Work over Christmas is a tough issue. Don’t waste time dithering – read this guide to making sure everyone’s time is best spent.
As an emerging startup, VenueScanner is used to weathering all kinds of storms. Disruption is what we do. But the biggest disruption of the year might not be what you expect. In fact, it’s Christmas. For many businesses, the holiday period represents a huge slowdown. Not only does the business itself lose pace, but it’s hard to keep the team working at full capacity. With everyone’s minds on fireside drinks and train strikes, you may find goals and targets being left behind.
If you’ve been paying attention to the advice posted on Right Angle Events blog, then you should have a united, well-motivated workforce. We’ve got some tips here on how to direct them over the holiday season to keep things tickings over, fill in any gaps, and be ready to spring into the new year.
Nail your digital organisation
Now is a great time to get on top of organisation and administration. Chances are that you have a wealth of fantastic tools that are being neglected. Trello boards collecting dust, overdue tasks squawking into the void, long expired events being snoozed and dismissed. Clear out your calendar and e-mails, refocus and refresh your task management software, centralise your notes. No doubt you’ll unearth something of value, and you’ll be better equipped for the new year.
Take time to analyse your performance
How has this year been? How has this month been? It’s absolutely vital to keep testing where you’re at in terms of performance. And given the year is closing, now is the time to really assess the numbers. This way, your work over Christmas can be a triumphant look back over the year and a primer for the next one.
Review your targets
Clear targets are a vital, vital element of a successful business strategy. But they need to be effective targets. And to be effective, they will need tweaking as time goes on. Quite frankly, your targets may be too ambitious. Conversely, you may find that you were not aiming high enough. Either way, by blindly ploughing onwards you certainly won’t be doing the most effective work that you can. Use this moment of calm to take stock of your situation, and make any necessary adjustments.
Create a calendar for the coming year
More planning! 2019 is going to go in a flash. To make sure that you don’t miss anything, start working on your calendar now. Populate it with the landmarks, events, and deadlines you’ve got in mind. From there, it’ll be natural to keep checking and updating it throughout the year.
Manage your roadmap
Do you have a roadmap? They’re a great way of tracking your business journey in a quick, accessible format. Business strategies can get seriously detailed and granular. With a roadmap, you can really place how things are going and what needs to happen next. However, sometimes they get left by the wayside. Well, given that you’re already taking stock of business performance and targets – might as well do the same for your own roadmap.
Do some maintenance
It’s a different story for every business, but for many traffic really winds down around December time. But this doesn’t have to be a bad thing. In fact, it could be a really important chance to get some testing and maintenance done. It’s always painful to have your site down, but now may be the best time to get that tinkering over with. Make sure your systems are at full strength or test out some new features. This advice goes for any other systems you may use such as networks or mailing lists. Or, take this advice out of the digital realm: clean the office, decorate, change the seating plan!
Pay attention to Social Media
For some businesses, social media is at the heart of their strategy. We all know how powerful of a tool it is. But If it’s not always your focus, or you struggle to invest the time into growing it, consider using your work over Christmas time to do so. Just an hour a day or so, and you could radically grow your following and prowess on your social media platforms. This will give you reach to exploit next year. Make sure to have a valid strategy, however – it’s easy to waste time or damage your reputation on socials.
Reconnect with key partners
As the year rolls on, potentially lucrative or helpful connections can gradually fade away. Why not take advantage of the festive period with some business-oriented socialising! Look back over who you may not have followed up with fully, or who perhaps slipped away. Clients, or potential business partners. No-one can resist a few drinks or an excuse to nip out of the office at this time of year, so why not forge a link that will serve you well.
For events at Christmas and the rest of the year, VenueScanner is the smart choice for finding a venue. Business meetings, parties, and beyond, VenueScanner has the widest selection of venues across the country, for all budgets.
Credit Bertie Jennings | VenueScanner
