Christmas can be a tricky time of the year as a business owner as you might find that demand goes up but it can also be a harder time of year to keep staff motivated as they look forward to the holidays. As a business owner, you need to know how to manage but also embrace Christmas as it is an important time of the year for both your customers and your employees. When you know how to handle the festive season, it can make it a lucrative and also enjoyable period for your company. Read on to find out more.
1. Prepare For A Busy Period
Christmas can be a great time for boosting your sales but you need to be well-prepared to handle this busy time. This will include looking at last year’s sales to give you an idea of what to expect, increasing inventory and possibly even bringing in temporary staff. You also need to make sure that staff are prepared for this period and make sure that they do not lose focus with the holidays looming.
2. Decorate The Office
Although business needs to come first, it is also important that you embrace Christmas and decorating the office is a great way to do this. This can help to raise morale, unite the workforce and show that you are a business owner that cares. This could help to keep the staff happy and focused while at work knowing that soon they will have Christmas to look forward to.
3. Hold A Staff Christmas Party
Leading on from this, you should also have a staff Christmas party planned as these can be great fun and a good way to thank the staff for their hard work (particularly over the busy period). You could have a party in the office, go out for a meal and drinks or arrange some other kind of outing. This can be helpful for team bonding, keeping morale high and rewarding staff.
4. Staff Gifts
Following this, you should also give your staff gifts as a token of your appreciation for their hard work and to show that you care. One excellent idea is to give each employee turkey gifts in the form of a certificate. The gift of food is always well-received and could help them to save money on food over the holidays.
5. Customer Service
You must also consider customer service for the festive period. With an increase in activity, it can be hard to keep up with customer service but you need to ensure that you are helping your target customers and providing a smooth shopping experience for them. Additionally, a nice touch is to wish them a merry Christmas and to include cards/thank you notes with orders.
Christmas can be a lovely time of the year but it can also be a tricky period for businesses. You need to make sure that you are prepared for what can be a busy period, but you must also take steps to keep staff happy and motived – the information in this post should help you to manage during the holidays and make for a great Christmas for the company and staff.
