It is hard to believe that Christmas is less than 80 days away. Usually I’m very organised on the home front with the kids and gifts however as they get older, I am finding it harder to work out what to buy them each year! That and their wish list gets less and more expensive LOL.
However, when it comes to preparing your business for Christmas, you really can’t afford to leave it to the last minute!
To help you prepare your business this Christmas, read on to find out my ten steps to be Christmas ready:
- Notify employees of your close down period – if you have employees, it is vital that this is determined and they are advised so they can also plan their leave. Plus, they should find out before your clients do!
- Notify your clients/customers of your close down period – if you shut down over this period, ensure you have notified your clients/customers. It’s never too early! That way they can be prepared by getting any work completed by you or scheduling ahead for the New Year when you return.
- Use auto signatures – update your and any staff members auto-signature block with your close-down period so it remains in the eyes of your current clients.
- Opening Hours – are you open longer? Be sure to let your customers know of any changes to your opening hours so they can plan their Christmas shopping.
- Start…Don’t Stop – remember the festivities don’t end once Christmas has arrived. Think of promotions/advertising that can be undertaken for Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, News Year’s Resolutions or even Back to School.
- Christmas Cards/Gifts – if you are one who gives these out to clients and/or staff, get onto it now! Being prepared before your workload gets even busier will take away one less stress.
- Out of Office Email Message – use this to create a fun message to highlight if you are away, especially if you are away longer than your closedown period. Remember to include someone or the general office number if they still need to get in contact with your business.
- Delegate or Outsource – start to write lists of tasks to be completed, prioritise the list and if possible, delegate to an employee or outsource to someone like a Virtual Assistant.
- Schedule Posts – get ahead of your scheduling by curating and scheduling content NOW! I try and schedule my posts through to January/February at this time of the year so that when things are busier, I’m not having to spend the time curating and scheduling. This is a great time saving tip!
- Update Social Media/Websites – be sure to add your closure periods on your website (especially on the Contact Us form and the auto reply email if you have one!) and on any social media platforms. This keeps it in the forefront of your client’s eyes and if anyone decides to contact you during this period, they are aware of when they may get a response.
BONUS TIP!
Make sure that you also schedule or block out time in the diary for you and your family. It’s often a busy time of year (especially if you have children) so its important that you head into this time of the year by minimising your stress levels.
So, there you have it…my top 10 tips for getting your business organised this year. How do you prepare your business for the festive season?
