For most businesses outside the retail industry, Christmas tends to be a very quiet and slow period. Instead of looking at this as a negative thing, it can actually present a great opportunity to get things accomplished that you usually don’t have time for. Here’s a few ways in which you can take advantage of the Christmas quiet period so you start the New Year refreshed, and ready to get back to business as normal.

Offer Employee Training Sessions

A slow period is the ideal time to offer training sessions for employees. Perhaps you’ve wanted to train them on a new piece of equipment or technology, sales training tips, or maybe there is some product knowledge sessions you’ve wanted to hold. Whatever the reason, it’s a great opportunity to do some training. Your employees won’t have to worry about catching up on the work they missed while training and it keeps everyone productive. It’s also a welcome break from the ordinary workday.

Get the Office in Order

When times are busy and hectic it’s only natural for your workplace to become a bit disorganised. The Christmas slow period can act as “spring cleaning” in a sense, giving everyone an opportunity to clean up their workspace and the office in general. As business starts to pick back up after the holidays you and your employees will be that much more efficient since you now have an organised workspace.

Take Inventory

If you sell products, this is a great opportunity to do an inventory count. You can then stock up and get ready for when the rush comes back. This means you won’t have to worry about being out of stock as customers come flooding in.

Go Through Customer Reviews

If you have a place, whether on social media, email, or written cards, where you collect customer reviews, the slow period gives you an opportunity to finally go through them. Read through them all and start keeping track of what people are saying. Use it as an opportunity to give customers more of what they are asking for and make changes that can help your business in the New Year.

Stay in Contact with Customers

Even though your customers may be busy at Christmas and not necessarily doing business with you, it’s important to keep in contact with them. Maybe that means sending out holiday greetings on your social networking sites, a personalised email, or cards you’ve sent out in the mail. You want to make your customers feel important and valued.

At the same time it also gives you a chance to create a little excitement over upcoming products, services, events, and promotions in the New Year.

Use the Time Wisely

The Christmas quiet period doesn’t have to be a negative at all. In fact, if you use the time wisely, it can prove to be a very important time of year by allowing you to approach the New Year in a much better position.