I have found myself in the last few days madly scrambling to get lists together, gifts organised and cards printed for the holiday season and that’s just for my business!!! If you are like me and the end of the year has crept up on you unexpectedly like a massive tsunami then you will relate to this!
I have A, B, C lists coming out of my ears and not to mention what each list is going to receive and can be delivered within 5 days so I can wrap and post!! Then to find that VistaPrint is the only place I can order the cards I have designed that will deliver by the end of the week!!! ARGGGHHH!
OK, so gathering myself from this overload now and coming back to some common sense lessons on how to stop this happening for next year….
1. Make sure you have a great CRM or way of being able to tag your clients, suppliers and staff so that you do it right from the time you enter them into the system. Then at the end of the year it is just a matter of printing a report and everyone is there and tagged for you. I use Highrise and this makes it much easier to export the information.
2. PLAN EARLY! Have a calendar reminder for September to start getting your team to research the gifts for each list and order them! Have the Christmas card designed and printed ahead of time so you have everything ready by mid-November at the latest.
3. Enlist a ‘helper’ to help you wrap and stuff envelopes and print labels! (Sorry kids but it looks like you will be enlisted this year!)
4. Make sure all of your gifts and cards are sent no later than 1st week of December to make sure they are received in time.
So I guess my advice is to NOT do what I have done this year and leave everything to the last minute as most of your clients by the time they receive your cards and gifts will already be off enjoying their holiday!!! (sorry to all of my clients for that…)
Happy Holidays!!
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