This time of year always feels a bit manic – you’re in a mad dash to finish off projects before Christmas, but you’re also winding down in preparation for ‘Holiday Time.’
It’s easy for things to fall by the wayside as you reprioritise your workload. However, before you morph into the holiday version of yourself (ours features sunscreen, sunglasses and a cold beer), make the most of your last week with these quick to-do items. They’ll help you clear your space, refocus your mind, and do some quick forward planning for your business.
1. Tidy up your file system
Now is a great time to take a metaphorical feather duster to your file system. We recently wrote about how you can spring clean your file system, which has tips on how to review, purge, and organise your documents.
If you’re using SuiteFiles, why not include clearing out old users and updating user permissions as part of your clean up process.
2. Reach out to your clients
It might be too late to send out a Christmas card to your clients, but you can still send festive greetings via email. Include a quick survey to ask clients how they find your services, what advisory help they’d like, or what their core business concerns are. This can feed back into your planning for 2017.
We use Typeform as a quick and easy way to create surveys (they have a free tier!).
3. Get feedback from your staff
Staff satisfaction and happiness is the cornerstone of any thriving business. Either organise one-on-one sessions or use a survey tool to ask staff how they find their work, environment and professional development opportunities. Staff will appreciate the effort and the positive changes or opportunities it leads to in the new year.
4. Do an informal audit of your office
Your environment has a big impact on your productivity. A clear and well organised space is good for your brain and your work. Use your last week as an opportunity to:
- Check what needs replacing, like stationary, printers or chairs.
- Ensure that staff have the correct ergonomic setup at their desks.
- Rearrange your office space and/or introduce some plants to liven up an area.
5. Update your website information
You’ve spent time and energy on making a great website, and for good reason! Your business website will likely be the first port of call for prospective customers who are trying to discover what you do and who you are. Don’t leave it to stagnate with irrelevant or not up-to-date info.
Ask yourself – Does your website still reflect your business, its brand and services? Have you changed address or have staff details that you need to update on your About page? Check and update to keep your website feeling fresh.
6. Review your goals from earlier in the year
Whether your goal was to grow your business, improve your processes, or to give back to your community, think about what resolutions you had for 2016 and, most importantly, how close you got to achieving them.
7. Make a list of business and marketing goals for 2017
Maybe you didn’t quite hit the mark when it came to goal-setting in 2016. Not a problem, that’s what the new year is for! Brainstorm what you’ve always been meaning to do when it comes to your business and marketing, and make a list of the top 3 your want to tackle in January.
Write these goals on a post-it or piece of paper and leave it on your keyboard on your last day. You’ll see it when you get back and thank past you for the handy reminder.
If you need help, Xero have written some good, short marketing guides for businesses, including this one for accountants.
8. Treat yourself (and your staff)!
Shout the team afternoon tea or head to your local for a drink on the last day of work. Even if you’ve just had your staff Christmas party, it’s another informal chance to sit and chat, to build team morale, and to finish the year on a high.
What do you do at the end of the year? Is it a scramble to be productive or do you give in to the holiday spirit and blast that one Mariah Carey song for all to enjoy? Let us know in the comments below!
