Entrepreneurs and their holidays

If you’re a small business owner it’s likely that you don’t take a break as often as you should.

CITY AM reported that half of the UK’s business owners take less than six days off a year, ‘with one in five taking no time off at all’. Whilst it’s easy to see why business owners are reticent to step away from their business for a week or so, it really can be beneficial in the long run when you consider the positive impact a holiday can have.

To inspire you to take a break, we thought we’d take a look at some famous entrepreneurs who recognise the importance of a holiday and where exactly they go! Enjoy…

Richard Branson

The obvious starting place… Sir Richard and his famous Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands. He has built a business upon his island – so he is able to work and relax at the same time, whilst catering to famous faces such as Barack Obama, Kate Winslet and some of the royal family. Richard has lived on Necker since 2013 – whilst pursuing non-for-profit ventures and travelling the world. On a side note, he allows staff to go on holiday whenever they like. If his idyllic getaway sounds like your thing, you can stay from around £40,000 a night. Start saving!

Mark Zuckerberg 

The Facebook boss posted on social media that he and wife Priscilla take an annual honeymoon and in the past have enjoyed both relaxing and activities in Hawaii. Mark has also expressed his desire to see more of the world; he travelled around America last year and announced in January his aim to visit 30 more US states. He keeps followers up-to-date with his travels on his social media.

Sarah Willingham 

She was in Dragons’ Den but left to travel the world for a year with her family. She has been documenting her round-the-world-trip on social media and has visited (to name just a few destinations) Dubai, Thailand, Philippines, Bali, Singapore and Australia.

Jeff Bezos 

The Amazon founder chose to visit tourist hotspot Rome on his recent holiday. Jeff favoured soaking up the historic culture and architecture rather than basking in the sun when visiting the popular Italian destination.

Karren Brady

The businesswoman, adviser on The Apprentice and vice-chairman of football club West Ham United previously said she hadn’t had a holiday for 13 years (and even went back to work a month after having an operation). This has now changed and she now enjoys around 3 holidays a year. Trips have included visits to luxurious resorts such as the Maldives, Mauritius, France and Spain. More recently she was seen on Sir Philip Green’s superyacht in Monaco.

Bill Gates

Currently the World’s Richest Man (but not if Jeff Bezos has anything to do with it), Bill likes to travel in style on his rented yacht, cruising around the Mediterranean near Sardinia in Italy (the yacht houses a helicopter that was used to transport him to a nearby tennis court). Bill noted in 2014 that working long days wasn’t as big a priority as it used to be in his younger days, saying that he was now more ‘mellow’.

Deborah Meaden

Though the businesswoman and former Dragons’ Den star has travelled the world, she still remembers having an ice cream along the beach on her first holiday to Clacton-on-Sea in Essex. Getaways in more recent years include trips centred around conservation and wildlife and include trips to places such as Kenya, Argentina, and Sydney. Despite all her travels, and perhaps due to previously owning a UK-based family holiday park, she lists Cornwall as one of her favourite destinations to holiday.

Warren Buffett

Businessman Warren recently listed his California holiday home, bought in 1971, for just under £10 million. He kept the sunny Laguna Beach property, near to Orange County (famous for its oranges, of course), for many years, having bought it for over £100,000 in the Seventies.

Theresa May

Even our Prime Minister takes a holiday every so often. Theresa May is known for going on a yearly 3 week walking holiday, and this year is no different. In 2017 she began her walking tour in stunning Northern Italy, then moving onto the snowy Swiss Alps.

Inspired to take a break? It’s important to take the time to recharge your batteries, so why not wind down and enjoy new some sights?

If you need someone to answer your calls whilst you’re away, we offer a holiday telephone answering service. See here for more information and give us a call on 0207 608 5510 if you have any questions. Happy holidays!