The topic this week of one man/woman bands toiling away all year, to take their only holiday when everyone else is away at Christmas, is one close to my heart. I do this job by myself and in order to take a holiday during the year, I need to find someone else to take it on which never seems to work out because we all want a break at the same time.
The result is I am counting down till the summer break.
Reading the stories of the columnists this week, I am not alone. I suspect there are many New Zealanders working for themselves who give themselves a week or two holiday a year and that's it, if they are lucky. But they cherish the independence of running their own operation - for many it's a better way of juggling work and family.
In an expert column this week, MYOB's Scott Gardiner gives some insights on ways of walking away from the business temporarily for a break. He looks at the options of closing down for a week or two, bringing in a contractor you trust, or job sharing over the period.
Piano tuner, Jonathan Mason hits the nail on the head when he says the temptation to keep going rather than down tools and see what happens, is very strong when you are self-employed.
