Month: December 2020

Despite what Elf says, the best way to spread Christmas cheer isn’t always singing loud for all to hear, particularly when you’re tone deaf like us. We have put together a list of ways a business owner can spread Christmas cheer during the holidays.

1. Provide exceptional customer service

The holiday season can be just as stressful as it is relaxing at times, particularly in the lead-up. Use this as an opportunity to impress your customers by lifting your standard of customer service. We would recommend that you go above and beyond by checking-in with your customers to see if they need anything. Who knows, you may even end up with a few extra sales by simply supporting those who support you.

2. Put thought into your corporate gifting

Gifting is supposed to be all about showing your appreciation for others, and I’m sorry, but a cheap bottle of wine and chocolate covered almonds doesn’t cut it. Gifting services such as LVLY make it easy to give beautiful, thoughtful gifts to your customers, Australia wide.

3. Spruce up the office with holiday decorations

The holiday season is a time of joy, fun, and can even bring an extra kick of motivation for your Team. Give this natural boost momentum! Give in to commercialisation and fill the office with decorations and holiday joy. This will not only make the workplace look devine, but increase employee morale for the festive season. Hot Tip: It’s getting really hot in the North, so converting your workplace into a Winter Wonderland may offer a place of escape for many.

4. Celebrate the year that’s been

In a business, it is often go go and no woah. The holiday period is also a time of reflection and can provide detailed insights on the year that’s been. Host an all-in Team meeting to allow everyone to share their peaks and pitfalls of the year. This will not only allow your Team to reflect on your achievements, but also refine plans and goals for the new year.

The kids are screaming because they are on school holidays. The parents are screaming because they are not. We know the juggle and feel the struggle, so we are here to help! Here are our top tips to support you in getting work done with the little ones on school holidays.

1. Discuss your situation with your Manager

Explain the circumstances to your Manager and find an effective solution. Working from Home or a hybrid model may work well for you. Many Manager’s perceptions of productivity have changed due to COVID, with the realization that Teams can work just as efficiently from home. Find an appropriate compromise and prove its effectiveness. This will make things much easier when trying to solve the same problem next year.

2. Set up a designated workspace, preferably one with a door…

One end of the kitchen table or a random desk in the living room is asking for trouble. Create a space that inspires you to want to go there each and every day. If you have to sit there for 8 hours, its gotta be good.

We also recommend a door as it acts as both physical barrier between you and the kids, and a barrier between the work and play mindset. Depending on what side of the door you are in will dictate what you are doing, making it easier to compartmentalise and focus on the important tasks. For inspiration on work spaces, listen to our Podcast episode with She Creates Co.

3. Plan activities that do not require supervision

Jumping on the trampoline is probably not the best activity for the kids when you have work to do. Plan low-risk, indoor activities when you have big ticket items to complete, such as meetings and conference calls. You could then complete monotonous tasks whilst sitting on your back patio as they bounce on the trampoline.

4. Schedule your breaks to move kids between activities

Unless you have an angel child, I imagine their attention span is abysmal. However, there may be a way around this, by using timing your breaks to move them between activities. A 10-minute break snacking on a museli bar could also be multi-tasked with moving the kids from the colouring-in table to the couch. A lunch break could be aligned with a quick trip to the park to burn some energy. Get creative!

5. Create hard exits for your work

Once that office door is shut, you are off duty. Shut down the computer, turn off email notifications on your phone and enjoy some quality time with your little family. This will also minimise working parent guilt, as the time spent with your family is uninterrupted and all about them.

Oh! Hola! Boss, you got to let me know, should I stay or should I close?

This is the question on many business owner’s minds in the lead up to the Holiday period. If you decide to stay open, we have a few tips to help keep your business running effectively and make the extra hours’ worth it.

1. Create and update all process documentation

If you are anticipating a busy holiday period, you want to make sure that everything is done as quickly and efficiently as possible. Create new and update old documentation to streamline processes and create smooth transitions between each step. Both your employees and head-ache free, ‘future you’, will thank you.

