My Account
Christmas is on our doorstep and this means different things to different people.
For some it is exciting, fun, they love the build up to Christmas day, and are at their happiest in the holiday season.
For business owners it can mean different things too. It might be a quieter time of the year in December, where there is a slow down in work and clients only want to see them again in the New Year. For others it is their busiest time where they need to make a large amount of sales to see them through a quieter January and February.
Wherever people are at, most business owners have worked hard all year and need to find some time to rest, reflect, review and recharge for the year ahead.
The longer I’ve been in business, the more I am encouraging people to take time over Christmas to rest, put your feet up, and find time to slow down and enjoy time with your family.
Business will always be there, and it seems the years are flying by even faster – or maybe it’s just the way we live gets faster. We never stop in business, because there is always more to do – we need to increase sales, get more clients, work less hours, scale and grow and so on. It’s ongoing and that makes it both exciting and challenging.
If you are a business owner, then I know you are busy but the fact is, you will always be busy. So find a way to enjoy the Christmas break, and plan time away from the business.
Focus on spending as much time as possible with friends and family, and really be present so you can enjoy fun and good times. This is your business and your life, so you get to make decisions about it.
And what can we do to show support for our local business owners? We need to shop local whenever we can, buy local products, show some kindness, pass on referrals and recommendations, mention businesses that give us good service on social media, and make the choice to shop on the Coast. Why? Because these business owners could be the future employers of you or your kids, they aim to provide products or services you need, and we don’t always realise the many ways in which small businesses keep towns and regions going.
With Christmas coming up there will be lots of opportunity to buy, so let’s spend money in our local community, share the Christmas spirit, and look after each other.
This is Fiona Clark’s final business column. Hibiscus Matters thanks her for all her contributions.
