Preventing Holiday Burnout: Three Ways to Achieve a Successful Holiday Respite as an Interior Design Business Owner

It’s so close, yet feels so far away. The holiday break you desperately need is just around the corner, but your to-do list seems to be growing longer by the second. Don’t let pre-holiday stress psych you out before your well-deserved break. Instead, let me help you create a successful time-off strategy.

My goal today is to give you actionable steps you can take right now to help ensure your holiday time off is successful, and you’re able to achieve the silent nights you need to bring you back fully refreshed in the new year. Keep reading for three ways to achieve a successful holiday respite… starting now, GO!

Give Your Clients a Fair Warning

And by “fair warning”, I mean give them more notice than you think they need, and then some. Make sure you deliver the news clearly and make room for lots of reminders. This is one of those situations where you can’t deliver the message enough. 

There’s a good chance your clients anticipate you might take some time off during the holidays, but you need to make sure that message is loud and clear. Here’s my official time off strategy for delivering the news:

Use a Fun Holiday Card to Soften the Blow

Start getting the message out as soon as you have an idea of your closing date. But don't make it sound like a corporate memo, because nothing makes people ignore a message more than a stuffy email with zero personalization. Instead, use your holiday card or email to relay the dates that you’ll be out of office.

Keep it light, fun, and oh-so-festive. Start by wishing them a jolly holiday season! After all, who doesn't love a warm, heartfelt greeting? It humanizes you (and your team) and gets your clients excited for your break. Time off strategy success, achieved!

Leave an Emergency Contact

You know Murphy's Law, right? Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. So, just in case, let your clients know how to reach you in case of a real holiday emergency. Do you prefer texts since you'll be busy decorating gingerbread houses? Specify your preferred mode of communication, and make it clear what constitutes a true design SOS- swapping out artwork, not an emergency. Plumbing disaster? Definitely an emergency. 

Mark Your Calendar 

Nobody wants to be left hanging in suspense, wondering when their favorite design guru will be back in action. Tell your clients the exact date you'll return, so they can eagerly count down the days. It's like the ultimate holiday advent calendar! And an essential part to this time off strategy. 

Start Spreading the News

There are so many different ways we can communicate that we're going to be unavailable. Truly, there’s no excuse for clients to not know that you’re taking time off, some will of course push those boundaries, but you’ll be prepared. 

Here’s a list of all the client touchpoints I update to ensure my time off is out there for everyone to know:

Write Catchy Holiday Email Auto-Responder 

Start with an auto-responder headline that grabs your client's attention and sets the holiday vibe. How about something like "Hanging Mistletoe, Not My Mouse – Back on [Your Return Date]"? See what we did there? It's fun, festive, and informative!

Don’t leave clients guessing when you'll be back in office, leaving a trail of beautiful designs. Include your return date prominently in the email heading and within the body. Clarity is key! Make sure to leave your return date loud and proud in your email copy. Bonus points if you can work it in twice!

Quick Links for Easy Navigation 

One of the keys to getting uninterrupted time off is to supply your clients with the information they need, or might need, without having to contact you. Make it super easy for your clients and potential clients to stay connected:

• Interested in working together? Provide a link to your scheduler. Ensure that your availability (internally) is set to your return date. Let them know you'll be ready to rock and roll after the holidays!
• Subscribe to Your Newsletter: Encourage them to stay in the loop by subscribing to your newsletter. Who knows, they might find some fabulous design tips and inspiration in their inbox!
• Follow You on Social Media: Share your social media handles and invite them to join the fun on your platforms. You'll keep them engaged with all things design even when you're sipping hot cocoa.
• Get Your Download: If you've got a special holiday treat, like a downloadable design guide or a festive wallpaper, let them know where to snag it!

The "All Other Inquiries" Note

Finally, and this is important, give a heads-up to those who might have inquiries that can wait until the holiday rush is over. Kindly let them know that for all other inquiries, they'll need to reconnect with you after the holiday season. This ensures you won't spend your days trying to respond to emails that could be held off.

Update Other Client Touchpoints

In addition to your email, there are likely several other places clients can reach you. This is just one of the joys of working in this day in age- clients have an incredible range of accessibility. Closing off all the loopholes and updating all client touchpoints to reflect your holiday time off will help clients know your intentions and give you the peace of mind that you truly are out of office.

I kept a list of all the client touchpoints I update:

• Update your availability in your scheduling tool (i.e. Acuity, Dubsado, Schedulicity, etc.) Pro-tip: Do this at the beginning of the year for all of the dates that you plan to take off.
• Closed Dates in your email signature, not just your auto-responder. At least 1 week before your departure, add a note in your signature line that alerts others to your upcoming holiday time off.  Best to do this after you have sent an individual email to your clients.
• Update your voicemail- if you often get phone calls related to work, change your voicemail. Notify callers that you are out of the office when you will be back, and what their next step should be.
• Pause your inbox -  Don't let pesky notifications ruin your holiday by enticing you into working. If you are a Google Chrome user you can pause new emails from showing up.I do this so that if I do need to work on some things, I can refer to my inbox without the stress of seeing new emails (that almost 100% of the time can wait).

Plan for Your Return

Sure, the last thing you want to think about is your return to the office. But dedicating time to planning this will actually be a game changer. 

Give yourself a day to get caught up before your public return - Schedule a day or two to slowly get back to work before you are expected to communicate with clients.  For example, if you plan to be back at the desk on January 4th - Tell your clients you'll be returning on the 5th or 6th to give you a chance to get organized and focused.

Upon your return, give your clients a quick phone call- Touch base with them, ask about their holiday and simply connect with your voice. This very small step helps clients feel supported and excited to resume the project.

Final Thoughts

And that, babes, is how I very strategically let my clients know that I’ll be unavailable for the holidays. I will admit, this was a challenge in the beginning, when I was nervous to be the boss. But the more you do it, the easier it gets. And by now you probably realize, being a boss is kind of magical. These are all things I do to ensure my holiday break is spent with my family, and I’m actually getting the respite I need. 

When you return from your holiday break fully refreshed and ready to take your business ownership to an entirely new level, I’m here for you! From fabrics to finances, I’ll coach you through the business side of running a thriving, profitable interior design business (without boring you to tears — and that’s a promise). Join me in the Interior Design Business Bakery in 2024!