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BUSINESS AND TRAINING
Is your business ready for you to take a holiday?
By
Craig Lourens: ActionCOACH, Business Coach Ten things to put in place before you switch off.
December is just around the corner, and for many South African business owners, those words create two completely different emotions.
“ I desperately need a holiday!” And …“ How on earth am I going to leave the business?”
The holiday season should be a time for one to relax, spend time with family and come back prepared for the new year. But many plumbing business owners can’ t relax in December.
Customers still call. Emergencies still happen. Staff want leave. Suppliers close. Debtors disappear on holiday. Cash flow is squeezed. And the business owner ends up answering WhatsApp from the beach.
The good news is that a little planning in November can make December a whole lot easier.
Here are my ten tips for finishing the year strong and having a happier holiday.
1. Decide what‘ closed’ actually means Are you closing completely? Running a skeleton team? Offering emergency callouts? Or operating normally except for public holidays?
Don ' t leave this until 20 December to decide – determine now how the business will operate over the festive season, who will be working, who will be on standby and who has authority to make decisions.
Clarity now prevents chaos later.
2. Get your staff leave sorted Nothing creates December frustration faster than discovering everyone wants the same three weeks off.
Confirm leave dates early and make sure you have adequate coverage for customers, emergency work and administration.
If somebody is responsible for the business while you are away, make sure they know it, and are properly prepared for it.
3. Communicate with your customers Don ' t make your customers guess whether you ' re open.
Tell them your festive season operating hours, closing dates, emergency contact details and reopening date. Use WhatsApp, email, social media, invoices and even your email signature.
And here ' s an opportunity: contact your important customers personally.
A simple“ Thank you for your support this year” can go a long way towards building loyalty for next year.
4. Chase the money before everyone disappears December cash flow can hurt.
Customers go on holiday. Accounts departments close. Payment runs change. Meanwhile, salaries, bonuses, suppliers and January expenses don ' t disappear.
So don ' t wait until December to start collecting outstanding money. Review your debtors now. Send statements. Follow up overdue accounts. Invoice completed jobs immediately.
5. Check your suppliers Your plumbing business might be open, but what about your suppliers?
Find out when key suppliers close and reopen. Ensure the stock level of your key products are adequate, and make sure you have sensible stock levels.
6. Prepare now for possible December emergencies Burst pipes, blocked drains and geyser problems don ' t check the calendar before happening. Decide how your emergency services, if you offer them, will work.
Who answers the phone? Who is on standby? What qualifies as an emergency? What are your call-out rates? How will jobs be allocated? How will payment be collected?
Build the system before you need it.
7. Do a security check for when you ' re away Before shutting the door, do a quick business security check. Vehicles. Tools. Stock. Premises. Alarm systems. Banking access. Passwords. Data backups. Insurance requirements. You may have significant value tied up in vehicles, equipment and stock. Have an emergency procedure in place in case needed. Check all emergency numbers are correct, and the right members in your team are briefed.
8. Review your year and then plan for next year Before rushing into January planning, spend an hour looking at the year you ' ve just completed.
Ask yourself: What worked? What didn ' t? Is an ABCD customer analysis done? Which jobs made good money? Where did we lose money? Which team members stepped up? What kept going wrong? What should we stop doing next year?
Make sure your plans for next year include your learnings from this year.
9. Prepare for January before you leave January has a nasty habit of arriving too quickly! It would be a mistake to arrive back from holiday and say... now what?
Review your January pipeline before you close. What jobs are already booked? Do any quotations need following up? Are there customers which you should contact? Marketing for January, is it scheduled?
Even better, get those schedules up in December.
10. Permit yourself to switch off This one might be the hardest. When you prepare properly, you can trust the plan. Be mindful that a business that cannot operate for a period without the owner constantly checking their phone isn ' t giving the owner freedom, it ' s employing them.
Put someone responsible in charge. Set clear escalation rules. Decide what really does need your involvement.
Then switch off.
Spend time with the people who are important. Sleep a little later. Braai something. Go to the beach. Read a book. Play with the kids or grandkids. Your business needs an energised owner, not an exhausted one.
Finish strong. Then recharge.
A successful December isn ' t just about squeezing in a few more jobs before Christmas. It ' s about collecting the cash, looking after customers, preparing the team, protecting the business and creating the space to recharge.
So don ' t wait until December to prepare for December. Use November to get organised. Finish the year strong. Enjoy the holiday! PA
Craig Lourens is an ActionCOACH Business Coach who works with business owners and leadership teams to build more profitable, predictable businesses that can grow without everything depending on the owner. He can be contacted on + 27( 0) 79 388 5709.
© Plumbing Africa www. plumbingafrica. co. za @ plumbingonline @ plumbingonline @ PlumbingAfricaOnline November 2026 Volume 32 I Number 09