off. But that is about to change, because I am entering an entirely new stage of my life: motherhood.

When I left my full-time job to become a full-time business owner and studio teacher, my husband and I discussed that the time would come at which point I’d need to take maternity leave. And of course, the downside to being self-employed is not having paid time off. I have to admit, giving up 3 months of my main source of income is a bit scary.

But as I know (and as everyone keeps reminding me), these first few months of my baby’s life are precious, and in the long run, I will be so happy to have made the financial sacrifice to spend every last moment with him.

I’ve spent the last few months preparing for my extended break, based on advice from other business owners and other strategies I’ve put into practice for shorter vacation periods.

1. Building a vacation fund. Having some savings will help take the financial burden off of my husband once the money stops rolling in next week. So every extra dollar I’ve earned — including my tax return — has gone straight into a dedicated account which will help cover my leave. Of course, it’s not nearly enough to make up for 3 months of income, but it’s a start.

2. Creating passive income streams. One of my favorite side projects is writing children’s songs (I’m a music therapist in addition to studio teacher), so I spent some extra time this spring creating a songbook I could sell online on an ongoing basis. I have a small internet business based on my music therapy work as well, so these two endeavors will allow me to keep making some money throughout the summer with very little active work on my part.

3. Hiring a subcontractor. I actually did this last summer, knowing that starting a family was in my near future. Now that she has been working for me for a year, we have a very solid system in place that allows me to make some side income — again, without much effort on my part.

4. Scheduling make-up lessons. I’m lucky to have lots of support from family when it comes to helping with the baby, which will allow me some time to actively work this summer. I’m not sure how much I’ll be up for (certainly not a full schedule), but I’ve let my students and their families know that I will be opening up some make-up times here and there towards the end of the summer. They have been fully supportive of my need to take several months off, but are happy with the idea of at least getting a few lessons in before the fall schedule begins.

Those are the main ways in which I have prepared for my extended break, but I am also adhering to some basics, like budgeting and reducing my spending in general. While we won’t be going on many vacations, weekend trips, or enjoying fancy dinners, it will certainly be worth the trade-off of having time off to enjoy my newborn baby.

Do you have any additional tips when it comes to planning for an extended break?