Illustration of business in the winter

Liven Up Your Business in the Winter

Winter can be rough on any business and its workers.  All of us fall victim to ‘wintery blues.”  The days are too short, the sky is too gray and everyone runs on leftover holiday cookies… and desperation. The good news is that there are ways to chase away those gloomy office vibes and refresh everyone’s perspective.  As a result, you will liven up your business in the winter.

Liven it up!

1. Surprise Your Employees.

Every so often, do something different than you normally would. One idea would be to bring in a ping-pong table for employee breaks. Or have a potluck lunch, play music throughout the office, or have a themed costume day.  These things are especially important at the beginning of the year when everyone suffers from post-holidays blues and enthusiasm is low.

2. Celebrate even the minor holidays.

Office walls get so bland and boring to look at that it’s almost painful. Decorate for every holiday (even if it’s on a budget).   Almost every month has a holiday or special occasion.  In January, there’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and the lead-in to Super Bowl Sunday at the beginning of February.   February not only gives us the Super Bowl, but it also gives us Valentine’s Day.  In March, there is St. Patrick’s Day and then the first day of spring.  April brings Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday and Passover.  May brings Mother’s Day and Memorial Day, which marks the unofficial start of summer. Before you know it, it’s summer, and the year is almost half over!    Which brings us to another great point:  summer is the perfect time for company outings in parks and at the beach.

There are other fun “holidays” too — like National Cotton Candy Day in December, National Clean Your Desk Day in January and National Bring Your Daughter to Work Day in April. Especially in the cold months at the start of the year, everyone needs something to celebrate. As a result, you will liven up your business in the winter.

The best way to keep track of holidays and special occasions is to plot them in an appointment scheduler.  EZnet Scheduler, a top-rated online appointment scheduling software, can keep everything organized for you.

EZnet Scheduler screen shots
EZnet Scheduler is accessible on all devices, Windows/Android or Apple.

3. Offer “work from home” days.

The opportunity to work from home give your employees the ability to be more relaxed.  Moreover, it will also increase productivity because they will be working from their own, personal comfort zone.

4. Plan fun team-building activities.

There are dozens of ways you can build team bonds and have fun at the same time. Avoid all of the boring lectures!  Instead, pick a place and get everyone out of their doldrums. The winter months are a perfect time for a motivational refresher.  It will keep your business rolling until the warmer months arrive, when spirits naturally tend to lift. It’s important to check in on your teammates’ mental health, as well, so make sure you set time aside to speak with them individually.