9 Powerful Tips To Prepare Your Business For Holidays & Time Off13 min read
As an entrepreneur (and likely a busy woman who wears all the hats), running a business during the holidays can feel like a double-edged sword. On one hand, you want to enjoy time with your family, indulge in some much-needed rest, and maybe even bake those cookies you pinned on Pinterest last year. On the other hand, your business doesn’t just pause itself—and the end-of-year pressure can make you feel like you’re juggling too many plates.
Sound familiar?
The truth is, running a business is a lot to handle any time of year, but the holidays add an extra layer of chaos. That’s why now is the time to simplify, streamline, and tie up the loose ends so you can step into the season feeling calm, confident, and in control.
These nine steps will help you close out the year on a high note, clear the clutter (both physical and mental), and set yourself up for a successful 2025—without sacrificing the holiday magic. Let’s dive in!
Organize Your Financials
Most small business owners would rather do anything else than dive into the depths of their QuickBooks account (after all, there’s a reason they didn’t become accountants). But let’s be real—ignoring your numbers is like pretending that rattling noise in your car doesn’t exist. Eventually, it’ll come back to bite you, usually at the worst possible time.
You don’t need to be a numbers nerd to get your financials in order. Block off two hours, grab your favorite coffee, and see how much you can get done. Think of it as a gift to your future self, who will not want to spend January tearing the house apart looking for receipts from six months ago. Get all your expenses updated, your accounts receivable sorted, and your receipts organized.
Then do a little financial review.
- Revenue: How much money came in?
- Expenses: How much went out?
- Profit margin: What’s left after you’ve paid for everything?
Now take a step back and look at the big picture. Is your business growing? Are there clear areas where you’re overspending (like that software you rarely use) or opportunities to bring in more revenue (is it time to raise your rates)?
And make sure to set some financial goals for next year. You don’t have to aim for some wild revenue number that feels overwhelming and out of reach, but you should have a clear idea of what you’re building toward.
If the idea of setting financial goals just doesn’t sound fun, consider focusing on purpose-driven financial goals instead. It’s not just about how much money you make—it’s about what that money makes possible for you, your business, and the people you serve.
Check out this article on setting purpose-driven financial goals here!
Review Team Performance & Give Feedback
Let’s face it: in the hustle and chaos of running a business during the holidays, giving positive feedback can fall to the bottom of the list… somewhere below answering that email from two weeks ago?
But the end of the year is the perfect time to pause, reflect, and let your team know just how much you appreciate them. Spoiler: meaningful words of affirmation go a lot further than another branded mug or pen.
Whether you’re a solopreneur juggling a few contractors or a business owner leading a team of 10, now’s your chance to pour into your people. Think about a time they went above and beyond, saved your *ss when you needed it most, or just made your life a little easier. Don’t keep that gratitude to yourself—tell them! A quick “You crushed it this year when you took ownership of XYZ” can be more motivating than any holiday bonus (though bonuses don’t hurt either).
Set aside 30 minutes to write some quick notes to your team and fire them off.
But don’t stop at the warm fuzzies. Growth happens when we know what we can do better, so this is your opportunity to have those honest conversations too. Maybe it’s reminding Sarah that deadlines aren’t guidelines or nudging Jason to double-check his work before hitting send.
Set up some 1:1 meetings to discuss how the year went with each team member. Let them know their work matters, ask them how they’ve felt this year, and share your vision for the year ahead.
At the end of the day, a team that feels seen, heard, and valued is a team that will show up ready to make magic happen in 2025.
Plan Your 2025 Vision
Taking time to set your vision and goals for 2025 before January rolls around is like setting out your workout clothes the night before—you’re way more likely to hit the ground running when you’re back in the office, instead of staring at your laptop wondering, “Now what?”
Start by asking yourself: What worked really well this year? Celebrate the wins—big or small—and make a plan to double down on what’s clearly working.
Then flip the coin: What felt like pulling teeth this year? Whether it was a time consuming system, a draining client, or a habit that didn’t serve you, reflect on the lessons you learned. Decide how you’ll do things differently next year.
Once you’ve done your reflecting, you can set informed and strategic goals for 2025 and create a high-level Q1 strategy that gives you a clear path to take those first steps. Imagine waking up in January already knowing what to do instead of drowning in overwhelm.
The CEO’s Goals Planner will actually help you do just that! It’s a tool I designed to help you reflect on what’s working, ditch what isn’t, and determine exactly where to focus so you can unlock your full potential in 2025. And, it’ll keep you organized all year long!
Check out The CEO’s Goals Planner here!
Organize Your Office
Getting back to work in January is so much harder when you’re walking into an absolute mess.
Take an hour this week to declutter your space. File away the papers piling up on your desk, shred the ones you don’t need, consolidate all those sticky notes, and give things a good wipedown.
Starting the new year with a clean, organized workspace feels like a breath of fresh air.
