It's the most wonderful time of the year, which means it's also the busiest time of the year for small businesses.
If you're a small business owner, this time of year can be really stressful. You have to make sure your employees are happy and productive, but you also have to be on top of all kinds of other things: customer service, marketing, sales…the list goes on!
You may be feeling a bit swamped.
In the spirit of giving, I'd like to share some tips with you on how to make sure that your business keeps running smoothly throughout the Christmas holidays.
1. Make a checklist and stick to it
You should have a pretty good idea of what needs to be done before the holidays begin, so just make a checklist of everything that needs to get done. Then check off each item as it's completed, so you can feel confident in knowing that everything will be ready when it comes time for your break.
2. Get organised
Don't leave things until the last minute—you'll just end up stressing out more than necessary because there won't be enough time left over to get everything done at once! Instead, start setting aside time every day over the next few weeks in order to keep yourself organised as deadlines approach. This will help ensure that nothing gets missed along the way!
3. Plan your social media
Create and schedule social media posts to be published while you are enjoying the Christmas period. This helps to keep your business visible to potential customers while your office is closed. If you haven't used a social media scheduler before, don't worry, they are easy to get to grips with and the good news is there are some great free options. Check out Buffer, Hootsuite or my personal favourite, Metricool. They all offer starter packages for free.
4. Bills and invoices
Check all payments for invoices due are correctly set up for the time you are away from the office.
5. Office closure
Create an out-of-office email to be put on when you are on your Christmas break. Including the dates the office will be closed and instructions for how people can get hold of you if they urgently need to.
You can also send out a message to your clients a couple of weeks before you are due to go on holiday informing them of the dates the office will be closed. This is a wonderful opportunity to thank them for their support over the past year and a reminder for them to book anything they need from you before you close for Christmas.
6. Tax Return
Have you filed your self-employment tax return? Sure, you have until the end of January to file it, but why not get it done now and out of the way? That means you can start 2023 without worrying about late filing fees.
7. Look after yourself
My last tip is this: don't try to do all the work yourself!
I know how tempting it is, but if you're not careful, you'll end up burning out and going on your Christmas break without having done anything. Your health and happiness are important too—so don't let them fall by the wayside while you're working hard to keep your business running smoothly.
If you don’t have any staff to help you with some of the workload, another option is to work with a Virtual Assistant (VA). A VA can help with everything from data entry and basic marketing tasks all the way up to more complicated projects like writing content for your blog or creating social media graphics. They can also take care of things like scheduling appointments and answering emails so that when people reach out with questions or concerns about their projects, they have someone there who can respond right away.
Every VA has their own speciality skills, so when looking to work with one, keep in mind the kind of tasks that you want help with. For more tips on things to think about before working with a Virtual Assistant check out this blog post.
I hope that this list will help in making sure that your small business is running smoothly during this busy season.
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If you have an ever-growing to-do list and would like to chat with me about taking care of some of your admin, either on a regular or ad-hoc basis, go here to arrange a call. I'd love to hear from you!