The GOLDEN Rules for businesses during the festive season
Christmas is coming and as the festive train gathers momentum, it can be easy to lose sight of its destination. Before you know if, another Christmas Day will have been and gone and we’ll be at the start of another New Year!
The festive season needn’t be like this. Here are some tips for business owners on ensuring this festive season is a good one.
Giving and receiving.
At this time of year, your employees will feel the demands of the festive season just like anyone else. It’s a busy time of year and as such, employees may want to take time off or work more flexibly. Showing some compassion and allowing a degree of flexibility can go a long way at this time of year. There’s always a balance to be struck but provided you go set out parameters in advance, are fair across your workforce and go about it in the right way, the benefits of your generosity will come back in a positive way.
Opportunity.
Rather than getting lost amongst the festivities, smart businesses will use the Christmas season to their strength – taking advantage of the many opportunities it provides. For example, an effective Christmas marketing campaign can make your business stand out in the crowd, or planning a big client event or a series of smaller get togethers can go a long way to fostering those key relationships.
Look to the future…
As the year comes to a close, it’s well worth taking some time to look back over the year’s successes and areas for improvement. Consider what you’ve achieved, how you’ve achieved it and what you can do to replicate and multiply these effects. Putting wheels into motion now rather than waiting until January will mean you can start the year with some momentum already behind you.
Don’t get carried away!
Whether it’s the staff Christmas party, Christmas gifts, client entertaining or staff bonuses, December can be an expensive time for businesses. Planning and budgeting in advance can help to control costs, as can reducing the number of activities you engage in (just because you’ve always done something, it doesn’t mean you have to continue on the same vein!) Also, don’t be afraid to get creative –a well thought out and executed event/gift/promotion can be successful even with a small budget. There’s no point spending excessively now only to regret it in the New Year!
Eight.three percent
December is a twelfth – or eight.three percent – of the year! It can be tempting to start to switch off the moment December arrives. After all, you and your staff have been working hard all year, there’s no harm in winding down early, right? At the risk of sounding a bit Scrooge-like, December accounts for a full twelfth of the year! A final push across all aspects of your business to close the year can make a big difference – an 8.3% recurring difference, to be exact!
Number one.
The majority of the time, business owners are so busy rushing around trying to please everyone else that they lose sight of themselves. Do remember to take time out for enjoying the festive season yourself – be it attending a nativity play, meeting up with friends for a Christmas drink or taking a bit of time off to do your Christmas shopping!
Wishing you all a happy and productive December and a very Merry Christmas!
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