“It IS possible to build a business that allows you to take time off during the holidays."

We have exactly 100 days until Christmas!

If you want to take two weeks off from your business this holiday season, and you haven't started budgeting yet, here's exactly what to do.

Most business women I speak to don't have a consistent Financial System for their business and that's why they struggle with profitability... even when earning $7-figures!

And many women tell me this is the MOST stressful time of year.

Between Black Friday, holiday family madness...and that last-ditched effort to hit your annual goals, it's no wonder many of your employees want time off during the holidays!

But that's a problem, isn't it?

You've worked hard all year long...and YOU want time off, too.

So how do we structure a business budget that allows you to take all the time you need and still earn enough...while all your competitors are going full steam ahead during the holidays?

If you feel like your business can't afford to have you take time off this year, let me show you my Financial System so you can see how I take lots of time off, every single year, especially around the holidays.

(This works even if you are a doctor, lawyer, plumber... or someone who is the primary service-provider in their business)

So this week on Fierce Feminine Finance let me share with you how I plan my profits so I can take time off during the holidays, and let your competitors panic and yank their hair out, because you're STILL making more than they are!

Want The Free Workbook That Goes With This Training?

With every episode of Fierce Feminine Finance, I like to empower you with a POWERFUL free resource that goes with the episode which you can implement right away to create some of the same results, if not better, in your business.

This week, since we are talking how to plan your profits so you can take time off during the holidays, I put together a Girl! Get Paid Guide so you know the best way to budget and plan for this.

After going through this freebie you will have a complete step-by-step plan to prepare for your next vacation or holiday season in your business, and know exactly what to do to keep earning income even while you're away.

You can download it right away by clicking on the picture above 👆

With that said, here are the steps to plan your profits so you can take time off during the next holiday! 👊

A lot of people probably rely on your business's income. And so in order to take time off at any time of year, you have to make sure the show goes on...and the business continues to make money while you're gone.

The burning question most business owners have when they start to approach this topic of how to take time off, is: How do I do it without losing money?

I start by holding what I like to call "Finance Fridays".

This means every single Friday I sit down and look at how much income my business has made in the last 7 days (cash collected) and compare that to the bills that are coming up in the next seven.

That means I'm not reacting to bills, and just paying them randomly, but instead proactively planning what bills will be paid and what expenses there are--and making a conscious decision of what I want to invest back into my business, versus what I want to take out as an owner draw or salary.

The Financial System of your business exists to help you keep income higher than your expenses, and make it possible to keep your doors open so you can achieve results for your clients, which is the basic purpose of your business.

And one of the most important parts of your Financial System is your business budget.

Most women think of budgeting as something you do retroactively:

You give your statements to a bookkeeper and get a report weeks later that tells you how you did spend the money.

I work with my clients to look at bookkeeping and budgeting predictively:

We give every dollar a "job" based on what you think is the best use of business funds, and then our bookkeeping team helps you go back and compare your plan with reality to see how you did.

I know you have a LOT going on at the end of the year! This exercise will be worth the time you spend on it. Believe me.

When you plan your profits ahead of time using the method I teach inside my Girl! Get Paid Profitability Guide, you can even out cash flow by turning your business from a cash-eating monster into a smooth and reliable stream of income.

Now Your Bills Are Paid. What Do We Do With Extra Cash (or Discretionary Income) To Help You Take Time Off?

A mistake I see a lot of women make in their business is: instead of putting future expenses on the budget, they allow it to "surprise" them...

Even an expense that is totally predictable like holiday time off!

What we want to do is start treating taking time off during the holidays AS A BILL!

So put that sucker on your bills list ;-)

And then calculate how much you need to set aside every single week in order to take the time off you want this holiday season.

Putting future expenses on your budget and treating them like a bill will help you predict how much profit you need to make in order to live your dream lifestyle.

Afterall... isn't that the whole point of why you started your business?

"But... I Can't Afford It"

If putting "holiday time off" on your bills list causes you some discomfort and it makes you feel like you need to expand your business, or make drastic changes to your marketing/sales process in order to afford it...

THAT'S A GOOD THING!

Remember: none of your growth happens in your comfort zone.

So sometimes you have to use your budget as a tool to make yourself uncomfortable so you will MOVE and actually take the actions you need to take... in order to make it possible for you to take that time off!

Now...

The other thing that can sometimes happen when you implement this system (which I call The Financial Grip System of Budgeting by the way) is you see those new "bills" you now have to pay and your mind starts telling you stories:

"That's impossible"

"There's no way I'll be able to afford that"

"My industry can't support that much profit"

Etc.

...and in the worst cases, it triggers deep-seated feelings of inadequacy, depression and a hot mess.

If that's something that keeps happening to you when you try to put these future expenses on your bills list, then you probably need to take a step back and focus on building a healthy money mindset.

By thinking positively, you can not only alter your neurochemistry but form new beliefs that influence your attitude, and therefore the outcome of all your financial endeavors.  

For a practical example of this, try this exercise: 

• Start a 30 day journal to document the limiting beliefs and negative attitudes you currently have about money and investing. What stories are you telling yourself that trigger fear or other negative emotions at the thought of chasing after your dreams?

• Once you have identified a few of them, begin exercising self-discipline to change those beliefs to a higher-vibe belief or thought. 

• Keep a note on your phone or a small notepad and pen in your pocket throughout the day.

• Every time you start to worry or experience negative emotions or thoughts about your goals and dreams, pause and make a note of it.

When you see an opportunity, do you get excited? Or does your mind tell you, “You’re not good enough. You’ll never be able to accomplish that!” Etc?

• Each time you think a negative thought about your goal, make a conscious effort to reframe that thought with a positive one.

• Focusing on that specific thought, flip the script and put your intention behind thinking positively about it. This can be verbal or nonverbal. 

Examples: 

• If my limiting belief is: “I can’t do this” I reframe it as: “I am infinitely capable of accomplishing my goals. Not only can I do it… I AM doing it every. single. day.”

• If my negative thought is: “I’ll never hit $1M dollars” I pause, and consciously reframe that thought as: “By the end of next year, I will be a $1M business owner”.

By reframing my beliefs around money, I was able to expand my mindset and implement The Financial Grip System of Budgeting in my business to take more time off during the holidays.

I hope these tips allow you to take an objective look at your approach to the everyday problems of budgeting in your business and improve your chances of taking 2+ weeks off this holiday season.