• 02 December 2022
• Virginia Jones

Holiday Pain Points: How to Make Time for the Holidays

The holiday season. It’s the most wonderful time of the year but it can also be the most exhausting as you juggle improving your bottom line with holiday commitments. It’s no wonder that 52% of people find the holiday season stressful. But instead of letting the season break your spirit, get into the spirit.  How do you bring your A game to your customers and employees while also carving out some of the season for yourself? You can have it both ways with these easy ideas.

Consider Hiring a “Cleaning Angel”

Piling holiday activities on top of your small business “busy season” increases the workload at home. Dishes stack up, laundry piles up and you may have guests on the way. It’s a lot to think about when you’re managing a business through the busiest time of the year. Cleaning up at the end of the workday eats up a considerable amount of any spare time you may have. Consider hiring a cleaning service to dust, vacuum and clean the bathrooms during the holiday season so you can focus on your business, your guests and enjoying the season. Don’t think of it as a splurge. Your time is worth money and this expense buys you time, sanity and a clean home during the holiday season. Save the receipts too. If you work remotely, you can deduct the home office portion of the cleaning bill on your taxes.

Gift the Gift of Gift Cards

Time is the most precious commodity during the holiday season and last-minute gift-shopping can take up a lot of it. This year, make it easy on yourself by giving gift cards.

Giving a gift card doesn’t mean you don’t care. It means you can give your employees, friends and family something they really want while saving yourself valuable time that’s often-wasted shopping for a gift that’s less-than-perfect or even out of stock. Gift cards are also an excellent way to support small businesses. In fact, Square.com makes it easy for consumers to buy gift cards from small businesses anywhere in the country by generating an online catalog of small business gift cards based on any address that you enter. That means you can support small businesses wherever your recipient may live. Remember, a gift card is also a great way to thank employees for their work and clients for their business.

Donate Your Time. It’s Good for Your Health.

If you’ve volunteered during the holiday season, it won’t surprise you that giving is good for your health. Carving out time to give to those in your community who are struggling is a great way to check into the season. Donating time is rewarding for those you help and for your own mental well-being. In fact, it’s proven to lower your blood pressure, lower stress levels and increase your overall happiness. If you can’t donate your time, take just five minutes to give to a local charity that needs your support.

Throw an Employee “Spirit of Giving Party”

Don’t overlook throwing an employee holiday party to ensure that everyone on your team comes together to celebrate. In the spirit of the season, it’s a great opportunity to increase employee loyalty by turning your traditional holiday party into an Employee “Spirit of Giving Party.” Order some holiday beverages and treats, then turn up the music while you collect and stuff supplies bags with necessities like toothpaste, tissues and treats for a local senior services not-for-profit organization or collect and pack gently used clothing to make a company donation to a local shelter while you toast the season. By giving employees the time to volunteer, you instill a sense of community both at work and in your neighborhood.

Put Out the Burn Out

What do both you and your employees want most during the holidays? Time. Employee burnout hasn’t eased. In fact, almost half of American office workers are burned out at work. Even though you and your employees take time off during the holiday season to spend time with friends and family, 55% of Americans still don’t use all of their annual paid time off. Encourage employees to use their vacation days and, if your business slows down during the last half of December, consider closing the office for a few days to ensure that you and your team get the time you need to disconnect. Employees are dealing with holiday stress too and a few extra days that aren’t entirely necessary can give your team time to truly kick back and relax.

Now that you’ve found an extra day or two for yourself during the holiday season, don’t wait until the last minute to close your laptop to go enjoy some well-deserved holiday cheer this season.