Top Tips for the Holidays - 2/08/2016
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Small Business Bookkeeping Tips
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 2 August 2016
Silly me! ….
… I foolishly thought I’d be productive these last couple of weeks, with it being EOFY and me a bookkeeper. But then, school holidays snuck up on me and put a stop to that ridiculous notion. They always catch me unawares; I try and arrange reciprocal playdates, Granny babysitting and lovely things to occupy my kids but I’m left with a concoction of emotions, feeling guilty about not spending enough time with them and not doing enough work.
So I threw this curveball to my local business colleagues who actually manage this quarterly upheaval with all the prowess you would expect from many-hat-wearing small business experts.
Here are their Top Tips:
Debra, Person Centred Leadership says Flexibility rules!
Work 6am-8am, schedule activities, set up a movie later during the day when you can fit in 1 hour phone coaching sessions and have play dates too. Over the day hop into social media. Then do a bit more in the evenings.
Jennifer, Vividity Photography takes the lateral approach:
This may go against the grain a bit, but I deliberately plan as little work as possible over the school holidays. One of the reasons I work for myself is so that I have this flexibility. The work I DO do over these periods is often not time-sensitive, so things like creating a new range of client gifts, or tweaking existing brochures, or changing up the images on my website..... things that can happen today, tomorrow, or next week. They can also happen at night when the kids are in bed. That way, if we decide it's perfect weather for a picnic, we can just pack up and go!! I also use school holidays to catch up on reading (for pleasure and for work). I can take books with me when I'm out and about with the kids. What a luxury to be able to sit in the sunshine in the park and read while they play! (Mind you, with everyone else around me on their phones and other devices I do sometimes feel like an art installation!). We can also all snuggle on the couch and read individually together. (Does that make sense?)
Mindfulness
And finally, Aruna Ellis & Sophie from Your Future Self both remind us of what’s really important….
I strongly advocate a mindful life. Very soon children turn into strangers and then we wonder what’s happened. Everything can be managed by being mindful.
Make the most of it! If work conditions allow push out tasks that aren't critical. Connecting with our children even if for just a few hours by giving them 100% of our focus will help us bond a little closer and create some special memories.
Lori Lim from Sacred Kineseology says:
The mind can trap us into ruminating about what we should have done better and worrying about things out of our control . This is our brains natural defence system that is trying to reduce immediate threat . Our caveman reptilian brain , the amygdala will often keep us stressed in a state of constant fluster or overwhelm by activating our stress hormones and sending us into fight or flight . The key to avoiding going into overwhelm is mindful action . When you find yourself constantly worrying about situations you cannot control , take 3 deep breaths . Remind yourself you're not a time traveller and you cannot control the future right now , all you have is this very moment . Once you find yourself regrounded make a list of 3 actionable steps you can achieve today that will make the greatest impact on what you need to get done ."
Supervision:
Catherine Weinress says: I can be on my laptop working at the kitchen bench while supervising the kids as they develop their independence & creativity in the kitchen. And usually what they make turns out to smell and taste delicious - everybody wins!
Pia from GeorgiGirl Designs recognises her little resource! This week Miss 6 will be my assistant helping with pick ups/deliveries and coming to meetings. I have in the past just not worked, but as my business is growing I'm having to. This week Miss 6 will be my assistant helping with pick ups/deliveries and coming to meetings. I'll try to do computer work at night after bedtime. We just had a couple days away so have done some family bonding time already.
Rachel from WelcomeBasket agrees: I’ll pay my kids to come and work for me. They make up my welcome baskets that I deliver. They earn pocket money, they do a really good job and learn skills.
Call in the troops / holiday care
Dana Roebel says: Enrol the kids at a holiday program at a local school. Some of the schools in the UNS take kids from outside their own (eg Abbotsleigh which takes boys and girls). They go on excursions, go swimming, lots of craft etc.
Louisa Sanghera from Zippy Finance says Get the kids playdates. Mine both invite friends over and so are entertained . Its great quality time for them to build relationships one on one with friends
Jee, Greit Gluten Free Food Rallies the troops:
Involve the family: My husband works from home some days so I can catch up on work. We have playdates at home with friends & family and occupy the kids with sports/play clinics for a couple of mornings.
Have a wonderful support network of friends and family who you can call at the last minute. Damn, I'll have to be nice to people!!
Planning/ Work Life Balance:
Paula Agius says: In my business a lot of what I do for my clients (content marketing) can be scheduled, so I plan and ramp up before the holidays which gives me more flexibility. But I like to use vacation care options ideally, just that the local ones are booked up unless you get in within an hour of enrollments opening!
Martina, M.Arty Hair Design loves Planning
Use a whiteboard so whole family knows what's going on, schedule in Activities like Play by Yourself so we can work. This helps other family members to know when they’re needed!
Whereas Adrienne from The Speaker’s Practice advocates for scheduling:
My approach has to be schedule around children's activities. Their dependancy on parents at this time is finite so placing some importance their activities and doing things with them is important. Two weeks later they’re back at school and your work can get back on track.
Nicola Grady Combes says : Schedule time with your kids & schedule time for work & be productive with both. Don't try to do both at once otherwise neither gets the right amount of attention. It may mean logging on from home at night to catch up or plan the next day but be organised it's only for a couple of weeks so you have to adapt.
Giving Tasks / Older Kids:
For the older kids Kristina Duke from Decluttering Diva says : I've set a couple tasks for each my kids to do while I'm at work so that when I have a day off we all can play/ relax
Rachel Louise Wilson from Welcome basket says: I pay my kids to come and work for me. They make up my welcome baskets I deliver they earn pocket money and they do a really good job and learn some really good skills. It is a juggling act though but for the first week it's a real novelty.
(Image courtesy of https://www.flickr.com/photos/mackro/)
