1. GET YOUR INVOICES OUT QUICKLY
Don’t leave your invoicing to the last minute. With all the disruption in the postal system, not to mention the effect of staff holidays and shut-downs on the normal payment run dates, it is even more important that you get your invoices out in time.
2. STAY ON TOP OF CREDIT CONTROL
Christmas gives late paying customers all the excuses in the world. Don’t add to it by getting behind with your credit control. Remember, wages may be paid earlier in December so you need the cash in sooner than normal.
3. SAY THANK YOU TO YOUR STAFF
Christmas is a great time to say thank you to your employees and perhaps back it up with a small gift. There are various tax concessions available to help you with a Christmas turkey or a staff celebration. Speak to your accountant and take appropriate advice.
4. THANK SUPPLIERS AND CUSTOMERS
Your employees are not the only ones who helped you in the year. Say thank you to customers, suppliers and business associates. It may seem a bit cheesy, but a well targeted Christmas card or e-mail would be appreciated.
5. ENCOURAGE YOUR STAFF TO USE UP HOLIDAY ENTITLEMENT
Depending on your business, Christmas may be a quiet time. Consider encouraging staff to use up their outstanding holiday entitlement. Everybody needs an appropriate level of rest to stay fit and healthy, and carrying-over large amounts of unused holiday entitlement can cause all sorts of problems.
6. HAVE A GOOD CLEAR OUT
The quiet time between Christmas and New Year is a great time to have a good clear-out in the office, warehouse, workshop or wherever. Remember your document archive – get rid of the stuff marked for destruction in 2011 and archive the next year to make room for 2012 documents.
7. GET THOSE YEAR-END TASKS DONE
Utilise the holiday period to get your year-end schedules and tasks out of the way. Even if you don’t have a December year-end, you can make a start on things in advance to make your year-end tasks more manageable.
8. SET YOUR PRIORITIES FOR THE NEW YEAR
Christmas is a great time to formulate your priorities for the New Year. Set targets and milestones to make sure you get off to a flying start and everybody knows what’s expected of them in 2012.
9. PLAN A STAFF MEETING FOR 2012
With your plans in place for the New Year, why not start January off with a staff meeting to galvanise everybody’s resolve for 2012. Tell them your vision, make your commitments public and set the tone and direction for your year ahead.
10. PUBLISH YOUR COMPANY CALENDAR FOR THE NEW YEAR
Every business should have a ‘Company Calendar’ showing the key dates for the year ahead. Christmas is a great time to plan the year ahead and set the deadlines and key dates for everything from reporting deadlines to appraisal dates.
And finally……. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from
Hard Hat Business Advice!
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