Taking a Sabbatical or Leave as a Practice Owner? Here’s How to Prep Your Business

The idea of taking a break might sound luxurious… or impossible.

But what if your sabbatical wasn’t just a personal break, but a business practice? What if it was a built-in way to sustain your work long-term?

More and more practice owners are exploring sabbaticals. And for good reason: healing work is demanding. Leadership is exhausting. You need restoration not just for your own well-being, but for the health of your whole team.

It’s also common to need support guiding your team and the business while owners step away for a parental leave, caring for a loved one, or just taking a vacation. Whatever your reason for taking some time away, there are ways to create an intentional leave so things operate smoothly in your absence.

Image via unsplash.

So how do you make it happen?

Here’s what to focus on when preparing for a sabbatical:

1. Document the essentials.

Start with systems that run weekly: payroll, billing, intake, team check-ins. What needs to happen? Who needs to know how to do it? How do they know what to do?

2. Identify your point person.

Every practice needs someone who can hold the day-to-day in your absence. This could be an internal team member, or a fractional practice manager (hi!) who can step in temporarily.

3. Set clear dates and expectations.

Your team needs to know how long you’ll be gone, how to reach you (if at all), and what decisions they’re empowered to make. You’ll likely also want to plan a transition in and transition out time with your point person to keep everything running smoothly.

4. Do a test run.

Take a week off sometime before the real sabbatical. See what questions and/or chaos comes up. Notice what feels unclear. Gather feedback. Adjust accordingly.

Remember: the goal isn’t perfection. It’s resilience. You’re not stepping away because you don’t care — you’re stepping away because you care. Deeply.

Good support makes this possible. I’ve helped practice owners prepare for parental leave, travel, burnout recovery, and beyond. We build systems that make space for rest without unraveling the business.

Ready to plan your sabbatical with less stress? Let’s map it out — together.

Hey! I’m Charlie — Your Practice Partner.
I help human-centered group practices thrive. More about me.