Happy Holidays from Coupar Consulting!

Five Simple Steps to Keep your Business Stress-free During the Holidays

The holidays are in full swing and if you are like many of the designers I work with you might be feeling a bit frazzled as internal and external timelines and project goals loom.  Here are five tips to keep the joy in your holiday and the stress at bay, so come January 1st you are ready to make 2012 your best year yet.

1.  Be realistic about the work you can achieve.  In a perfect scenario, plan to take the month of December "off".  By "off" I mean no HUGE project ramp-ups, no BIG installations, no mid-project grinds that call for excessive site management or vendor management.  Floor refinishing, kitchen cabinet installations, tile and paint should all be scheduled to begin in the new year.  Keep the work you do choose light and fluid.  Holiday decorating for your favorite clients, new client meetings, and marketing are all low-impact and fun ways to keep your business buoyant and spirits high during the season.  One easy way to make sure you are on the right path is doing an internal check: "is the work I am about to commit to making me feel excited or tired?"  If its tired, place it on the back burner until the new year.  

2.  Cut yourself (and your staff) some slack.  Everyone can feel a bit distracted during December.  Whether through stress or merriment of increased commitments outside of the office expect that the people who help your business run on a daily basis will have the majority of their attention elsewhere and plan accordingly.  Delegate staff members on tasks that are low-impact: budget and construction schedules, marketing materials, materials sourcing, and goal setting all are tasks that keep the business moving forward without impacting the end result.  Stay away from measures, specifying materials, custom furnishing, window coverings or vendor direction and supervision.  Those are all New Years' tasks that will fare better when the staff returns focused on the business in January.  

Kendall Wilkinson has her staff put together a beautiful newsletter that gets sent during the holidays that serves as both a holiday greeting and a marketing opportunity to connect with people.  (A fabulous way to multi-task and cut down on redundant, time intensive tasks for staff).  The key is to make the content of value to the recipient, and Kendall & co has this nailed: gratitude and glad tidings followed by beautiful images and a design tip or two.  The key is, like Kendall, be confident in your design expertise, and don't feel intimidated by sharing a bit of your wealth of knowledge.  There's no genuine design tip you can give that will not be returned to you in terms of new client possibilities. 

One interior designer who has holiday appreciation in the bag is Patrice Cowan Bevans.  This world-class designer is a not only fabulous at making things pretty, she is a star at making her team feel appreciated.  Her holiday ritual for her staff members includes a nice lunch at the Fairmont or Big 5, followed by massages at the Nob Hill Spa among other year end bonuses.  Her approach is give a little, get a little.  A nice lunch and massage for yourself and your team is a great environment to set goals, intentions, and review the last years highs & lows.  (The lows are much better to revisit with a glass of bubbly in hand)!  

Another notable I saw pop across my social media this week was Grant K. Gibson hustling early Monday morning after giving his assistant time off during December.  His Monday AM Facebook post was "My assistant is off this week and I am already loosing my mind."  Giving your assistant time to regroup during the holidays ensures a loyal and refocused staff come January.  You get what you give, and in this business a little loyalty goes a long way.    

3.  Shift the attention you give to your work to the evening social activities that come with the season.  Working hard during the day can make you feel too tired to jingle and mingle at the industry hosted holiday parties at night.  Those parties are just as important as the work you accomplish during the day. You may meet a contractor or architect that refers you to your next big project.  I've seen designers get referrals through showrooms, wallpaper hangers, painters, carpet installers as well as general contractors and architects.  Some time toasting the end of a year during December can be more impactful than the time spent building schedules in the office.  Make your events and contacts count & give yourself permission to do so.  The December business strategy gets things accomplished with less work and more play.  Give yourself permission to play a bit, and reap the benefits come New Year.  

4.  Have a little cash cushion for the business that lasts through mid- January.  Clients are slllooowww to pay this time of year.  Not so much for lack of cash, but more for lack of attention on anything not holiday focused.  Plan accordingly for your firm and don't get too hung up when your punctual paying client doesn't send a check until close to the end of the month.  Send a reminder out mid-month to all clients with open balances and then let it go.  Most clients will pay by the beginning of January.  

5.  Make some time for 2012 goal setting.  Write down how you want your business to feel for the new year.  What type of events would you like to participate in?  How much money would you like to make?  What type of marketing or expansion would you like to do?  Create a plan to make it happen.  A company budget is the single greatest gift you could give yourself and your business for the new year.  (And building a fabulous budget can happen in January after the holidays).  But make some time to day dream and write down all this possibilities you'd like to experience in the New Year.  Decorators Showcase?  Buying Trips?  Big ticket advertising?  These can all be a reality with a proper budget and a little planning.  

Wishing you a happy and stress-free holiday season and a prosperous 2012!

Krista