Tis the Season - the Business of Giving
As we all enter into our holiday festivities, I thought I would share my “12 Gestures of Thanks” that I work hard to abide by in my professional career, which are especially pertinent at year end:
Always say Thank You to Clients. Without them, your business cannot exist. It is most important to ensure they are thanked at year end as you journey to another new year, hopefully with many of them joining you!
Send out handwritten Thank You Notes. In this age of social media and electronic communication, there is something quite personal about a handwritten note. I know it always makes me smile when I receive one.
Send out Corporate Holiday Cards. Whether you choose to do this electronically or regular mail, the fact you have taken the time to construct a Corporate Holiday Card displays a level of class and commitment to your business, and will not go unnoticed.
Take the time to recognize and thank those you may come to take for granted – the postman, the janitor, the security personnel in your building. Acknowledging those whose job is to ensure your business receives its mail, stays clean, and remains safe, cannot be understated in today’s world.
If you have received referrals from external colleagues, make sure to send either a separate thank you note after you receive the referral or mention it in your Holiday Card to them. Remember, they don’t have to refer to you, they choose to refer to you.
Make a referral back to those referring to you. There is no better holiday gift to a business owner! Flowers lose their bloom, food is consumed, and pens run out of ink. But, the value of a reciprocated referral is priceless. Think how much better off we all would be if this were a holiday gift every year!
Ensure out of office information is up to date. While the Holidays are a great time to spend with friends and family, business still happens. At times, business doesn’t often know the meaning of a calendar.
Decorate your office space. This is a great time of year to share the support of your clients and colleagues. Even if you don’t celebrate Hanukkah or Christmas, we all celebrate the start of a New Year. Don’t just throw out any cards received, display them proudly around your work space and let them tell their own festive story of why people choose you and your business!
Follow up on any lose ends with clients. They will be impressed you took the time to reach out to them during the Holidays.
Celebrate the business you have built, take a moment to survey your space, your colleagues, your projects. If even one of those enriched someone else’s life, consider your business year a success!
Most importantly, make sure that your clients, employees, and yourself feel valued.
Never expect anyone to do business for free, their contributions in making your business successful come from their hard work and/or their intellectual property and you want them all to be compensated, just as you expect. A paid vendor, a paid advisor, a paid employee, and a paid business owner are all on the same path to success!
It is never too early to be kind, to be happy, and to plan. Your business is an extension of you and you really cannot say thank you enough.
Illuminate BC is thankful for all its colleagues and friends that have reached out in support of our new venture. We wish you all the most joyous of holiday seasons and we look forward to our next interaction with you!
Happy Howlidays!
