Are you ready for Christmas?
Regardless of how your office celebrates, there’s plenty you can do to get the best out of the festive period.
Have a GREAT time over the holiday’s
Use any quiet time to get those other jobs done
If you find business getting quieter, consider doing some of those jobs on your to-do list, like changes to the office environment that would disrupt the working day. Let’s be honest – there’s nothing quite like a good desk tidy and a housekeeping exercise!
Closing the office
If you can say all your jobs are done, then consider closing the office down for the festive period. Keeping the offices empty with the lights and heating off during this time could save you a fair amount of utility bills.
The dreaded ‘Out of Office’ – Send that email now
During the festive period, it’s no surprise that people will have time off. So don’t put off those important emails or phone calls you really could do with being answering before the New Year. Plan in time with your clients early, before both of you effectively sign off for Christmas.
Don’t forget to provide any unusual opening hours or emergency contact information to clients and/or customers. If you run customer-facing premises or primarily online, make sure this information is displayed clearly on your website, shared across your social media channels and within your email signature.
Getting into the festive spirit
If you’re the kind of office that likes to make it ‘Look a lot like Christmas’ then make sure this is planned for your working day. Getting the whole team involved can help with morale as well as getting everyone in the festive spirit. Even if you work for yourself try decorating your working environment. You’ll be surprised the difference it makes to your mind-set.
Take time off
This is possibly the most important point here. Make sure you and your team take time off over Christmas.
When you own your own business or are part of a small team, it’s easy to want to get in a few extra hours while the phones and emails are quiet. But as we mentioned above the chances are you’ll only be rewarded with an out of office message. Get ahead of the game and finish off your to-do list by all means, but make sure you go home.
Above all enjoy Christmas and come back refreshed and ready to take on 2018.
