Are You Ready For Your Christmas Break?

9 essential tasks before Christmas so you start 2024 refreshed and raring to go
With Christmas just around the corner, it's time to plan the downtime for you and your team.
 

Whether we like it or not, there's between 8-13 business days left until you close your business door on 2023.

And if you're not careful, it'll suddenly creep up on you, and the Christmas/New Year break will be all anyone gets before you're back into the hustle again in January 2024.

So in this blog, I've outlined the 9 essential tasks to finish before you close down so you can start 2024 refreshed and ready to go.

But if you find that's not possible, then please block out the time as soon as you're back in January to put a nice clean bow around 2023 before you start 2024.

FOCUS:  Manage Your PEOPLE
All sports have an off season where coaches, players and staff leave the sanctuary of the Club, and invest in some much needed downtime.

Some people head overseas or home to visit family and friends, whilst others embrace changes in their personal life like getting engaged, married or having a baby.

Everyone at the club is encouraged to take time away from their sport and routines for usually 4-6 weeks before they have to come back for the pre-season – ready and raring to go.

So if this downtime, rest and time away from being consumed by their sport 24/7 is deemed essential for successful sporting players and teams; why does the same thinking not apply to most small business owners and their teams?

Now whilst I understand getting 4-6 weeks break at once is often not viable, I do believe there are 3 reasons why significant downtime is not happening in many small businesses:

1. Too focused on the 'To Do List'
2. Lack of planning
3. Not prioritised as important
 
We now live in a world where we are expected (unfortunately) to be on and available 24/7 – something I don't prescribe to or practise.

As much as technology has helped in our personal and professional lives, it has definitely had negative effects on our mental health and wellbeing.

Result: We're constantly feeling overwhelmed, exhausted and burnt out which means we cannot be performing at our best.

20 years ago, people often took their 4 weeks annual leave in 2 blocks – 3 weeks at once and then 1 week over the Christmas/New Year break. And because they took this planned downtime, whether they stayed home or went away, they came back to work recharged and ready to go again because they'd given their brain and body much needed rest.
 
It's time to change this so here's 9 essentials to do before you leave for your Christmas break so you give yourself and your team the best chance of coming back in January mentally and physically recharged and ready to go.
 
9 Essential Tasks Before You Leave For Your Christmas Break
 
1. Rethink Your January Return Date
 
The last three years have definitely taken their toll and many people are already limping to the finish line so please rethink your return to work date. Does it really need to be Tuesday 2nd or Monday 8th January or can you push it out another week or two?
 

Remember: You want to return in January with everyone refreshed and productive from day 1 rather than people being sluggish and not really at their best until February.

2. Christmas Party

Sometimes this becomes an after thought and when the date is eventually set, some of the team are already on holidays so people miss out.
 

So have you planned out how you'll celebrate all the small and big wins you've achieved in 2023, does everyone know about it and can they attend?

3. Gifts For Staff and Customers
 
Again, this sometimes gets done at the last minute which can mean gifts don't arrive in time or are out of stock.
 

Time should be taken to express your gratitude to the people who've helped and supported you all through 2023.

If you're stuck for ideas, then check out my Ditch Secret Santa blog for 11 Gift Ideas which will truly Make A Difference this Christmas.

4. Must Do and Bonus List

December generally means everyone is going crazy to finish as many jobs as possible before they leave for Christmas. But this just means they're exhausted when they finally spend their Christmas/New Year break with family and friends (and everyone can see the toll the year has taken) which isn't fun or what the season is supposed to be about.
 

So now's the time to relook at everyone's To Do List and decide what realistically can be achieved between now and your office closure date.

And once you've made this decision, move everything after number 3 to your BONUS list because everything takes longer than you think, expected things will always come up and people are already limping to the finish line.

Let your team feel good about finishing their last 3 tasks for the year (and by reducing the expectation, you'll probably get a few bonus tasks done as well); rather than increasing stress and tension unnecessarily and staff leaving for Christmas feeling frustrated and overwhelmed.

5. Merry Christmas Email and Signature
 
This is a great time to create a simple graphic which everyone can place under their email signature so customers know when your office will shut down for Christmas and reopen in January.
 

I would also write a Merry Christmas email to send out to your customers on the Monday before you close – again telling them the dates and what will happen to emails, phonecalls etc over the break – and thanking them for supporting your team and business.

I always include in my Christmas email that instead of sending cards, I donate to St Vincent de Paul's Christmas Appeal at my church.

6. January Planning Days Blocked Out

Most people including myself get to December a bit fried as they busily finish those last minute tasks, and so business planning for the next year remains a task on the To Do List. And then people come back in January and start busily with tasks, and the Annual Business Plan never gets done.

So block out 2 days now of uninterrupted time to do this early in January when you feel refreshed and can objectively reflect on what worked and what didn't in 2023 and what needs to change in 2024.

And if anyone would like help with this, please book in a time to chat with me NOW about how I can help you get this job off the To Do List once and for all.

7. Accounts Cut Off Date

Work out your cut off date for finalising your accounts for the end of the year and let your customers know well in advance so you can minimise bad debts over the Christmas/New Year break.
 

Please ensure you chat with your administration/finance staff before you set this date to ensure it is achievable and doesn't add any undue stress.

Make sure you also know your supplier's cut off dates so you maintain your 'good client' reputation.

8. Declutter Days
 
The best way to spend the last few days before you break up for Christmas is NOT doing more and more tasks when everyone has had enough anyway– it's to set you up for a successful 2024.
 

So block out days and times to not only shred and clean up the physical files lying around desks and the workplace AND the electronic files; but also the emails which includes the inbox and sent mail.

This strategy lets everyone come back to a clean desk, inbox, file directory and office space in January rather than feeling overwhelmed as they sort through 2023 emails, files and folders; and set up the new files and folders for 2024.

9. Out Of Office Message

The final essential is to ensure everyone has switched on their out of office message on their emails, and the recording on the answering machine (if you still have one) tells customers what will happen over the break and when they will be contacted.

What's Next?
Now I know many of you may look at this list and say 'I don't have time for this', and my response will be this:

Imagine how it would feel to walk back into your workplace in January with a decluttered computer and office, your business planning days already booked and your staff feeling refreshed and energised because of the longer break you've provided them?

Isn't that better than feeling like same #$@!, different day?
 
And here's my final thought:
 
I believe there's a system in everything, you just have to find it.

I know you realise you need systems but they are often put off or ignored because of excuses (sorry reasons) like:

• I know I need them but...
• I'll get round to it when I have time
• People know what they're doing so I don't need procedures documented
 
If you've said these things, then isn't it time to change how you go about running your small business so you're more proactive than reactive?
 
Everything I've described in this blog are all simple systems which once you get past the hard work the first time you do it, can be easily maintained and become part of your success rituals.

Now get cracking because I want you and your team to actually wind down and enjoy the break.
 
Cheers
Tamara
Author: Tamara Simon

Tamara Simon helps owners build their small business... from straw to brick and beyond.

For over twenty-five years as a Speaker, Author and Coach, she's been providing much needed support to small business owners, CEOs and their teams so they can build, manage and grow a simple profitable business aka a brick business.

So if your organisation's members are small businesses or you're a small business owner who is...
 
- FIX the surface and hidden cracks in your business
 

- FIND the missing bricks in your business

so you can stop fighting fires and FORGE ahead instead.

Then check out her website to find out how to work with her, and book her to speak at your next event.
www.tamarasimon.com.au

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