Xmas Tips Organize a Christmas Party
Backup important data
Although the risk of losing data during the holidays is small, you should always make a backup of important data (I.e.: Sales and Invoice records) to keep your business covered.
Keep the backup somewhere away from your workplace; so that it cannot be affected by floods or other such events that could damage your main storage of data.
If a lot of your data is kept on paper, ensure it is put in as safe a place as possible; and take copies of the most important data to another secure location.
Returning to work without your data will always present a huge problem; but having no data during the busy January sales period could have a massive impact on your business.
No matter how busy your work is; presents must be bought! Put aside some time to go shopping, or if you cannot stand the crowds; why not order gifts online? Just remember to order delivered gifts early to make sure they arrive in time!
Why not s how your staff how much they are appreciated with a Christmas party! This can help to get rid of the tension caused by the Christmas build up, and help to increase employees’ morale by letting them spend time together outside the workplace. You could arrange a meal, a night out, or other event; depending on the age and number of your employees. Although office parties are often given a bad reputation, the vast majority are successful events; providing fun entertainment whilst helping staff to bond. The good news is that reasonable payment for employee events has some tax breaks: If your Christmas Party or other seasonal event comes to under £150 per head (including transport and any accommodation) then you will not be taxed on the benefit. The £150 can apply to any event during the year, and is not an allowance; if the figure goes above £150 you will be taxed on the whole amount. If you run several events for staff in the year, then any which total less than £150 will be tax free.
For Example:
A: If you have one event that costs £100 per person, and one that costs £40 per person; then they total £140 and will both be tax exempt. B: If you have one event that costs £100 per person, and one that costs £60 per person; they total £160, so only one of them will be tax exempt. C: If you have one event that is £40 per person, one that is £60 per person, and one that is £100 per person; the total of events 1 and 3 is £140 per person, so they will both be tax free. But the £60 event will be taxable. Use some time before Christmas to plan the essential tasks needed when you return after the holidays. Even if you and your staff are only away for a few days, there may be an amount of catching up to do. You may have orders that need to be processed and delivered, invoices to send and bills to pay; and you will need to prepare for the January Sales period (Usually Boxing Day to mid January). If you are a retail business, then you will need to be completely prepared for the January Sales rush, you are likely to need large amounts of stock, and be prepared for dealing with queuing and potentially stressed customers. By planning work that needs to be done before the break, you will better prepared; helping your business to get back to normal quickly. Before everybody goes home on Christmas Eve (or the last day before your holidays), remember to wish them a Merry Christmas!
Sadly, too many business owners work right the way through the holidays, with many working on Christmas Day itself.
Running your own business is hard work, but the occasional break is good for recharging your batteries. Take at least a couple of days off, have a good time with family or friends; and then you can feel more relaxed and better prepared for when the New Year’s business starts!
Article Index
- 16 Things Every Business Owner Needs to do Before Xmas
- Backup Important Data
- Related Articles
