Preparing your office before you close for the holidays requires careful preparation. The right communication will ensure that your customers and employees can plan and work around the shutdown, this means that you will have minimal complaints going into the new year. We all have enough to think about before the holidays starts, that is why WEB ARTIST® have compiled 6 tips for closing your business over the festive season, these can help you streamline closing your business for a couple of days or weeks effectively.
Notify Employees, Customers, and Vendors
Make sure that you communicate the dates in which your offices will be closed over the holiday period. Employees can be notified and reminded through emails, in-office calendar systems, and signs around the office. You can notify customers through a notification or pop-up on your website or your regular channels of communication for instance social media etc.
Get Your Website Ready
Having a website does not necessarily mean your company needs to completely shut down during the festive season as you still have the exposure that is required when running a business.
Disaster Recovery Plan
If your website is hosted with WEB ARTIST® you can have ease of mind, WEB ARTIST® makes daily back-ups of your website. Remember to make sure you have your disaster recovery plan in place before shutting your doors for the holidays. Imagine there is a power cut, flood or another natural disaster during this time – could your business easily recover? It’s best to be prepared for the unexpected. Store all portable devices in a locked drawer or store cupboard, as this will be one of the first items thieves go for. Another way to ensure your data is safe is to encrypt it on the device so that only those with an encryption key can access it.
Follow Up Invoice Payments
A Lot of businesses find themselves struggling with cash flow in the New Year, so it pays to be on top of your accounts and follow up on any due payments ahead of the festive season.
Set-up An Auto Responder On Your E-mail
Something so easily overlooked, but it is an effective way to notify clients that you are not available during certain times when they mail you. In your auto-responder, it is advised to let your clients know when you will be back in the office and remember to always provide an emergency number if they need to contact you. Hosting with WEB ARTIST®? Do you know how to set up an auto-responder? if not, Click Here
Plan Ways to Boost Employee Morale
The time from mid-November through the end of the year is stressful for many people, with family celebrations, social commitments, and the pressure to buy gifts and have fun during the festive season. The pace at work increases, too. You can help your employees feel good about the holidays with careful planning.
Share some festive cheer by decorating your working environment. A bit of holiday cheer will help boost customer experience and employee morale.