Don’t Let the Holidays Manage You

It’s holiday time again. For most, that means time for plenty of holiday cheer, parties, family get-togethers, and quiet moments by a roaring fire. That is unless you own a small business. To many business owners, the holidays just mean you have twice as much to do as any other time of the year. And if you don’t plan your life and your business carefully, you could miss out on all the fun. So here are a few tips for managing your business and your life around this busy time of year.

Evaluate your workload. If you’re a costume shop and rent Santa or elf suits, you’re probably going to be a lot busier than someone who owns a surfing supply store. Some freelancers might find the holidays to be slow with clients out on vacation while others might be extremely busy if those clients still have money left to spend before year-end. If you’re in construction and your business is dependent on good weather, check the long-range forecast for the weeks ahead and find out which days might be more conducive to building.

Know and accept your limits. Let’s face it. There are only so many productive hours in a day. Competing in this tough economy takes hard work and a lot of determination. But even you can’t work 24 hours a day. Be realistic in your expectations and cut back on business tasks that require too much time or can be done after the holidays. Try taking a few minutes to assess what’s really important to you this holiday season. What are the things you’d be upset about missing out on? Is it time with loved ones? Specific holiday gatherings or parties? A special event you want to take your kids to? It really is OK to say “no” to things that aren’t on your prioritized list. You don’t have to do it all, and you aren’t a superhero. But keep in mind that you do have the power to delegate responsibilities to other employees.

Create time just for you. Burning the candle at both ends may help you get everything on your list done, but working too much can lead to burnout and mistakes. This can actually create more work for you in the long run. Set aside a few minutes every day to take time for yourself. Whether it’s just a few minutes with the newspaper and a cup of coffee or a quick workout to keep you on top of your game, allowing yourself time to rest and recover can help refresh your mind and generate new ideas.

Work ahead. Are there projects that can be done now instead of the week before your holiday? If you blog, prepare a couple of non-timely postings now and schedule them to run on certain days. If you use Twitter®, can you set up tweets ahead of time? Why wait to start pulling together all of your tax information until December 31?  For information on tax saving tips, click here.

Schedule well in advance. If you’re going to be taking time off, make sure to schedule those days well in advance so you can plan your workload in advance, too. Putting in an extra hour or so every day a few weeks before you go beats having to pull all-nighters the week before you leave. If you work closely with clients that constantly depend on you, make sure you notify them with plenty of advance warning when you’re going to be out and when you’ll be available again. Then, remind them once more a few days before you leave. That way they’ll know to get their last-minute requests in with plenty of time for you to take care of everything. If you have a business with a storefront, make sure you post holiday hours and closures well in advance so customers can plan ahead, too.

Plan for emergencies. Murphy’s Law never takes a vacation even if you do. Have contingency plans in place for the most common emergencies like extreme weather, employee illnesses and unexpected closures. What will you do if the server for your online business crashes while you’re hundreds of miles away? Make sure to back up all of your data, keep important contact numbers nearby and have a trusted employee or friend who can stand in for you until you can be contacted if disaster strikes.

Learn from your experiences. If you know the last week of the year is always extremely busy, think about bringing in some temporary help or even a family member to ease the burden. If you know your business will be dead the days following the holidays, plan your vacation time for that week. If you know a fellow employee celebrates different seasonal holidays than you do, arrange to work for each other the weeks you want off.

Set your boundaries. If you can swing it, try to get completely away from work. That means no phone calls, emails or stopping in to check on things. But, if you’re like many business owners, that’s just not realistic these days. Then, you’ll need to set some limits for yourself and your clients. Set aside a specific time and limit to look at emails every day or every other day and stick to it. Use a BlackBerry® or an iPhone® to get away from your computer and, if you must be available to take calls, provide a number and time of day you can be reached. Outside of those hours, resist the urge to keep checking for messages and emails. If you step outside those boundaries, then clients and employees will feel like it’s OK to do it, too.

Remember, the holidays are a time to relax and reconnect with friends and family. Don’t let the pressures of business and holiday demands take control, or you could miss out on what’s really important. Spend a little time planning and managing things now so your holidays can truly be a time for you to hit the refresh button.

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