How to enjoy the festive season as a small business owner

Being in control of your downtime is one of the perks of being self-employed. No more being tied to an annual leave allowance should mean you are free to take as much time as you wish off over the festive season. I know in reality a lot of self-employed people struggle to switch off from work and relax over the holidays.

I want to remind you it is perfectly possible to enjoy the festivities without damaging your business. Here are my tips on how to make it happen.

Make time to rest this Christmas

Remember it’s not just you!

Christmas is a time of year when the vast majority of businesses close for an amount of time. So you shouldn’t feel guilty about wanting to do the same.

Inform your clients of your intentions

Tell your clients what your working schedule will be in plenty of time and then they can plan purchases or assign work if you provide services, accordingly. It may even help them plan their own time off.

Add it to your email signature so it provides a subtle regular reminder.

Mark everything on the calendar

December is a chaotic month, no matter what your situation. In the lead up to that last day of work you still need to fit in all the normal life commitments as well as the extra present shopping and social events, if you have kids then their Christmas calendar is crammed.

My partner used to think I hated Christmas. The reality is I just find the extra demands on my time incredibly stressful. Especially once I became a mum, Christmas is magical for kids and I felt pressure to make it perfect.

So now I mark all things that come into the diary for December as soon as they come in so that I can see the commitments we face before I aim for any work targets for the month.

Slow down on your social screen time.

Unless your business thrives on seasonal sales then you can realistically slow up slightly on your social media presence because like you, your audience is dealing with extra activities too and are going less scrolling.

I’m not saying you have to completely stop posting (unless you want to) but build yourself some natural slack. Post less and schedule other bits so you only need to find time to check in.

Enjoy less time on social media.

Once you have reached that last working day you still have a couple of jobs to do.

Set your out-of-office.

If anyone does contact you during your well-earned rest then having an out of office means you manage their expectations of when they will hear from you. This means you’re still showing you care about your customers’ experience.

Turn off notifications

Make it easier for yourself to rest properly and turn off as many notifications as possible on your phone so that your not drawn into every little activity. Set yourself check in times if you need to and be strict with yourself about sticking to them.

If your really brave you could delete the apps temporarily.

Make family traditions.

Christmas is a time of novelty. If you cannot down tools completely for whatever reason, maybe you have animals or people to care for then my final tip is to get the family involved. Find ways to build your own traditions into these jobs. Find opportunities to spread some Christmas cheer. It will make working more fun and teach your kids a lovely life lesson about random acts of kindness and the power they possess.

Taking a break from working is important and can actually benefit your business in the long run.

Self-care means you can stay on top of your game and helps you show up wholeheartedly when you return. So until next time, Merry Christmas and a happy new year, I’m off to get in the festive spirit!

If you know someone who could benefit from reading this then please do share it with them!

Have a great time with your family and loved ones!