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With the holidays coming up, even the most dedicated small business owner is likely thinking about taking a break. But, if like many unintentional entrepreneurs, you are a one-man-band, you likely can’t imagine working anything less than a 60 hour week. Plus, if you run a holiday-themed business, a story that sells gift items, or a service like pet sitting, you may find yourself overburdened with work as the holidays come up. Is your business ready? Check out these tips for getting your small business or sole-proprietorship holiday-ready:
- Assess Your Holiday Workload – If you sell Christmas ornaments on eBay or trendy bags on etsy.com, you may find yourself inundated with orders at holiday time. On the other hand, many freelance service providers – like writers and graphic designers – often find that holidays are slow due to the fact that their corporate clients are on vacation or nearing the ends of their annual budgets. It’s important, especially if this is your first Christmas in business, to prepare for your holiday workload.
- Schedule Your Holiday Well in Advance – Whether you want to take two weeks off for holiday travel or work right up until Thanksgiving dinner, you should schedule your vacation days well in advance. That way, you can schedule your workload accordingly. If you know you’ll miss five days of work, start working ahead now. A few extra hours of work per week always beat doubling your workload the week before vacation (and, more than likely, being unable to enjoy your vacation due to work-related interruptions.)
- Notify Clients – If you work closely with clients and plan to take an extended vacation, you should notify your clients in advance. One strategy is to notify clients about two weeks in advance of your vacation, include a reminder in your email signature as you interact with them, and then notify them again a few days before you leave (preferably when you have finished up any last minute business they might have had.) Clients will appreciate the forewarning and use the opportunity to ask last minute questions or make requests.
- Plan for Emergencies – What if winter weather delays your plane? Or a server error brings your online business crashing down while you’re across the country celebrating the holidays at Grandma’s? Murphy’s Law seems to love the holidays, so be prepared for any contingent circumstances that might crop up while you take a break. Back up your data, keep important contact information handy, and if you’re travelling far, consider appointing a trusted colleague as backup to stand in for you in case of emergency.
- Use What You Learned for Next Year – There’s no substitute for experience so makes notes about how your business weathers the holidays, and use them for next year. If you find your sales waning, consider beefing up your marketing efforts next year. If you find yourself overwhelmed, consider hiring a contractor to help out with the holiday workload.
Though running your business may be the overwhelming constant in your life, the holidays remind us to stop and reflect on the reasons we started our business in the first place. With a little preparation, you can have a successful business and a recharging holiday vacation.
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