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Today we chat to Alyssa Coleman about all things productivity to make your holiday season enjoyable. Find more from Alyssa here: https://www.alyssacoleman.ca/ The holidays can be a tough season for freelancers and solopreneurs. There’s no paid time off when you work for yourself. Adding the extra holiday expenses and additional social obligations to your already long to-do list might have you a little bit stressed. We know that some things are a little tougher when you’re the one calling the shots in the business and the holiday season is just one of them. Before you go reminiscing about paid vacations and office potlucks, we want to remind you that you are in charge of your business! You get to call the shots which means that you really can make it through this crazy season with your sanity intact! You need to get a few things in order first before you dive into holiday fun. 1. Be clear your boundaries Setting clear boundaries with your family, friends, clients, team members and yourself is one of the most important things you can do this time of year! One of the best perks of being self-employed is that you get to make the rules on how you and your business operate. Get clear on how much you want to work this holiday season, when you want time off and when you need to work and then communicate it to those around you! We asked some of our Twitter friends during our Twitter chat, the #SoloBizChat a few weeks ago how they set boundaries during the holiday season and here are some ideas we heard: Add your holiday hours into your email signature Email or communicate with your clients about your holiday hours. Give them plenty of lead time about your hours so they are able to plan in advance for their needs Create an out of office email autoresponder that informs individuals of your hours and when you’ll return Designate “business hours” if you’re feeling stressed about completely disconnecting. For example, commit to only checking your email and social feeds twice a day. Be sure to reflect that in all communication Don’t worry so much about making your clients angry when you take time off. Most will understand that you are a human and you need time to recharge. Also, many of your clients will be taking time off as well! 2. Plan your content in advance Even though you might be taking some free time from your business, your business still needs to run even while you shop, travel and relax. You deserve time off but you don’t want to lose any momentum. It’s important to try to keep marketing and customer communications as normal as possible. If you have been regularly posting on social media, publishing blogs and sending out email newsletters, then you have set an expectation around your content. Whether or not they realize it, your audience has been trained to expect regular communication with your business. Don’t disrupt the pattern. Luckily, you have automation to come and save the day! Things like emails, blogs, and social media updates can be scheduled in advance. This may take a little prep work on your end but it will save you plenty of last-minute stress. If you’re having trouble figuring out what content to share over the holidays when you are taking it easy, here are some recommendations: Curate content from other sources. Reshare older blog posts. The end of the year is a great time to do a “Best Of” social media. Share personal or behind the scenes posts. Remember that your business is you and that your fans and followers want to see a more personal side of you. The holiday season provides a great opportunity for you to share more personality, behind the scenes or personal posts. 3. Use your time wisely Taking time away from your business can actually grow your business in the long run. When you’re relaxed and not trying to force brilliant ideas, they are more likely to come to your organically. You might be surprised at how much inspiration shows up when you aren’t...