Festive Planning - Working Parents & Top Tips for Busy Business Owners

Interactive VA Ltd • 14 December 2023

Festive Planning - Working Parents & Top Tips for Busy Business Owners

Why is it that we always tend to struggle with the build up to Christmas and yet it is the same date EVERY YEAR! Why do we not always plan for it?

The Christmas holidays can be hit and miss for certain businesses - some can be very quiet, eerily even. Whilst others ramp up activity and can be super busy, especially those in retail! Juggling work commitments and entertaining the children, especially young ones, can be challenging over the festive period. Read our top tips below on how best to manage this:

Look ahead

We all know when the holidays are - look ahead and plan for it! If you have trading history, how did you manage it last year? What worked well, what didn't? Can you repeat the same successes this year? Also sync your school calendar to your personal and business calendars so that you know when the children go back to school (those dreaded inset days crop up all the time!)

Diary management

To ensure you can be the best parent and best business owner, organise holiday clubs, sleepovers, play dates –this festive time of year it is all about family - so lean on them! Then block out time in the early AM and late afternoon PM to work – this leaves the middle of the day to be with your family on those days where you don’t have anything pre-booked for the children – this is what works best for the mums on our team. But please do tell us what currently works for you? We’d love to know.

Delegate

Consider who will be working over the festive period and start to delegate to the team. If the team are international, remember that their holiday period may differ to yours slightly. Be sure to respect boundaries at this time of year also. If you don't have a team to delegate to, then plan, plan, plan to help you maintain focus and clarity. You can always reach out to us as well, we'd love to help!

Communicate

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it has reminded us that we all have lives outside of the office. Why should you have to hide your family commitments from your work colleagues or clients. If they don’t understand this then perhaps it isn’t the best fit or the best dynamic. Explain to your children, that you need to work (if they’re old enough to understand) and you’ll be with them after. This also teaches them patience, a great skill to have! Finally, explain to your colleagues that any background noise they may hear during a call is your children, and this will take the pressure off you to not always appear to be “perfect”. And remind yourself, being a parent is the hardest but most rewarding job in the world. Period.

Ask for Help

We are never too old to ask for support and yet we don’t often take advantage of this. Liaise with friends and family and if this isn’t an option, then outsource to your VA or OBM at Interactive VA Ltd – people outsource their domestic duties so why not outsource for your business. You will see that it is money well spent!

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How to future-proof your business in a digital world driven by AI

by Sophie Ryan • 26 February 2026

The real question we should be asking ourselves is: ARE YOU BUILDING THE 30% THAT AI CAN’T? This is where judgement, influence, reputation, taste and accountability show up. So what does the 30% look like? This is what matters most when we talk about future-proofing your business. We need to start, or continue, to invest in ourselves in order to stay ahead of the game. Personal Branding (PB) This is your reputation, your voice and value, that only you can bring. This makes you more memorable and trusted. Trust is your currency. In short, this is YOU. Intellectual Property (IP) These are your unique ideas, processes, creations and stories. This is your differentiator or your USP. Again, in short, this is YOU. Problem Solving Lean into the what, when, where and why. If this isn't your strength, begin to "learn to learn" to improve your problem solving skills. Remembering that AI is great at given general suggestions, but the context is what people can bring to the table. Solutions We can add that human touch by making issues relatable, we know how to read a room, for example. AI is strong with giving ideas but it can't decipher emotions, reactions and so on. Accountability By adding ownership to deliverables, this becomes invaluable, more so that any bot! Persuasion We build trust, empathy, credibility and reputation - we can tell the stories and close the deals. Use AI to generate the data, but use your influence to grow the business. Combined, these are just some of the ways that you can future-proof yourself and your business. And to remember, that just because AI can do something, it doesn't always mean it is the right thing to do. This is where being human wins hands down!