The wintertime isn’t all that bad. Now, it’s true that this is (literally) the darkest time of year marked by heavy snowfall and consistently chilly temperatures drawing us to the warmth and comfort of indoors. Fortunately, we have the holiday season to keep our spirits jolly and joyous during November, December and the turn of January, but the lack of natural sunlight can and will wear down your mental health. What does this mean to you as the owner or proprietor of a small business? Well, if you sell winter-related gear, this time of year probably means that you’re enjoying a generous stream of revenue, but for the rest of us, working the post-holiday-business-spike winter blues can be a bit discouraging. That’s why your friendly working capital lenders here at The Commercial Finance Group are going to extensively touch on this matter in today’s blog post.
Invoice Factoring Financing To Help Your Business Get Through The Winter
Whether it’s the drop in business after the holiday season, the chilly temperatures keeping would-be customers at bay or you just wish that you were skiing instead of working, it’s no secret that the wintertime can take a toll on people. Our factoring company in Atlanta and Burbank can help keep things moving through small business financial services like invoice factoring, factored accounts receivable, and a line of credit for business. Whatever your small business financing needs are, The Commercial Finance Group provides funding solutions tailored to your business’ needs. Learn more about factoring invoices today, and read on about helpful ways to show winter who’s boss and prove that your company will thrive during these freezing times.
Leave The Office At Least Once a Day
A stressed or flat-out seasonally-depressed business owner makes for a poor leader, leading to inadequate productivity and an unmotivated team of employees. Don’t let winter bring you and your team down; combat winter’s cabin fever side effects by venturing outside the office space at least once a day. Now, whether this means taking a short elevator ride to the ground floor or actually bundling up to go for a short walk outside is completely up to you. Just know that it’s easy to stay inside and at your desk when the weather isn’t particularly distracting and that it’s extremely important to move around to change your immediate environment. Not only is this beneficial on a physical level, but leaving the office by going for a short walk will also refresh your mind. Trust us, returning to your desk with a renewed sense of motivation and focus will make a world of difference.
Incorporate Fun Winter Activities
If we haven’t beaten the point to death already, long winter days can be dreary. While we know that this is work that we’re talking about, having something for you and your employees to look forward to at the office is key to promoting motivation and happiness in the workplace. Even if your activity is just making some mid-afternoon-pick-me-up hot cocoa for your hard-working team, the simplest of things can go a really long way to boost and promote company morale. Hint: People love snacks.
Plan a Winter Retreat
Depending on the size of your team and your given budget, take those afternoon winter activities a step further and set the date for an informal company outing of sorts. Though the name “retreat” tends to make people think of a full-on summer camp or some other extended travel experience, a company retreat can be something simple. From taking a half-day to visit an escape room (an excellent way to foster employee camaraderie and teambuilding skills) to bundling up and going sledding for the rest of the day, it’s important to let yourself and your team know that there’s more to work than…well, work. Besides, a well-balanced, healthy workforce is bound to be more productive anyway.
Provide Healthy Snack Foods
All too often, the holiday season gives people the green light to overindulge in the food department, leading to low energy levels and even lower productivity. Combined with adequate rest, eating healthy is conducive to being a good employee, so why not make it a little easier for your team to get the nutrition they deserve? We understand that your responsibility as the boss does not involve parenting your employees, but a happy, healthy team means that your company will get more done, especially in the long-run. Do you, your team and your company a favor by consistently stocking healthy food in the office fridge. When half your team isn’t calling in sick during the depths of winter, you’ll thank yourself for providing healthy food.
Get a Light Box
Light boxes are a great way to simulate the sun’s natural Vitamin-D-packed rays and are bound to markedly improved your team’s overall wellness in the office. Indeed, light therapy has been reported to work in some 80 percent of cases involving SAD, an appropriate acronym for “Seasonal Affective Disorder.” Depending on the size of your office or work area, you might want to consider investing in multiple light boxes. Whether it’s just a potent placebo effect or something more definitive at play, carefully placing a light box or multiple light boxes around the workplace is bound to have a positive effect on you and your employees.
Encourage Your Team To Stay Active
We’re no fans of the “dreadmill” either, but there’s no doubt that exercise is good for people, especially during the darker and colder times of the year. In fact, exercise, in general, is a great way to mentally decompress after a long day at work, and even acts as a refreshing break in the middle of the business day. Really, we know that it’s tempting to hit the kitchen when there are so many delicious holiday leftovers to be consumed, but physical exercise is a tried-and-true depression buster. Happy employees are productive employees, so use this tidbit to your (and their) advantage!
Offer Remote Work Agreements, If Possible
The growing presence of tech companies is opening up more opportunities to work from home. Something like a massive blizzard or dangerous driving conditions will draw your employees to stay inside, but the brilliance of working from home is that….they can work from home. Well, at least they can have the option to work from home as opposed to using paid time off.
Cure Your Winter Funding Blues With The Commercial Finance Group
Winter can be a tough time of year, but it doesn’t have to be hard on your small business. With ample invoice factoring solutions and other working capital solutions available in Atlanta and Burbank, our invoice factoring company can tailor the right funding solutions to your business. Curious? Learn more by getting in touch with our small business lenders today.
