How to manage your time off during the holidays without losing sales
Holidays are around the corner, and this means time for you and your employees to reunite with their families and spend some special time together.
But when you are a small business owner, putting the company on hold, even for a few days, may feel like a major risk. Well, guess what? You and your staff can take some time off without losing customers or sales!
Keep reading to find out some strategies to keep your loyal customers and get the holidays you deserve:
Be transparent with your customers:
If you are going to be closing early during the holidays or taking some days off, you need to communicate to your customers so they can plan ahead and be aware that they may have to leave the garments in advance to have them ready before celebration time comes.
To make sure they get the change of schedule, use the channels they usually go for when they want to hear from you: text messages, social media posts, or even when they drop off or pick up their order. Remember, giving plenty of notice shows that you are considering their needs, and this is much appreciated by them.
ALSO READ > HOW TO GROW YOUR FAMILY BUSINESS
Manage your staff time-off wisely
Many businesses plan their employee’s vacations one year in advance, but if this is not your case, you still have options to have your Dry Cleaner up and running during the holidays.
The first option is to go by the “first come, first served” rule to prevent employees from taking their vacations off all at once.
Another idea is to offer a holiday pay differential to keep them motivated and interested in working during special days. You can also organize the staff working schedule, so you can always have coverage in your store and at the same time give your employees their well-deserved time off.
Hire some short-term help
Temporary workers can come to the rescue to alleviate some holiday stress while ensuring your customers will still get the service they are used to receiving from you.
Set money aside
Planning ahead financially can save you a lot of stress during and after the festivities.
You just need to think about how these couple of days will impact your company and prepare in advance for when the time comes: make an estimate of your business budget for the extra help, plan for contingencies, or even set aside some money from your bank account each week so when you come back, your savings are there waiting to be used.
ALSO READ > 6 WAYS FOR YOUR DRY CLEANER TO SURVIVE TOUGH TIMES—PART II
Unplug and enjoy the holidays
When was the last time you really disconnect from your business and had a good time with your family?
Don’t forget that taking time off, it’s also physically and mentally beneficial for you and your employees and keeps you away from the chance of burnout. Most importantly, the company will still be there when you come back, and you and your team will return feeling fresh and vigorous.
Being away can be costly, but is no reason to skip your well-deserved days off! With a solid plan, you can achieve your sales goals without sacrificing family time.