Prepare your business for Christmas – what steps to take in advance

Whether Christmas is your busiest or your quietest time of year, it’s always a break from the norm. Our virtual expert Pauline has put together a checklist to help you prepare your business for Christmas – we hope it helps with your forward planning.

Prepare to succeed

Pauline: In my experience of office administration, planning ahead before a break really takes the pressure off. You might dream of some half-days in December so you can do some Christmas shopping or bake some mince pies. But instead you find yourself staying late, trying to get all your office jobs done before you close for the Christmas fortnight. Christmas should be fun, not stressful, so remember to plan ahead so you don’t have to do everything at the last minute.

  1. Plan for your office closure

There are lots of office jobs you can automate or outsource while your office is closed. Set up your email automatic reply. You might also consider using a phone answering service to field your work calls while the office is closed, or while you’re face-to-face with your hospitality or retail customers.

If you have a physical office and no one will be in it during Christmas and New Year, remember to secure it before you lock it up for two weeks. Set the heating to a low temperature so you don’t waste energy but the pipes don’t freeze either! Set your security systems and agree who in your team will be “on call” in case of emergency.

  • Schedule your social media

Social media scheduling enables you to create content before you need it. Simply write your posts, add photos and set them to appear on your social channels at regular intervals over Christmas. This helps you maintain a consistent presence and continue to build brand awareness. Find out more about social media scheduling here.

  • Carry out your Christmas marketing

If you work in hospitality or retail, Christmas is probably your busiest time of year. Preparing your marketing and PR ahead of Christmas is a long game and you might have started as early as May. Even if you’re launching your campaign in the autumn, there is still time to make it effective. Find out more about our marketing support here.

  • Write your Christmas client email

The Christmas email to clients, thanking them for their support during the year, is not something to write in a hurry. These emails often take the form of a “review of the year” and you might need to gather data, ask your colleagues for photos or get permission to mention a certain client. But if you leave yourself enough time to write a really meaningful Christmas message, you might find it’s one of the most popular emails you send all year.

  • Organise your Christmas celebration

If you’re planning a big celebration or meal to thank your staff for their hard work during the year, book it as early as possible. Most party venues, hotels and restaurants start taking corporate bookings as early as July.

If you’ve left it too late (!) or don’t have the budget for something big, consider something low-key like a quiz night, winter walk or simply drinks and canapes in the office.

  • Order your Christmas cards

The view of Christmas cards has changed over the years I’ve been an administrator. Sending physical cards used to be standard practice, but with increased climate awareness and cost of postage, their role in business communication has changed.

If you like to send Christmas cards, get them designed as early as possible (and Get Ahead’s graphic designers would love to help!).

E-cards are increasing in popularity too – you can order them through dedicated websites or have one designed specifically for your business.

Remember, there is a middle road with Christmas cards. You don’t have to send them to everyone! Instead, you could think about which business relationships you want to cultivate and focus on sending cards to those specific contacts.

Virtual PA services from Get Ahead

Whatever support you need to prepare your business for Christmas, Get Ahead can help. Our experienced team provide virtual PA services, social media scheduling, phone answering and more. Contact your local regional director to find the best option for you.

 

Find out more about our services or call 01483 332 220 to discuss in more detail.