Surviving the Holidays as a Business Owner
I know, I know - Halloween hasn’t even happened yet and here I am talking about the upcoming holiday season. I’m almost as bad as the big box stores that are already pushing gift giving.
But heres the deal. As a business owner the holiday season can be super overwhelming. The demands of buying gifts, family dinners, short weeks and kids off from school can really take a hit on your productivity. So what can you do now, to maximize your days in the office, and stress less on your days off? Some of our advice may seem obvious, but sometimes a reminder is all you need to stay on the track.
Manage your expectations - Off the bat you have to be realistic of what you can achieve in the next few months. I’m not saying don’t push yourself, but I am saying to set goals that you can realistically reach in the limited time available. That may look like posting 2 blogs a month instead of 4. Maybe cutting back your social posts from 1 a day to 4 days a week. Setting too aggressive goals can lead to frustration when you’re already feeling strapped later on.
Prep your content calendar now - One of the first things to go during this crazy time is content. It’s easy to drop it from your “To Do” list when your days become shorter. But cutting it out completely can cause your business to take a hit once things slow down. Print out a November and December monthly calendar and map out some topics for the upcoming weeks. Don’t forget to map in your writing time, and make it as early in the season as possible. Stacking blog posts early on means all you have to do is schedule them out when time gets tight.
Plan out your promotions - Running a Small Business Saturday sale? Have a special gift promotion coming up? Mark those in your calendar and draft up the emails, social posts and outreach now. Having them scheduled and ready to go means no scrambling last minute to take advantage of the season. Plus it gives you time to tweak if things change later on.
Be strict with your time - One of the best things you can do when your schedule feels squeezed, is to be really strict with it. When you’re “on the clock”, do your best to stay focused and on task. When you see your attention is wavering, get up for a few minutes, take a walk and grab a glass of water or a coffee. Shut off your email and reduce scrolling through social feeds as much as possible. Because time is short, you want to make it as productive as possible.
This also goes for your “off” time. By powering through your time at your desk or on the job, you can feel good about enjoying time with family and friends when you’re not there. By setting clear “work” and “off” time, you can give each your full attention and won’t spend the holiday season feeling guilty because you’re torn between 2 different worlds.
Who said the holidays have to be stressful? While I can’t help you cross off your gift list, with a little pre-planning, I can help you stay on track with your business through the new year.