How to keep your business booming during the summer holiday period

Every business owner knows the grind: long hours, full inboxes, and the ever-present voice in your head whispering, “You can’t step away, everything depends on you”.

But as summer rolls on and inboxes across the UK begin auto-replying with sun-drenched out-of-office messages, some business owners may be quietly asking themselves: "Can I really afford to take a break? And what happens if I don’t?"

Business burnout: why rest is essential for success

Running a business is rewarding, but it’s also all-consuming. Many business owners find themselves working through holidays, replying to emails from the beach, or checking in between family dinners. The idea of fully disconnecting feels like a luxury few can afford.

Why? Because for many entrepreneurs, time away feels like inviting chaos. With no safety net in place, a break becomes a risk: missed leads, mishandled client requests, and potentially deals lost to competitors.

But here’s the catch: burnout costs more than a well-planned holiday ever could. Decision fatigue, stress, and dwindling clarity don’t just wear down the person at the top. It can quietly chip away at the business itself.

One missed call led to the birth of Moneypenny

It’s a story close to home for us at Moneypenny. Years ago, a single missed call while our co-founder Ed Reeves was on holiday cost him a game-changing business opportunity. That call became the first spark of Moneypenny - built to ensure other businesses never have to face the same risk.

It’s a common summer story: lost clients, negative customer experience, missed revenue and unanswered calls. But there are smarter ways to stay on top of things these days, even when the team is offline. Whether it’s outsourcing overflow calls or leaning on a trusted call answering service, an increasing number of businesses are finding ways to stay open, without being always on.

Business survival tips: avoid burnout with smart outsourcing

Many business owners feel that stepping back is a luxury they can’t afford. But increasingly, the smart move isn’t to push through, it’s to plan better. Taking breaks isn’t indulgent; it’s strategic.

The most resilient businesses don’t wait for a crisis to think about cover. They build in continuity all year round, especially in the summer. That might mean redistributing workloads, updating client comms, or partnering with a virtual receptionist service to ensure nothing gets missed.

And let’s face it, summer out-of-office replies have become an art form. But behind every “I’m off building sandcastles until Tuesday” is a business owner who’s made smart plans to keep things running smoothly in their absence.

Your holiday checklist as a business owner

With the summer break fast approaching, now is the time to ask: is your business truly prepared?

Here’s how savvy companies are getting ahead:

Holiday checklist

1. Lock in business continuity

• Assign call-handling responsibilities or partner with a reliable outsourced telephone answering service
• Update voicemails, auto-responses and email routing
• Stress-test your systems: if one key person is away, what breaks?

2. Prepare key stakeholders

• Finalise rotas early and circulate them clearly with colleagues
• Share handover notes and provide any background which may be useful
• Communicate internal coverage plans and adjust deadlines if needed
• Let key clients or partners know in advance of limited availability, changes in hours, or contact points over the holiday period

3. Nail your out-of-office

• Be clear, professional and warm
• Share exact return dates and relevant contacts for urgent matters

4. Think beyond the summer

• Don’t assume business returns to normal after the Bank Holiday. Moneypenny’s own call data shows a second spike in holidays late August into early September. Suppliers may be away, and delivery partners could be slower. Plan now and build in buffers.

Make your out-of-office shine

We’ve all seen them - the sun soaked auto-replies that make us chuckle. Done well, your out-of-office (OOO) doesn’t just say “I’m away”, it shows you’ve planned ahead and adds a touch of personality.

“I'm currently out of the office and returning never. Please contact my replacement.”

We recently spotted some corkers: one colleague confessed they were “currently out of the office and returning never. Please contact my replacement.” Another, simply: “Out of office for Glastonbury...” - short, sweet, and unashamedly honest.

But tone matters. What raises a smile from colleagues might miss the mark with clients. That’s why some people opt for two versions: a fun, informal one for internal audiences, and a polished, professional version for external contacts. It’s a clever way to keep things human without compromising your brand.

“Out of office for Glastonbury..."

A well-crafted OOO reassures people, reflects your style, and shows you’ve made smart plans to keep things ticking while you're away. The trick is being brave enough to write an OOO that works for both colleagues and clients - clear, warm and confident. Because the best kind of break is the one your customers barely notice....and your inbox? It may as well make people smile!

Support that never sleeps

The most successful business leaders don’t just plan breaks, they protect them. One property business owner put it simply:

“We rely on Moneypenny to catch overflow calls and ensure every enquiry gets answered, even when we’re down to a skeleton team.”

An outsourced call answering service doesn’t just catch calls, it protects your reputation. A well-briefed team can manage enquiries, reassure customers, take bookings and keep things running smoothly while you reset.

In this feature we looked at how UK businesses are navigating the summer season with good humour and smart preparation, including some quirky out-of-office replies. Because let’s be honest, if your inbox is going to be full, it may as well make you smile.

Whether it’s during school holidays or an unexpected long weekend, having a virtual receptionist on hand gives you the freedom to step back, knowing your customers are still being looked after with warmth and professionalism.

The smart way to take a break, without breaking the business

Great leadership isn’t about being available 24/7, it’s about knowing the ship can sail without you. Moneypenny was built to solve the exact problem that keeps business owners up at night; how to take a real break without missing opportunities or letting clients down.

So, before you switch on your out-of-office or browse those late-summer flights, pause and ask yourself: What happens if a key client calls and I don’t pick up?  If the answer isn’t crystal clear, now’s the time to put the right support in place.

At Moneypenny, we’ve built our reputation on helping businesses stay brilliantly connected, even when key stakeholders are offline. From Telephone Answering and Live Chat to fully Bespoke Customer Support and our AI Receptionist, we handle thousands of conversations every day.  Whether you're heading away for a long weekend or gearing up for peak holiday season, we’re here to keep your business running smoothly while you take the break you deserve.