Planning your summer shutdown and the Christmas break

Most of New Zealand slows down from Christmas until mid-January. Offices close, families head to the bach or the beach, and the country takes its long summer break. For a service business that means a rush beforehand, a quiet stretch, and a reopening that sets the tone for the year. A little planning in November makes all three go smoothly.

The rush before Christmas

December fills fast. Clients want a haircut before the work party, a massage before the holidays, a last training session before they head away. Your busiest days will book out weeks ahead, and the clients who leave it late will be disappointed.

Open your December bookings early. BookAndGo lets you set how far ahead clients can book, so if your normal window is a few weeks, consider lengthening it in October or November so your regulars can secure their pre-Christmas spot. A waitlist on your busiest services means the clients who miss out can still get a time if someone cancels.

Decide your closed days and hours early

Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and the day after are public holidays, and BookAndGo can suggest New Zealand public holidays so you can close them in a click. Beyond those, decide which days you are shut, which days you work shorter hours, and when you are back.

Block out the whole days you are closed and set one-off special hours for the days you work but not your usual times. Do it as soon as your plans are firm, because clients will start booking January appointments before Christmas.

If you stay open, make it known

Some businesses do very well over summer precisely because others are closed. A physio near a holiday town, a groomer before families head away, or a beauty therapist in a tourist spot can have a full January. If you are working, make sure your booking page shows the real hours, and let your clients know you are open.

If you have a team, each calendar can have its own working week and days off. That way you can stay open with a smaller crew while others take leave, and clients only see times when someone is actually working.

Reopen strongly

The first weeks of January are when clients set routines for the year. Before you close, send an email to the clients who have ticked to hear from you with your reopening date and a reminder that they can book now. Regulars who book their first appointment of the year before Christmas tend to keep their routine.

Repeat bookings help here too. A client who trains or comes in weekly can book the same time going forward, and their routine carries straight on after the break without them having to think about it.

Look after yourself

Finally, actually take the break. Closing your booking page properly for the days you are away means no surprise bookings and no guilt about checking your inbox on the beach. Clients respect a business that rests, and you will come back sharper for it.

A simple timeline

Early November: decide your closed days and your shorter days, and put them on your calendar. Lengthen how far ahead clients can book if you want them to secure December and early January times.

Late November: email the clients who have ticked to hear from you with your holiday hours and a nudge to book their pre-Christmas appointment. Turn on a waitlist for your busiest services if you have not already.

Mid December: check your booking page shows the right hours for every day through to your reopening. Before you close, send your reopening date and remind regulars they can book their first appointment of the year now.

Back in January: set your booking window back to normal if you lengthened it, and look at which services filled first in December, because that tells you what to make room for next year.