Surprise & Delight Your Clients
Surprising your clients with a little extra something is a great way to end the year on a high note. Whether it’s a handwritten thank-you note, a small gift, or a heartfelt email telling them how much you’ve appreciated working with them, it’ll make them feel valued (and more likely to stick with you next year).
Pro tip: If you’re sending cards, get them in the mail now. The postal system doesn’t mess around with holiday delays.
Organize Your Ideas
If you’re anything like me, your brain is a nonstop idea factory. But I’ve learned the hard way not to dive into every shiny new idea as soon as it pops into my head. Instead, I’ve trained myself to step back, think strategically, and focus on what I actually have the capacity to execute.
But let’s be real—if I don’t organize those ideas somewhere, they tend to vanish into thin air. That’s why the end of the year is my official “Idea Roundup.” I dig out all the Post-it notes scattered across my desk, flip through random pages of notebooks, and scroll through the Notes app on my phone. Every idea, no matter how small or half-baked, goes into one centralized system.
For me, that system is a running list in ClickUp. I tag each idea as a “quick hit” (the kind of thing you can knock out in an afternoon), a “moderate to-do,” or a “big project” that requires serious time and planning. If you’re not into ClickUp, a simple spreadsheet or even a dedicated notebook works just fine. The key is to get everything out of your head and into a format you can actually work with.
Related post: How To Use ClickUp For Project Management | Guide To Organize Your Business
Once everything is in one place, I review the list and prioritize. When I’m setting goals for the new year, I pick the ideas that are most aligned with my vision and will have the biggest impact on my business. This way, I can start the new year knowing exactly where to focus instead of drowning in the endless possibilities of all the things I could do.
Related post: Goal Setting Tips for Ambitious Entrepreneurs
If your ideas and projects are still bouncing around in your brain—or scattered across 17 different places—this is your sign to get them organized.
Narrow Your Focus
The best way to prepare for the holidays isn’t to hustle harder—it’s to get brutally honest about what actually needs your attention right now and let the rest go. Let’s be real: sometimes we take on projects or tasks that feel important in the moment but aren’t really moving the needle. And yet, they linger on our to-do lists, quietly draining our energy.
Take a hard look at everything on your plate between now and the end of the year. Ask yourself two simple questions: What absolutely needs to get done before December 31? and What can wait until next year? Be ruthless. If it’s not urgent or impactful, it’s not your priority right now.
Narrowing your focus isn’t about giving up—it’s about making space to give your best energy to the things that truly matter.
Pick a handful of high-priority tasks and commit to knocking them out. When you focus on fewer things, you’ll make meaningful progress and actually get to cross them off your list (doesn’t that feel good?). Plus, you’ll free yourself to fully unplug during the holidays without that lingering “I should be working” guilt.
Remember, a focused end to the year sets you up for a strong start to the next one. So let go of the fluff, tackle the essentials, and give yourself permission to enjoy the season. You’ve earned it.
Organize Your Team
The holidays are coming, and with them, the great disappearing act of your team for a week (or more) of turkey, eggnog, and family time. Before everyone vanishes, take a moment to clarify what, if anything, needs to happen while you’re all away. Maybe your business is pressing pause entirely (go you!), or maybe there are a few key tasks that need to keep moving forward.
Whatever the case, set clear expectations ahead of time. Who’s responsible for what? What’s the deadline? And just as importantly, what can wait until January? There’s no faster way to derail holiday relaxation than a “Hey, where’s that thing?” email in the middle of dessert.
This is also the perfect time to delegate anything you don’t need to personally handle. Think about it: Do you really need to be the one responding to client inquiries or double-checking that the social posts go live? Free yourself up to fully unplug and let your team (or trusted contractors) take the wheel for a bit.
Not sure what to delegate? Read this article for tips on how to identify tasks that aren’t worth your bandwidth. Because you deserve a holiday season that doesn’t involve checking your email between bites of pie.
Pause, Breathe, and Celebrate Yourself
Finally, don’t forget to take a moment to celebrate everything you’ve accomplished this year. Running a business during the holidays is no small feat, and you’ve done it. Even if it doesn’t feel like it, you’ve probably achieved way more than you’re giving yourself credit for.
Order yourself a fancy latte, toast with a glass of wine, or just take five minutes to sit quietly and acknowledge how far you’ve come. You’ve earned it.
Running a business is no small feat. There’s always more to do, more to think about, and more to plan for—especially as the year winds down. But the truth is, you don’t have to carry it all into the new year. By tackling these key areas ahead of time, you’ll simplify your to-do list, create space to fully unplug over the holidays, and set yourself up to hit the ground running in January.
That’s what intentional preparation does—it clears the mental clutter so you can focus on what matters most: growing your business in a way that aligns with your goals and makes room for the life you want to live.
If you’re ready to take your business to the next level in 2025, let’s talk. Coaching can help you scale your business while freeing up your time and energy for a more fulfilling life. I’d love to help you with the strategy, mindset, and systems your business needs to grow.
Book a discovery call with me today, and let’s make 2025 your best year yet.
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