What Can a Small Business Owner Do During a Workation?

(And Why It’s Not the Same as a Vacation)

Let me start with this: a workation is not a vacation. If you’re running a small online business like I do – where every task, every idea, and every invoice goes through your own hands, you can’t exactly “switch off.” But you can change your view.

This July, I spent several days in Druskininkai, a lovely Lithuanian town known for its pine forests and mineral springs. I stayed near the forest, surrounded by silence, birdsong, and fresh air, and yet, I brought my laptop and planner along. Because this wasn’t a vacation, this was a workation.

So… What’s a Workation?

A workation is a mix of work and rest, the kind where you don’t send out parcels, but do keep the business heart beating. You’re away from your usual routine, but not fully unplugged. For me, it meant mornings with coffee and spreadsheets, afternoons with design files, and evenings with long walks in the woods.

And no, I didn’t pack a printer or plotter. However, I did accomplish quite a lot.

What Can You Do During a Workation?

While shipping orders wasn’t an option (sorry, postal lovers, I warned you!), there was plenty I could do, and did:

• ✅ I caught up on monthly bookkeeping. Boring? Maybe. But with fewer distractions, it was done faster than ever.
• ✅ I worked on upcoming postcard designs. Did I mention it will be World Postcard Day postcards update?
• ✅ I brainstormed new product ideas. Walking among trees helps with sticker theme planning, apparently, also I made some photos for a new sticker book.
• ✅ I planned future collections and updates for the store.
• ✅ I drafted a few newsletters and social posts, because even when I’m away, my store needs a voice.

Why It Still Felt Like Work (And Why That’s Okay)

The biggest difference between vacation and workation? Responsibility. When I’m on vacation, I don’t open my laptop. During a workation, it’s open, just not 14 hours a day. I choose what I do, and when I do it.

And the freedom to work in pajamas while watching birds outside the window? Priceless. Yes, usually I work at home, but I have my routine, and I never do jobs in the pajamas.

Would I Recommend It?

If you’re a small business owner, especially in e-commerce, I absolutely recommend it, with one condition: you need to set your own rules. Decide in advance what you’ll do (and won’t do), prepare customers for your absence, and use this time to work on the things you never have time for.

A workation is a gift. It won’t replace real rest, but it can give your brain a breather, your heart a spark, and your business a quiet boost (I hope so, as July is the disaster).