7 Ways For Entrepreneurs To Enjoy The Holiday Season
Most entrepreneurs know that there is no such thing as downtime. Not in the true sense of the word, anyway. For most, time away from emails does not always equate to time away from thinking about the business, reading business articles or checking social media.
However, taking an actual break is possible if you plan well in advance. Here are woman with drive’s top seven suggestions for entrepreneurs who want to enjoy the holiday season.
#1: Keep clients and business contacts in the loop
Never let clients or business contacts find out about your holiday plans via an out-of-office response. Share your holiday dates well in advance so they have enough time to ask you for whatever they need.
Also let them know if you plan to check voicemail or emails during your time off, when you are most likely to be online and your expected response time. These parameters will minimise the risk of any confusion and chaos.
#2: Draw up a special holiday budget
Too much frenzy in the lead-up to Christmas means a number of crucial things can accidentally fall by the wayside. Like paying invoices.
Cover your bases by factoring delayed payments into your December cash flow projection so you are not caught unaware. Ditto for any holiday expenses like a company dinner or party.
#3: Revisit your business goals
If it has been a while since you looked at your business goals, there is no better time to revisit it than now. Yes, now. Not on the last business day of the year.
Are you on track to hitting those goals? If you are not, what can you realistically do before the end of the year? What is top priority, what has lost its relevance and what can be worked on in the first quarter of 2017?
#4: Send clients holiday cards
Whether it is an actual card or a brilliant Christmas video, make sure each one of your clients receives it with a personalised note from you. In that note, thank your client for a good year of business, mention a specific highlight and suggest a catch up in the New Year.
#5: Give your team proper time off
Just because you have decided to schedule a few hours of work during the holidays, it does not mean your team has to as well. Communicate this to them so they feel comfortable with taking some real time off. Come January, they will turn up to work well rested and raring to go.
#6: Work on your business rather than in it
In an ideal world, you would be able to set up a mental firewall against all thoughts of work. But instead of messing around with the nitty-gritty just to keep busy, take this time to step back and look at the big picture instead.
Use the quiet hours to reflect on your business’ growth and performance over the year and make plans for the next 12 months. What changes or hard decisions need to be made? Thinking about these issues without being distracted by the day-to-day workings of the business will bring about better clarity and ideas about its future direction.
#7: Do not replace a hectic work schedule with a hectic social one
The social obligations that come attached to the holidays can be just as stressful as your business life. Remember that these few days or weeks are meant to be time of rest so be strict about keeping it that way.
Rather than say yes to every party, choose the ones you are most likely to enjoy and do not apologise or feel guilty over those that you decline.
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