Like it or not, the holiday season is fast approaching. Although it may seem early, now is the perfect time to get things for your business in order so you can enjoy the upcoming holiday season. Here are some tips to help you prep your business for the holidays.
Set Limits
When you work for yourself, it’s all about money and reaching goals so that you can continue doing what you love. Turning down clients seems counter intuitive. Regardless, look at your schedule for the next 2 months and decide how much more you can handle. Keep in mind that this is a crazy time of year and odds are the amount of projects you’ll be able to take on will be greatly reduced. Now that you know how much room you have in your schedule, stick with it! When projects come in, if you still have room, book them. If not, try and schedule them for next year. This is not the time to overwork yourself, especially if you want to enjoy the holiday season.
Get Ahead
Who wants to take a break from all that holiday cheer to work or write a blog post? Not me. Now’s the time to put in a little extra time so that you can enjoy yourself later. Start writing blog posts now, so that come December, you barely have to lift a finger. You can even ask for guest posters if you don’t think you’ll have the time. If you’re working on projects, focus and try to wrap things up where possible. That way, you won’t have anything to worry about other than what to get mom for Christmas.
Schedule a Break
No matter how lovely it would be to get things all squared away before the holidays so that your business can continue running smoothly without you, sometimes it’s best just to take a break. Don’t schedule any more projects. Take time off from your blog. Everyone else will be running around and odds are, they’ll be too busy to miss you anyway. So take that well-deserved break to focus on family and friends (and the projects you’re currently working on).
Let the World Know
If you’re planning on taking a break, the key is to make sure everyone knows. Add a little blurb to your email signature stating that you won’t be available and add the same blurb to your contact page. Now anyone who gets in touch with you knows when you won’t be available, so when you don’t respond until the new year, they’ll know why. It’s also a good idea to set up an autoresponder once your break arrives so that people aren’t left hanging wondering why you’re ignoring their emails.
Don’t Worry
When all else fails, don’t worry about it. The holiday season is the time to relax and spend quality time with your family and friends. People are running around with their heads cut off, you won’t be the only one. If you don’t prep and things get a little crazy, odds are people will understand. So don’t stress. Try your best to reach your deadlines and don’t worry so much about the rest. The holidays are stressful enough, there’s no need to add business stress into the mix.
What are your tips for prepping for the holiday season when it comes to your blog or business?
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