A Business Family Christmas image

A Business Family Christmas

For most small business-people I know, Christmas and what to do about it elicits a groan of roast turkey-sized proportions. But a mate of mine in Sydney seems to have hit a sweet-spot when it comes to doing something understated, elegant yet significant at Christmas time for loyal employees and suppliers.

Meet Tony Blackie, who’s run PR outfit Blackie McDonald for almost thirty years.  “Christmas can be tricky,” Tony said to me recently. “We want to celebrate and show our appreciation, especially to our employees, but the time it takes to organise an event, and the cost of even a modest function, can be a real pain.”

Blackie McDonald is a small, family-run organisation that made a conscious decision to stay true to its values, both as a business and personally, when it comes to celebrating Christmas. In a nutshell these values are:

  1. Be authentic – If you’re a small business, don’t try to act like a big business at Christmas time. Throwing an expensive party and giving lavish gifts  to clients might actually send the wrong message!
  2. Be inclusive – It takes a village to run a small business and there are lots of people who contribute without ever showing up to the office – like lawyers and accountants, for example. Christmas time is a great time to thank the wider small business family.
  3. Look at it as good marketing – Most small business people resent the fact that they have to spend time and money on Christmas. But like it or not, the kind of Christmas gifts you give and the event you put on, says a lot about you and your business. Why not use it say the right things?

So how did the folks at Blackie McDonald apply these ground-rules to their own Christmas efforts?

For employees and loyal suppliers Tony and his partner in life and the business, Jen, hold a relaxed Christmas dinner at their home. Employees can bring their partners, and suppliers that Blackie McDonald works with all year, usually without clapping eyes on them are also invited.

Christmas 2017 will be the third event Chairman of the Breadboard has catered for Blackie McDonald.

“Kellee’s involvement has taken the panic out of organising our staff Christmas party and helped us keep the costs down while still putting on a lovely celebration.  The food’s pretty good too!” said Tony Blackie.

Tony reckons the best dish on the buffet last year was the king prawn, mango and macadamia salad. It’s one of my favourites too.

Prawn&Mango salad

 

Great people, great food and an atmosphere of warm, collegiate Christmas cheer – what’s not to like?

Yours in good food and great events,

Kellee

Call Kellee _ Shutterstock Call Kellee : 0412 577 323

 

 

Email Kellee pic_Shutterstock Email Kellee : kellee@thebreadboard.com.au

 

 

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