As well as being a time of celebration, Christmas is also a stressful
time for most business owners and managers. So to stand you in good stead for the
weeks ahead, read our tips for surviving and benefiting from this
year's festive season.
- Reward your staff with a
Christmas celebration or party. Even if your budget does not stretch to
an expensive meal or party, a small office gathering can help finish
the year off with positive team morale.
- Remember to think about the
best way to secure your office during the festive quiet time. Any
business operating premises that are shut down over the festive period
should ensure that the building is secured with all doors and windows
locked and alarms are switched on. With most people at home enjoying
the celebrations, the Christmas period is a prime time for criminals to
target unstaffed buildings.
- Spend time sending festive
greetings to customers and clients. Send an email, card or if business
is good, a small present with your company name on it to enforce, or
re-establish relationships.
- Don’t forget to
thank your suppliers for their business over the last year. A box of
chocolates for the staff in the bank, post office or
supplier’s office can be greatly appreciated.
- Decisions and Christmas tend
not to go together, so postpone your appointments for closing sales
until the new year.
- Think of your local charity
by making a small donation and giving something back to your community.
You could also consider collecting money or presents from employees and
deliver them to a local children's hospital.
- Remember that some Christmas
gifts for your employees can be tax-free. In recent years, the
allowance has been increased to allow employers to give certain gifts
to employees without paying FBT. Speak to your accountant to get the
exact figures.
- Why not give your employees
an extra day off? For example, while you are under no obligation to
allow your staff to stay at home on Christmas Eve, it could be a way of
raising morale and boosting motivation. If you can't afford for your
staff to be off the whole day why not let them go home at lunchtime.
- A little something extra in
your employees' wage packets can go a long way to boosting motivation
during the festive season. Even just a small amount is a good way of
making staff feel good about where they work.
- If you decide to send
Christmas presents to individual clients, consider
purchasing in bulk. A case of wine for instance will work out
a lot cheaper than buying single bottles.
- Spruce up your website with
a few Christmas graphics although don't go overboard. If your business
normally slows around Christmas, consider offering a few seasonal
promotions for example 10% off in the week before Christmas.
- Generally, the first day
back after Christmas is not an enjoyable one even for the most
motivated of staff. Consider bringing your staff out for lunch that day
or if you can afford to, allow them to have a late start.
- If business is quiet, take
some time off and leave your PC switched off. This will revive you for
the New Year and you'll feel much more prepared for another great year
in business.
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