Holiday Party Picture Changing for Many of the Nation’s Businesses

While the economy is beginning to show signs of possible recovery, many companies will remain cautious when it comes to spending.  Evidence of this continued frugality is seen in recent research  showing that fewer businesses are planning holiday parties this year and, among those that are, nearly one in three is budgeting less for the event.

In its annual survey on holiday parties, global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. found that 62 percent of companies are planning holiday parties this year, down from 77 percent a year ago.  In 2007, 90 percent of companies surveyed were planning holiday parties.

Further evidence of the recession’s impact on employers is seen in the fact that 10 percent of the companies surveyed held a holiday party last but are canceling them this year due to cost-cutting.  In 2008, about seven percent of companies that previously had parties canceled their plans.

 “The strength of the recovery, or whether we are even in recovery, is still unclear.  Companies are postponing major investments, hiring initiatives, and many other expenses, including holiday parties.  For companies that have recently announced layoffs or other significant cost-cutting measures, such as wage freezes, it would be difficult to justify, let alone get in the mood for a holiday party,” said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Companies that are planning holiday parties, the most popular theme is likely to be low profile, low budget.  About 64 percent of companies are spending the same as last year and 28.5 percent are spending less – 10 percent to 20 percent less, on average – than they did a year ago.

More than half of the employers holding parties are reportedly having it on a workday or near the end of a workday (57 percent), while nearly two-thirds are inviting employees only (65 percent).  Fifty-six percent are using a caterer or outside service compared to 69 percent last year.

Despite this year’s focus on cost-containment, 70 percent of companies still plan to hold their functions at an offsite venue and 57 percent are planning to serve alcohol.  However, only 36 percent of companies are using a caterer, event planner or other outside service, suggesting that more employers may be organizing smaller, departmental potluck events, in which attendees are asked to bring food and beverages.   

Retailers & Owners Try Social Media Marketing

Preparing for a challenging holiday shopping season, online retailers are among the business owners working to build their social media marketing to connect with consumers. The National Retail Federation Shop.org's eHoliday Study shows more than 47 percent of online retailers polled said they will be increasing their use of social media this holiday season, with an understanding that shoppers use Facebook and Twitter regularly and that those tools are more cost effective. These retailers are not alone, small business owners and entrepreneurs are reaching millions of people with their business brand in 140 characters or less: Twitter!  According to recent research from eMarketer, there will soon be about 18 million U.S. adults who access Twitter monthly. Usage is expected to reach 26 million U.S. adults in 2010.   An exclusive interview with one of Twitter’s co-founders provides small business owners with tips in this video.

Free shipping from online retailers will abound this year, said the NRF, as more than 79 percent will offer free shipping with conditions at some point this season and more than 57 percent will offer it without conditions. Nearly 46 percent of those polled expect holiday sales to increase by at least 15 percent over last year, while nearly 34 percent expect to grow up to 14 percent

More than 56% of marketers plan to incorporate social media into their businesses next year, according to the Center for Media Research.  Many savvy business owners and entrepreneurs in the SBTV.com community already seeing amazing results and we’ve got their stories!

SBTV.com is constantly developing social media resources to help small business owners and self-employed professionals stay ahead of the competition including this video case study of successful small social media entrepreneurs!  

Tips for Business Moves and Downsizing

Many business owners are renegotiating leases or downsizing to reduce costs. But moving a business or consolidating into a smaller or shared business space can mean expensive business disruptions.

Jon Katz, Vice President of FlatRate Moving and Storage offers SBTV.com viewers some tips and techniques to keep a move from impacting the bottom line.

1.       Look before you move: Whether moving to a completely new office, or just downsizing a current office, it is important to look around before you begin to move. Get familiar with the new location; see where things will fit and where things won’t fit. If they are available, distribute floor plans so that people can see the floor layout and orient themselves better during the move.

2.       Appoint a leader: Have someone oversee the move from the beginning to the end. This person should have a list of all the items and people moving. Having one person in charge will ensure an organized procedure. However, it is vital that this one person be the beacon of all information. The leader must make sure to maintain effective communication with everyone in the company in order for everything to run smoothly and effectively.

3.       Move in sections: Rather than having every sector of the company up and moving all at the same time, move employers in sections. This is especially helpful when downsizing. Whether it be by departments, or by cubicle locations, once one section is finished moving, start moving the next section. This will keep the company productive as there will always be somebody working.

4.       Back it up: Before even beginning to move, it is vital that you back up all of your work on your computer. There’s nothing worse than to relocate to your new location only to find out that all of your saved files and software are gone. Having to reinstall all the software takes up too much time, and loosing vital files is a detriment to productivity. Also be sure to have IT on hand for flawless transition of computers, servers and phones.

5.       Label in detail: Whatever is being moved needs to be labeled in detail. If a piece of furniture is being discarded or left behind, label it as “Do Not Move”. If a bookshelf needs to go into the conference room, label its new location directly on the piece of furniture itself. Each desk needs 3 file boxes on average, so be sure to provide these to employees for well labeled personal items. Unclear labeling can cause confusion and henceforth take up valuable time spent working.

6.       Cost overruns:  Budgeting is key, especially in this recession.  When budgeting for a move, be sure to account for changes that oftentimes go overlooked such as the number of movers on hand, the materials needed for the move and the time that the move itself is expected to take. Oftentimes, inadequate budgeting can result in double the expected cost, so fine-tune the planning and guarantee the cost in writing ahead of time so what there are no hidden surprises at the end of the process.

7.       Have Plenty of Help: If time is especially of the essence for your office, consider hiring extra hands to execute the move without interfering with office productivity.