Get set to stop working, at least for a couple of days. No matter what season you are celebrating the days around the Christmas statutory holidays are often slower, completely shut down, or can be incredibly busy, depending on your industry. We all know that business never really takes a break. So what are you going to do to ensure you are still marketing your business and helping your clients while you shut your doors for a couple of days?

In Canada there are two stat holidays, Dec 25 and Dec 26. This year because they fall on the Sunday and Monday the holidays will be the Monday and Tuesday following the weekend. Most businesses and government offices will be closed from Friday December 23 to Wednesday the 28th. Retail will be open on the 26th for Boxing Day Sales. If your company is closed for the four day weekend you will need to ensure you have everything in place so you can do what needs to be done or not do anything at all.

Here are three steps you can take to ensure you truly enjoy the holidays and don’t loose sleep over your business.

Get Organized!

Give yourself one or two days before the holidays without any booked events. This means that you should try to have large open times on the Thursday and Friday this year to prepare your ongoing marketing and to help clients last minute if needed. If you are completely booked on those days you will likely need to do work throughout your days off to ensure that your marketing is ongoing.

Get as much of your work complete and then book what is not complete into the days you are working the following week or after the New Year. When you book something it is like tying a knot in your shoes. You don’t have to worry about tripping over the laces as you walk through the holidays. You don’t have to worry about what is not done because you have made plans to complete it.

Who’s Available?

Decide what days you will be available for clients and what you are willing to do on those days. My local spa is open for pampering, but on a much reduced time and increased staff level. If you need something between Christmas and New Year you had better book it now. My dentist is only available for emergencies and my Optometrist on the other hand is not available at all.  I would have liked to have been able to book my kids checkups while school was out, but they are not open and that is OK; I booked for another time.

Send out the Message.

Prepare your messages and notices. In any correspondences leading up to the holidays you can let people know when you will be open for business. My friend Lara puts this into her email signature about 3 weeks before so that every email message is a reminder which days she will be available. For her clients, marketing during the holidays has to continue so they need to know if she will be available to help them, and when. On the other hand, my dentist sends out his Season’s Greetings cards and includes his hours.

Here are 5 places you can include your notice for your clients

• Put a notice on your door or behind your counter in your store
• Add it to your email signature
• Update your voicemail to include a holiday wish and your dates and hours of closure
• Put your seasonal hours in your holiday cards
• Include the information in your newsletter

Remember, you have to be organized because if you want to enjoy your time away from your business, you will need to make sure your clients feel you cared enough to let them know when you would be available to help them during that time.