5 Tasks to Delegate Before the Holiday Rush Hits

The holidays are right around the corner, and for small business owners, that usually means long hours, overloaded inboxes, and putting your own business on the back burner just to keep up.

Before you get pulled into the holiday chaos, try these 5 time-saving moves to make the season a little smoother (and less stressful):

1. Batch and schedule your content now

Don’t wait until December 20th to write your holiday promo post. Sit down now and plan your email newsletters, Instagram captions, or blog posts for the season. Use scheduling tools like Meta Business Suite, Later, or Buffer to queue them up.

Bonus tip: Create graphics or templates you can reuse each year for seasonal content, holiday shipping deadlines, order cutoffs, or gift guides.

2. Set up an automated scheduler

If you’re still emailing back and forth to book calls, stop. Tools like Calendly or Acuity can handle the back-and-forth for you. Set availability, time limits, and prep questions, and let it do the rest.

Set your holiday hours now so clients don’t book time you’re planning to spend offline.

3. Write out your holiday FAQs

What do customers ask you every year? “What’s your last day to ship?” “Do you offer gift wrap?” “Can I rush my order?” Write out your answers now and turn them into canned responses you can reuse in DMs, email, or chat.

4. Turn on an autoresponder

Even a simple message like, “Thanks for your message! Due to high volume during the holiday season, response times may take a little longer than usual,” can reduce pressure and manage expectations.

Include links to your FAQ, return policy, or shipping page to help customers help themselves.

5. Make a “must-do” list and stick to it

Not every idea or promotion needs to happen this year. Choose your top 3-5 non-negotiables, like sending your newsletter, finalizing your holiday bundle, or closing the books, and commit to finishing those first.