For many business owners, December and January can feel like standing at a crossroads.
Some industries – construction, manufacturing, professional services – slow to a halt. Others – retail, hospitality, tourism – hit overdrive.
No matter which camp you fall into, the holiday season tests your leadership. You’re balancing staff leave, client expectations, and cashflow pressures, all while trying to wrap up the year on a high.
But here’s the truth: the summer period doesn’t have to be a threat to your business; it can be your biggest opportunity.
Those who plan, manage risk, and think strategically will enter 2026 with momentum, not fatigue.
At AS Advisory, we work with business owners every year who face the same end-of-year challenges, and help them turn the downtime (or chaos) into an advantage. Here’s how.
1. Cashflow: Protect Your Oxygen
When revenue slows, cash flow becomes the lifeblood of your business.
Too often, businesses wait until December to realise that debtors have gone quiet, staff bonuses are due, and the bank balance is thinner than expected.
Now is the time to act.
- Get ahead of collections. Bring accounts receivable up to date before the break – not after.
- Plan your spending. Trim non-essential costs and hold extra cash in your bank.
- Be proactive, not reactive. You can’t control when clients pay, but you can control how ready you are.
Cashflow planning isn’t just about surviving the holidays; it’s about positioning yourself for the first quarter when growth opportunities re-emerge.
2. Stock: Balance Confidence with Caution
For product-based businesses, stock management can make or break the summer period.
Too little and you risk disappointing customers; too much and you tie up precious cash.
Start now:
- Forecast demand accurately. Talk to suppliers and review last year’s data.
- Clear old stock early. Turn dusty inventory into cash with strategic pre-Christmas sales.
- Be decisive. Every pallet sitting in storage is money that could be working harder elsewhere.
Strong operators don’t just manage stock; they manage liquidity.
3. Staffing: Plan Your People, Protect Your Culture
The summer break puts pressure on people management. For some, it’s about ensuring coverage while staff take leave. For others, it’s about finding enough hands to meet seasonal demand.
- If you’re slowing down: Encourage annual leave to reduce accruals and give your team time to recharge.
- If you’re ramping up: Secure casuals and contractors now. Don’t leave recruitment to mid-December when the talent pool dries up.
- Document it. A clear roster avoids confusion and builds trust across your team.
Smart leaders see staffing not as a seasonal headache, but as a chance to reinforce culture, clarity, and care.
4. Use the Downtime to Build Strategic Depth
For many businesses, January offers rare breathing space, the perfect time to step back and think strategically.
Use it wisely:
- Reflect and reset. What worked this year? What didn’t? Conduct a quick SWOT analysis.
- Plan for 2026. Define your goals, allocate resources, and identify capability gaps.
- Declutter your operations. Tidy your systems, automate manual tasks, and review where AI or software could reduce admin load.
- Create a 90-day plan. Don’t wait for momentum to find you – build it deliberately.
Downtime isn’t dead time. It’s where the best business ideas take root.
5. Don’t Forget to Recharge
Leadership takes energy. And you can’t make strong decisions if you’re running on empty.
Taking a genuine break (even just a week) gives you perspective. It helps you return with fresh eyes and renewed clarity for what matters most.
It’s not about switching off from your business; it’s about switching on to yourself.
Turning the Holidays into a Strategic Advantage
The difference between businesses that drift through summer and those that surge into the new year is preparation.
At AS Advisory, we help business owners build that preparation into a plan – one that strengthens cash flow, improves resilience, and sets clear goals for the year ahead.
If you’d like help reviewing your year, managing risk, or designing your 2026 strategy, we’re here to guide you.
Let’s turn your summer downtime into your 2026 advantage.
Book a Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/andrew-asadvisory