It’s the most December month of the year, tring-tring-tring-tring. December is more than just Christmas and New Year’s Eve, though it may feel that everything is themed around Christmas and finishing off 2023.
What a year it has been? So many things have happened and continue to happen, though there will always be hope. Hope that 2024 will be a better year, although we seem to keep saying that don’t we?!
I hope it’s a really good year for us small businesses, but let’s not forget Small Business Saturday on the 2nd December. Try and shop small and local where you can.
December is a time for traditions and many of them are lots of fun for good causes. Save The Children’s Christmas Jumper Day will be for putting on the best seasonal outfit. It returns 07/12/2023. Bowel Cancer returns with Decembeard, an excellent way to recover from Movember.
We all have our traditions and here is one of mine. Get your content organised and make sure you take a well earned break in over the festive period. If you’d like a helping hand remember my 15 minute spotlight calls are free. December and New Year may or may not be busy for your businesses, but it is important to keep posting consistent content. Make sure you post once every 72 hours, remember lots of people are off over Twixmas so you have the chance to reach new audiences.
Business remains hard for small and local businesses, though there will always be opportunities to help other businesses. You don’t need to spend money with a small business to support them, you can:
- Like, share, comment on their social media
- Tell your friends about SMEs
- Give them moral support
- Leave a review, like someone else’s review
- Don’t ask for ‘mate’s rates’ or free stuff
You can support others throughout the year, boosting others is not just for Christmas.
Following on from the remembrances in November, there are awareness days throughout December. World AIDS Day is 01/12/2023, 02/12/2023 is International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, International Day of Persons with Disabilities will be 03/12/2023, Human Rights Day is 10/12/2023, International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers will be 16/12/2023, International Migrants Day is 18/12/2023, on 20/12/2023 will be International Human Solidarity Day.
Levels of volunteering have taken a hit since the start of Covid-19 in 2020. While there is enthusiasm for volunteering in the populace, organisations need to be more active in demonstrating the value gained personally and in the community of volunteering. On 05/12/2023 is International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development.
Winter Solstice will be 22/12/2023. This is the first day of Winter. The days will be getting longer from this point, though it will be cold.
Other awareness days:
- First Sunday of Advent (Christian) will be 03/12/2023
- World Soil Day keeps us all grounded on 05/12/2023
- Illumination Street Week will hopefully return on 04/12/2023 though its website not updated for 2023 yet
- International Civil Aviation Day takes off on 07/12/2023
- Hanukkah (Jewish, first day) will be 08/12/2023
- International Anti-Corruption Day will be 09/12/2023
- Sweden celebrates Alfred Nobel Day on 10/12/2023
- International Tea Day is 15/12/2023
- 16/12/2023 is South Africa Day of Reconciliation
- Christmas Day (Christian) is 25/12/2023
- Boxing Day is 26/12/2023
- New Year’s Eve/Hogmanay is 31/12/2023