It is here! The holiday season seems to have shown up even before I put my Halloween decorations away. Now, as savvy business owner, we need to be proactive in making sure our business work is covered. Talking to a retail business owner is one way to get ideas for our local migration of shoppers. Each business will be different but here are the themes I’ve seen over the years:
- Have a clearly defined Holiday Schedule. Some businesses will have the luxury of just closing shop for the holiday, whatever your policy, post it as soon as possible where all can see it. Start early.
- Limit Holiday Leave. Some companies use seniority and some use historical records of “who worked what last year”. Having a spreadsheet where people can request and post is useful. Start early.
- Build a Process for Transition. If Sue is going on vacation on Nov 28, make sure that Sam, who will be covering for her has time to meet with her and understand the process. Written is always best, and start early.
- Out of Office. Switching email and voice mail to “out of office” should also include who to contact.
- Person In Charge. Make sure a schedule is created so that a staff person is the “buck stops here” person when the owner or other managers are not available. Sometimes just having a dollar amount for repairs, discounts or other minor issues will keep things flowing and save interrupting a vacationer.
“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now”. Alan Lakein
