Avoid Hassles During The Holidays
December 4th, 2009

We have talked a lot about the holiday season as of late. How could we not? But most of what we have talked about involvs gift-giving, smart spending and utilizing promotional items as the best source of advertising for your business.

But even the busiest business owners have to take some time off to enjoy the holidays. And when it really comes down to it, that is what the holiday season is truly all about. It is the sharing and caring for friends and family members that make this time of year so very special.

The Toronto Sun's Stefania Moretti reports today that there are a number of things that we can all do to help us, not only enjoy the season, but get ourselves recharged for the new year. One of those things is to ensure that all necessary work has been completed before the holiday season.

Too often, business owners find themselves in a situation where they have no choice but to work straight through the holidays. When this is the case, it is nearly impossible to have a relaxing holiday that allows for the necessary “recharge” that will help you start the new year strongly.

Executive Director Robert Hosking of the staffing firm OfficeTeam offers up a number of tips to avoid this dilemma. Says Hosking: “Those who don't lay the proper groundwork before they leave may find themselves constantly connected to the office while on holiday breaks or overloaded when they return."

His first tip is simply to post a calendar. Doing so, says Hosking, will help you to co-ordinate vacation dates with your team early so that scheduling conflicts do not arise. This will also help you to easily determine which dates you will be out of the office. Letting your staff know of this early will help to avoid miscommunication and excess burden on your colleagues.

Hosking also suggests that you take a page out of Santa Claus' book. “Make a list, check it twice” he recommends. This will help to minimize work disruptions as a detailed record of projects and their statuses will help for organization and timely work completion.

Being “tech-savvy” can also be of great assistance during the holidays. Firstly, Hosking suggests that you supply an alternate email contact so that you can be of service, if necessary, even when outside of the office. Secondly, he recommends that you update any soon-to-expire computer passwords before the new year so that your staff doesn't get off to a slow start when they return.

Don't forget to “trim your inbox” as well. Allow for enough space to receive large files while you are away. Do the same with your voicemail box.

Here is a final tip that we would like to add ourselves. Let your staff know that they are appreciated. They will be back after the holidays with a very positive outlook for the new year. And that, of course, is good for your business. Hey, a promo gift couldn't hurt! Happy holidays!