What does December mean…? Party season, of course – and Christmas networking! Are you ready to rock a festive frock or tinsel tie?
‘Tis the season! And with it comes a jam-packed calendar, for both work and play, as well as Christmas networking. As everyone rushes to get everything done before clocking off early for Christmas, evenings and weekends are full of festivities, too!
You might have your team Christmas party, a wider office get-together, or even a company-wide shindig if your business is split over different sites. You then might have a few other events with different pockets of friends, and we can’t forget the family now, can we!
Can you not get enough of Christmas and embrace every opportunity to celebrate? Or can you only handle so many parties before you can’t stand to see another mince pie or cheese straw?
Whatever your opinion of Christmas, there are some who don’t usually get the opportunity to go to a festive soiree at all, like the lone rangers among us. And there are those of us in small (but mighty) businesses, who only have a handful of team members to round up for a get-together! That’s why we’ve put together a Christmas party guide for small groups, and we even have a solution for one-person teams, too…
Stay simple and make it fun for everyone
If you only have a few people to please, keep it simple so it’s something that everyone will enjoy. If Sandra the Customer Service Manager doesn’t fancy an axe-throwing session, then do something else – as if a quarter of your workforce won’t come along, is it really worth it?
Keep it cheap – or free!
If you can afford to, paying for your team to have a free meal, drinks or activity on the business really helps to boost morale and will help you to start a new year on a high – and a happy team generally means a happy boss! If paying for everyone isn’t on the cards, keep it as cheap as possible, as people may not be happy forking out a lot of money for themselves doing something they haven’t necessarily chosen to do, especially with inflation and the cost-of-living crisis. Try to keep it positive!
Make the most of what’s around you
If you’re struggling to think of ideas, you can’t go far wrong booking a table at a good local restaurant that makes tasty food and has a great atmosphere. You can even go somewhere for a drink before or after as well! If your local town or city has a Christmas market, that’s a ready-made festive setting to make the most of. Or if you fancy incorporating some kind of team-building exercise, how about an escape room (the one here in Stratford-upon-Avon's great!) or crazy golf to encourage a bit of healthy competition? If you’re not confident deciding on everyone’s behalf, send out a poll with a few suggestions, and get your team to vote for their favourite option!
Most of all, have fun!
Try to make your festive gathering light-hearted, friendly and fun. Keep conversation completely off work, and just enjoy spending time together as a team!
Don’t have a team? Not to worry! There’s still a way you can have a party…
You CAN have a work ‘do’ if you work on your own, with Christmas networking!
If you’re a one-(wo)man band, then all is not lost! If there’s one thing we know here at DARWIN.vip, it’s about the value of networking – and Christmas is no different. Networking groups usually have Christmas parties, so you can get in on the action and celebrate the festive season with a group of likeminded, ambitious business owners! What’s not to like?
If you’re already part of a networking group, then great – see what they’ve got planned this December in the way of events. If you’re not part of a group at the moment then don’t panic, as many groups throw Christmas networking events that include guests, so you can still go along and have some fun. And who knows, you may build some new relationships with some great people!
Have a brilliant Christmas, enjoy however many parties you end up going to, and make your New Year’s resolution about you and your networking success!