Well, Christmas is almost here and no doubt you are looking forward to a well-earned break. So the last thing you want to be doing during your holiday is stressing about missed calls, replying to emails and that pile of admin you never quite got to.
The Dream Team have put together a list of ten things you should do before you close up for Christmas to take away your admin stress. Most of them don’t take too long, and the pay off for you to worry less and relax more – without customers and suppliers getting frustrated – is worth it.
And if you need a hand managing your business admin – over Christmas or longer term – we are here to help. You can book in a free, no obligation call with Dream Admin Services CEO, Tennille Skelly.
1. Decide how you are going to handle calls/emails over the break
It sounds straight forward, but have you decided how your incoming calls and emails are going to be handled over your break? You might just set an out of office reply and voicemail that lets people know the dates you are closed. This is fine, but just keep in mind this will mean coming back to a backlog of emails and voicemails to manage on day one next year. Or, you might want to set up a virtual reception service that will either answer calls/emails while you are closed or manage the backlog once you are back. You also need to consider whether you will be available for emergency/urgent jobs over the break, and if you are then what is the best way for customers to contact you while you are on holiday. Cherie Romer, Client Relationship Manager |  |
2. Communicate your closure dates
 | The last thing you want is for potential customers to be unsure of when you are open or closed. Are you available between Christmas and New Year? Are you back on deck from Jan 4? Are you available for emergency jobs? Whatever the answer, you need to make your availability info easily accessible for your customers. Put a post on your social media pages, add a banner on your website, send out an email, and include it on your email signature. Get it out there through all of your communication platforms so there is maximum opportunity for your current and potential customers to see it. You can also pin the post to the top of your Facebook feed so it is the first post people see when they visit your page. Don’t forget to post your closure dates multiple times to increase the number of followers you reach. Marnie Wragge-Morley, Digital Marketing Manager |
3. Double check your payroll dates
If your payroll run falls within the Christmas/New Year break, you might need to consider running it early. For example, if your pay is run on the 26th of each month, you might need to run it on the 22nd or 23rd to make sure it is processed before everyone goes on holiday. You can make assumptions about the hours people will work on the remaining days of the month and do an adjustment in the next pay run as needed. The last thing you, or your employees, want is for the December pay run to be late or unpaid!
Cherie Romer, Client Relationship Manager
4. Pay your suppliers
| Finish the year with a clean slate by paying as many of your upcoming bills as possible. Double check if you have any payments due during the break and make sure they are either paid in advance or are scheduled for automatic payment on the due date. This way you avoid going into arrears and potentially incurring late fees or being cut off by suppliers. And it is one less thing for you to worry about when you get back to work. Janine Hedley, Assistant Accountant |  |
5. Invoice your jobs
Likewise, make sure any completed jobs are invoiced to the customer. This includes sending reminders and chasing up unpaid invoices. Just keep in mind that your customers might also be taking a break over Christmas /NY, which can impact their timeframe for payment.
Janine Hedley, Assistant Accountant
6. Confirm staff leave dates
 | Make sure all staff leave has been formally requested and approved (or declined if necessary). And double check this is reflected in your payroll system. If you are open during the Christmas and New Year period then make sure you have enough staff available and rostered on to cover your requirements. Lana Young, Administration Assistant |
7. Schedule social media content
Avoid trying to do last minute social media posts – or neglecting your social media – while you are taking a break. Allocate a couple of hours to create your social media content in advance and schedule it to post automatically. You can remind people of your open/close days and don’t forget your Merry Christmas and Happy New Year messages.
Marnie Wragge-Morley, Digital Marketing Manager
8. Set up message replies on Facebook and Instagram
You can customise the message people see when they send you direct messages via Facebook or Instagram. It is a good idea to change these so they reflect whether you are open or closed, so it is clear for anyone trying to contact you directly.
9. Update your days and hours on Google
To avoid confusion when people find you via Google, make sure your open/close days and hours are correct in your Google listing. You can do this via your Google My Business account.
10. Set up your email and voicemail out of office message
Before you finish up on your last day, take a few minutes to switch on your email out of office reply and record a new voicemail for your landline and mobile phone. Remind your employees to do the same. Make sure you clearly communicate what date you will be back at work, and the best way for someone to contact you if it is urgent.
Don’t forget! When you get back to work (or even the night before) you need to update or switch off all your holiday communications, including:
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Most of all, we want you to enjoy your holiday break!
If you can set aside some time each day to tick off one or two of these, you will be in a good place to be able to relax and not worry about business admin and customer inquiries.
And if you need any help getting this sorted, we would love to help – this is what we do! You can book in a no obligation, free call with Tennille Skelly, Dream Admin CEO, to talk about how we can help you manage your business admin so you have more time to focus on other aspects of your business, or are able to relax and enjoy your holiday time.
