The holiday season is usually a busy and potentially profitable time for the franchising industry and with the peak holiday season fast approaching, businesses should prepare themselves for the absence of staff in the forthcoming summer months.

Morné Cronjé, Head of FNB Franchising says, “Adequate plans need to be put in place so that profitability is not lost and staff morale stays high. The upcoming school holidays and potentially good weather, lead many people to take their time off during the summer months. Holiday periods can be disruptive, but franchisees cannot allow themselves to miss delivery deadlines or compromise customer service because of inadequate preparation and staff scheduling. This can have a negative effect on businesses, especially during the current economic conditions we find ourselves in.”

Cronjé says there are a number of steps that can be taken to make sure franchisees and franchisors are ready for the holiday season.

Plan in advance 
Make sure you have clear procedures in place for booking annual leave and ensuring that everyone is aware of the process. Have a calendar visible so people can check for clashes before they submit their annual leave request, and ensure that you keep a record of annual leave. Try to be as fair as possible when granting leave.

Know your busy months 
Different industries may have different busy times of the year, which could lead to fluctuations in workload.  Staff expectations need to be managed adequately so that a business can run smoothly throughout the year.

Keep staff motivated and productive
Keeping morale and productivity high during the holiday season can be tough. The pull of family and holiday shopping can cause workers to be distracted, or lose interest. Having to be at work while coworkers are on holiday can also be discouraging. Motivate staff with an end of year incentives or employee awards evening to say thank you for good work done during the year.

Employ temporary employees
It may be the case that your current staff will not be able to handle the holiday season rush.  If this is the case, you will need to hire temporary employees to cover the holiday rush or to make up for absences of regular staff members. FNB makes it easier to pay temporary staff with eWallet Pro*

Use quiet times to benefit your business
If the holiday period is a quiet time for your business, take the opportunity to implement measures that will help in the long term, such as reviewing your business plan, undertaking maintenance work or taking measures to improve customer experiences.