IT’S the end of another year and many people are looking forward to going on holiday.
Even the hardest working entrepreneurs will take a break.
Anton van Heerden, executive vice-president of Africa and Middle East for Sage, the accounting software specialists, shared some tips on how to take a break without losing business.
“If you’re the owner or manager of a small business – that’s not in the retail and hospitality industries – you’re probably looking forward to some leave, but check the list of tasks you need to do before you close business for the December holidays.”
Let your customers know when you’ll be away
Send them an email or a text message notifying them about the dates of your holiday shutdown.
If relevant, let them know who on your team will be available to help them in case of emergency.
Calculate bonuses
If you pay a 13th cheque, share profits or give performance bonuses, do the calculations BEFORE your December pay run.
Let your team members know if bonuses will or will not be paid BEFORE they get paid.
Work out leave pay
At the end of the year, you should also calculate employees’ correct leave pay. To get it right, you must follow the dictates of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. The law outlines the rights of employees on annual leave as well as severance or notice pay.
Arrange a skeleton crew
December is a popular time for employees to take leave – it is summer, the kids have long school holidays, and the office is usually quiet. While it may suit you to have most employees take their leave during the holiday slowdown, you should also make sure you are not short-staffed.
Online businesses need dedicated staff to manage the computers all year round.
Get ready for the new year
When you get back to work in January, it’s a rush of first meetings and wrapping up last year’s projects so employ a person to handle admin duties while you work on business development.
Work from the beach
Rather than poring over a spreadsheet this holiday, you could do your numbers on a laptop or tablet, as you spend the rest of the holiday season on the beach.
