Thank you to Office Depot for sponsoring this post.
We all know the holiday season is a joyful yet busy time, but it’s especially busy for small business owners. Along with the usual holiday responsibilities, those of us who work for ourselves are chugging away trying to finish out the quarter and plan for the new year.
Since turning coaching and blogging into an online business in 2017, I’ve learned that the holiday season doesn’t mean things slow down. If you’re a small business owner, an entrepreneur, or self-employed, you know that the work never really stops.
On top of that, you’re trying to find the best holiday gifts for everyone in your life – your family, friends, clients, and employees. Having the whole work/life balance thing feels practically impossible during these months.
Since the end of the year is rapidly approaching, it’s important to get prepared for the holidays as soon as you can. Planning for gift-giving, getting your office in order, and gearing up for the new year is essential so you can enjoy the holidays with as little stress as possible.
Luckily Office Depot and OfficeMax are there to help you feel prepared for the seasonal holiday rush. With business services, products, and tech services to keep your business and life organized, Office Depot and OfficeMax are the ultimate resource to make the holidays less stressful (even if you’re not a small business owner). Keep reading to learn how you can make the holidays less stressful!
5 Ways to Prepare for the Holiday Season
Start planning for the next year.
Reflect on what went well this past year and think about what you’d like to do differently. I always map out each quarter with a rough outline of project, content, promotional, and outreach ideas. I might even put preliminary dates into my calendar if I want to be totally on top of things.
Do an inventory check.
The end of the year is when I stock up on paper, stationery, and other office supplies. I always get excited about buying a new calendar, planner, and notebooks to help keep me organized (even if I already have way too many notebooks ?). It’s also a great time to get business cards and other marketing materials printed. Being able to get all of these things at Office Depot, OfficeMax or officedepot.com makes my business life so much easier, especially because I can find gifts for family and friends at the same time. Efficiency is key when it comes to a successful holiday season.
Mail gifts ahead of time.
For me, one of the most stressful parts about the holidays is mailing gifts to friends and clients in other states. There’s always a mad rush at the post office, and I’ve panicked so many times realizing that my gift won’t arrive on time. Instead of waiting in lines, you can head to Office Depot or OfficeMax. Most stores offer FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and select stores offer USPS shipping and mailing services to national, international and military base locations. You can even drop off packages 7 days a week, including nights and weekends. If you’ve left everything until the last minute (you’re busy, I get it), you can find your gifts, get wrapping paper and a card, and have it mailed out all in the same visit to Office Depot or OfficeMax.
Get your tech up-to-date.
For many small business owners and soloprenueurs, we don’t have tech specialists at our fingertips when something breaks or goes wrong. There’s no reason to stress over computer issues because Office Depot has you covered with their unlimited 24/7 remote tech services. I’m even able to take in my cracked phone screen to get it repaired through their cell phone repair service. Now is the perfect time to fix that printer and get that virus off of your computer so it doesn’t slow down your work.
Let yourself relax.
Don’t forget that you deserve a break from the hard work you’ve done this year. When you work for yourself, no one really tells you how much you’re appreciated or decides to give you a holiday bonus. Even though I love what I do, I always have to remind and encourage myself to take time off from work. Setting boundaries makes you a better business owner in the long run.
How will you start planning for the holidays?
You can rely on Office Depot and OfficeMax for your personal and business needs during the holiday season. From packing and shipping to great gifts for clients and friends, Office Depot and OfficeMax have everything you need to have a successful holiday business season.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Office Depot.
4 Responses
Wow, your desk setup is BEAUTIFUL! :D
Along with new notebooks and calendars (I’ve got one that spans two years! I don’t have a problem…) what I’m excited about is that I’ve finally made a proper budget with sink funds and everything. I did bookkeeping for my business of course, but for some reason I always struggled to do it personally.
But it takes so much stress away from my daily life when I know exactly where my money is going, that I have money set aside for travel, the dogs’ yearly shots, and the quarterly water bill. It’s going to make a huge difference starting the new year so financially organized! :)
Thank you, Erika! I’ve been obsessed with budgeting too – I’ve realized that paper budgeting is the only way I can actually make it work for my personal finances. Love how organized you are!
Hey Catherine! Thank you for sharing! You have a very good way of writing and communicating your ideas in writing. Great ideas for a person that spends a good amount of time online. Thanks again for sharing your know how!
Thank you so much, Lu!