5 Reasons Why it Pays for Women Entrepreneurs to Invest in Retreats

As a business owner, you wear a lot of hats and are constantly pulled in multiple directions.  Add to that the demands you face outside your business where you have primary responsibility for childcare, managing the household, managing the children's schooling and activities, and perhaps you have eldercare responsibilities as well.

If you are unable to find balance in your day-to-day life, you need to take breaks to recharge to hopefully avoid burnout.

How about a women's business retreat?

Just imagine - luxury accommodations, beautiful waterfront views, gourmet meals you didn't cook yourself. Removing yourself from the daily demands of your business (and life) to reflect on where you are and where you'd like to go.  Finding the headspace to map out the path to get there. All in the company of women who are on the same journey as you….

Doesn't it sound heavenly to block off your calendar and whisk away for a change of scenery and some me-time?  Everyone needs time to recharge and it might surprise you to learn that your business growth will be slower and less profitable without it.

Here's 5 reasons why a women's business retreat is a valuable investment:

The best thinking happens when you take a step back.

Have you ever noticed that the best ideas come to you at the strangest times?  Not when you're working in your business, but when you step away.  Sometimes a glimmer will come to mind when you're in the shower or walking the dog.  Space and downtime are essential for reflection and the self-growth that accompanies it.  Retreats allow us time to intentionally slow down, escape the chaos of our busy lives and prioritize dreaming up possibilities of what we could do, rather than defaulting to what we feel we should do.  Having the headspace allows us to think and be creative, awakening our strategic thinking abilities as we take a bird’s eye view of our lives and business.

Immersive experiences don't just happen. You need to make them happen.

When you live the hectic life of a business owner and mother, opportunities to remove yourself from all the day to day responsibilities and distractions never happens unless you prioritize it and make it happen.  Opportunities to completely immerse ourselves, not just step out of the fray for a few minutes, allow us to check in with ourselves and achieve great clarity. Retreats are designed to provide the tools and supportive environment to exact focus and not only remove you from the daily grind, but also to curate an experience to shift your thinking and clearly see the world around you.

Leading a business is different than operating one.

It takes a different skillset, mindset and perspective to lead a business.  To truly step into the CEO role, you need to spend time thinking about the bigger picture of your business, creating a compelling vision for the future that will inspire others to join you.  It requires you to set priorities and communicate what that means to each member of your team.  To be an effective CEO, you also need to be comfortable having difficult conversations and managing conflict.  The trial and error approach you use to market your business is entirely too risky when it comes to how you lead your business.  Retreats can  equip you to become more effective leaders.  We all have room to grow.

Taking care of yourself is essential, not selfish or a luxury.

As women, we often put ourselves last on the list.  Taking time for ourselves is essential to be able to help others.  To borrow from the airlines, we must put our oxygen masks on first, before we help others.  This is not news to any of you, but can you honestly say that you're taking care of you?  The bottom-line is that we have to make time for ourselves for self-reflection and growth so that our friends, family and customers can experience the best versions of us.  Retreats provide the perfect blend of space to think, new ideas to learn and like-minded women to share the journey with.

Build an advisory team who support you to succeed.

Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely experience.  Breaking out of the isolation and building a community of women who understand  the up-and-down lifestyle of an entrepreneur and support you to overcome struggles, is one of the biggest success factors for  business and personal success.  Learning from others who have experienced and overcome the struggles you are facing or will face in the future, is critical to reaching and expanding new heights in your business growth.

Small group retreats create an intimate, judgement-free environment that cannot be accomplished in a Meet-up  or one day networking event.  A retreat allows women the time and space to build face to face connections with other women entrepreneurs creating a closeness and a desire to continue supporting one another even after the retreat is over.

So given these reasons to invest in a retreat experience, here's the real question to ask ourselves:

“What is the real cost of not taking time out of our busy lives to recharge, learn, clear roadblocks, and re-focus?”

• Imagine how successful your business could be if you spent more time wearing your CEO hat instead of being consumed in the operations of it?

• What opportunities and ideas afloat around in your mind and never see the light of day because you don't intentionally create space to evaluate their potential?

• How much more of an impact could you be having if you had more clarity, focus and confidence to manage change?

• Imagine how empowered you would feel taking your rightful seat in a community of accomplished women and achieving new heights together?

The real cost of not doing a retreat lies in the answers to these questions.  It’s one of those investments you can’t put a price on. The experience you will gain for the longevity and success of your business and personal fulfillment will be invaluable.

You are the most valuable asset in your company and investing in the right retreat, led by a professional facilitator and coach who has the qualifications and depth of experience should provide you with a transformative experience that will benefit you both personally and professionally.  Retreats that facilitate regular group meetings after the weekend is over, will further extend the learning, deepen the relationships and pay dividends for your business for years to come.

I hope you can see that a retreat is a strategic investment for women entrepreneurs who want to be the best they can be and lead their businesses to greater heights.