There are many great businessmen that you may look up to, including Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Elon Musk. However, there’s one important name that you’re probably forgetting. You’ve guessed it – the one and only Santa Claus who runs one of the most successful businesses in the world..
Santa knows how to be a great entrepreneur and there is a thing or two you and your business can learn from him. Let’s have a look:
Santa has made a career out of his passion
You’ve probably heard the saying “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life”
Santa is a great example for this – he loves hand-crafting toys for kids, so he’s made a career out of it. He’s been doing this for decades now without getting tired of it, all because he loves bringing joy and happiness to children.
Doing what you love means that you are genuinely passionate about your work, you don’t lose motivation for it and you are self-driven to reach your goals. Take that away and your business becomes a burden..
He understands the importance of customer loyalty
Mr. Claus has one of the biggest markets in the world – in fact, he’s got around 2.2 billion potential customers. And even with a market size that big, he knows that it’s important to appreciate the most loyal of his customers.
Santa has a simple segmentation system – he makes a list of “good” children and the “naughty” ones. The children that have been good all year get special treatment with the best presents and all their wishes coming true.
Your business needs to do this as well. No matter how big or small your clientele is, you should always segment your most loyal customers and show them extra appreciation. Keeping them happy and listening to their needs should be your priority, since your business most likely relies on them.
He listens to his customers
How many complaints have you heard about Santa? None? That’s because he’s an expert when it comes to listening to his customers’ needs and keeping them satisfied.
Santa has a genius system of getting children to write him letters and tell him exactly what they want for Christmas. It’s a really foolproof way of never disappointing his customers.
Lots of businesses could take this approach and listen more to their customers’ needs and wants. Simply asking for feedback can go a long way when trying to find out what your customers like about your products / services and what could be improved.
He works ahead of deadlines
Santa has some great organisational skills that we could all learn from. His workshop is open all year long, working hard to make thousands of handmade toys before the end of the year. Santa’s discipline has allowed him to consistently deliver the products before the Christmas morning for many years now, and he’s never missed a single deadline.
Procrastinating over any business tasks, such as your Self Assessment or VAT returns is never a good idea. So you should take Santa’s example and always do everything in advance. If you’re struggling to meet deadlines, you need to re-think your business management choices..
He doesn’t let stress get to him
There is no doubt that Santa has the most stressful job in the world. Imagine trying to deliver nearly 100 million gifts across 122 million miles in just 24 hours… And we thought our jobs were stressful..
If Mr. Claus let the stress of the holiday season get to him, he would never be able to deliver all the toys on time and run such a successful business. Instead, he stays calm and looks after his and his team’s mental wellbeing. And, well, eats a lot of biscuits… We’re not judging!
The holiday season can be an extremely stressful time for many businesses, so keeping your mental health intact is vital. There are plenty of mental wellbeing practices that you and your team could make use.
He takes breaks
Santa is definitely a workaholic, but even he knows that an occasional break from work is essential. So, don’t be surprised if you see him at the beach slurping on cocktails right after the holiday season.
Many business owners could follow his example and take a break from time to time. Again, having some downtime is necessary for your mental well-being – it helps you recharge and come back to work with even more passion and motivation.
Santa has a solid team behind him
Santa Claus doesn’t just do all the work on his own – he has a team of skilled and experienced workers helping him out. He’s got his elves that are responsible for the production of the toys and the reindeer who help him with deliveries.
Being the smart business owner that he is, Mr. Claus picked the most suitable team for his company who work in an efficient and productive way as well as all love their jobs. Besides, Santa doesn’t forget to show his team appreciation and treat them well.
Your team is the backbone of your business – making sure you hire the right people will make a world of difference. Happy and engaged employees will improve your company’s overall productivity and efficiency.
Final word
If you need inspiration from a successful business owner, you don’t have to look far.. Mr Santa Claus is a great example of one and we’ve already learnt a lot from him – we hope you did too.
Happy holidays!
Let us help you…
We’d like to see your business become as successful and efficient as Santa’s workshop in the North Pole.. If that’s your goal too, let us help!
Here at ASfB, we specialise in helping businesses of all sizes reach their most ambitious growth objectives and become a smarter, more efficient business.
We can provide you with full business support, including handling your accounting and payroll function, so you can focus on your business.
Our experienced team will also give you expert advice on important business decisions and help you better understand your numbers.
Just like Santa, we love what we do and we’ve been doing it since 2002..
To get in touch, call our friendly team on 01202 755600 or email to hello@asfb.co.uk.