December can be an interesting time for business owners and teams alike. It’s been an especially troubling time for many business owners this year with everything happening in the world and looking into the future. But, there is still time to achieve some success in December. There may not be a lot of time left, however, it’s time nonetheless. So, here are a few ideas to help you keep business thriving throughout the December period.
Show Appreciation For Your Clients
During the winter months, it’s a great time to show people you care about them. This is an important practice throughout the year for your clients, so make sure you go the extra mile and send a few thoughtful gifts or messages their way to appreciate the business they have given you throughout the year. Further helping to improve client relations and a generally nice thing to do for the holidays.
If you’re looking to drum up more business you can even send out special discounts for current clients. Ones who may not have used your services in a while and need a gentle reminder you exist and are there for them. A simple card, email or freebie will do the trick depending on your budget. But, make sure your greetings don’t look too much like a promotion otherwise the sentiment will be lost.
Review Your Yearly Targets
Sometimes we all need an extra push to achieve the results we are looking for. So when the year is coming to a close it’s a good time to review your progress. Even if you haven’t had the best year to date it’s important to review what works and what hasn’t. If you’re inches away from beating last year’s figures, reminding yourself and the team will give that last jolt of inspiration to achieve in the last month of the year.
In this instance, you can also set your plans moving forward, through refining your process before the new year. At the start of a new year, with all the resolutions in the air, people are more likely to be open to change. Change within themselves and how they work. So planning for January will help implement that change even quicker.
Communication
If you’re a business that relies on constant communication with your clients it’s best to find an alternative during December. It can be a time of infrequent emails, radio silence and unexpected out-of-office messages. So now would be a good time to settle any open discussions and set forth a backup in case communication starts to become an issue. There is nothing worse than a project being sat on the back burner due to a simple email.
Don’t Expect the World
You’re not going to get as much business as you’d like to in December compared to the other months of the year. Unless your business platform is on the festive period of course. The daily processes wind down along with everything else, so temper your expectations with your output. Plan for your upcoming December throughout the year, by allocating your revenue, clearing your calendar and finalising projects. Then get ready to keep your business thriving through the summer period whilst everyone is vacationing!