2. Repair and upgrade all technology

Before being greeted with the hustle and bustle that is the holiday period, make sure that your technology is ready to handle the workload. Simple things like upgrading that monitor from 1990 will minimise downtime and increase productivity, consequently leading to more sales. Can’t quite justify the cost? Run the numbers and see whether sales opportunity or a new machine is more costly. Then, buy the new machine because we know what the numbers will say.

3. Promote staying open to your clients

The only thing that will justify staying open is if it leads to increased revenue. Make it worth it by promoting to your clients that you are open. Simple things like updating your opening hours, changing hold tones and adding a promotional piece to your email signatures can get the word out there quickly and easily.

Hot tip: Earn those extra brownie points by using staying open as a unique selling proposition.

4. Cross-department knowledge and training

The holiday period can lead to a change in working hours and level of activity within the workspace. Make sure that your staff are trained to handle the changes. If this is your busiest period, equip your staff to handle the uptake. If this is usually the period where activity winds down, use the free time to increase your Team’s skillset, or complete any training that has been put on the back burner.

So, this is Christmas, and what have you done? Another year over, a new one just begun.
The Holiday Season can be a very motivating time, as we reflect on the year that has been, and plan for the one to come. We want to help you harness this motivation and turn it into something constructive. And what better way to do that, then to write the ultimate list of New Year’s Resolutions for your business in 2021.

1. Define your purpose

If I asked you to, ‘describe your purpose?’ do you have a true, unwavering answer? It always surprises us how many people cannot answer this, working everyday with no clear intent. So, sit down, answer this question and pin your response on a wall in your office. Then, once your purpose is clear and in sight, start living it every single day.

2. Conduct a review

How do you know where to begin the year if you don’t know the current lay of the land? Pull out the fine-tooth comb and audit your business, examining everything from simple items like email signatures, all the way to P&L statements.

3. Set realistic, measurable goals for the year

Now that you have reviewed your business, set goals to create a clear path forward. Utilise short, medium and long-term goals with deadlines to act as guideposts. And remember, the key to achieving goals is being able to measure their success. So, be sure to add metrics and identify a way to track them.

4. Learn to delegate and do more of it

When you first start a business, you wear all hats. Slowly over time, its important for those hats to gain a new owner. You should happily pass on tasks, starting with those that are your weaknesses. Also consider passing on more operational tasks, so you have time to focus on key areas such as strategic direction.

And if you can’t delegate? Delegate the delegation.

5. Schedule time to work on your business

If you completed no.2 like I asked, then this one shouldn’t be too hard to start.

Look into potentially using a methodology or Coach to consistently drive the business in one direction. At ADITS, we personally use the Scaling Up methodology, through our Certified Coach, Paul O’Dwyer from Twenty Mile March.

6. Give back to your community

It’s important to support the people who support you. Look for opportunities in your local community, or those matters that are close to your heart. Aim for a consistent approach and don’t forget to tell people all about the good work you are doing to encourage them to do the same.

7. Set aside time for yourself

Contrary to popular opinion; you can live a very full life outside of your 9-5. However, it must be prioritised. When looking at your calendar for the year, be sure to block out key dates for personal matters, first. It does mean you can no longer use the ‘I forgot’ excuse for anniversaries and birthdays… but we won’t tell anyone if it happens again…

8. Bite the bullet

“I really should do this”
“I really should get onto that”
“One day, I’ll do this”
Sound like you? It’s time to bite the bullet! Whether it’s making an investment in your company, or in yourself, it’s important you take action. Many of our customers have either completed or scheduled major technology infrastructure upgrades in the beginning few months of the year. This way, they ticked off a major item on their list and started the new year strong.

9. Invest in your people

In order for your Team to be able to do their best work, they must be equipped to do so. Create a checklist of the items your Team need to succeed and invest in them, whether it be training and development, office ergonomics, or even regular check-ins and support sessions. Whatever it is, investigate and implement.

10. Cut your losses

Sometimes, you have to know when to let things go. We all have those items that we have been trying to make work for so long and are still proving unsuccessful. Attach a metric to those items and if after one month you are making no progress, cut it out and move on.

So, there you have it; our top 10 New Year’s resolutions for your business in 2021. We do not recommend you try and tackle all resolutions at once, but rather, take small steps to achieve a couple of items, before moving on to the next. Get ready to smash your goals in 2021.