top of page
shutterstock_710229949_edited.jpg

How to Keep Your Business Running Smoothly While Your Team is Out

Empty office

The holiday season is a time for rest — but for many businesses, it also means lighter staffing, staggered schedules, and an unpredictable workflow. Whether your team is taking vacation, working remotely, or stepping away intermittently, your technology needs to stay reliable and secure.


Here’s how to keep operations smooth (and stress-free) even when your staff is out.



1. Automate What You Can Before People Leave

Automation becomes your best friend when key team members are out of the office.

Smart automations to set up:

  • Email auto-responses with clear points of contact

  • Ticketing automations that route requests to the right person

  • Automatic invoice reminders so billing doesn’t fall behind

  • Backup monitoring alerts to flag issues without manual checks

Small automations prevent small problems from turning into big ones.


2. Confirm Your Critical Systems Are Up-to-Date

Before schedules thin out, make sure essential systems are on the latest versions so you’re not dealing with unexpected downtime.

Check:

  • Operating system and security patches

  • Cloud apps (Microsoft 365, Teams, QuickBooks Online, etc.)

  • Antivirus and endpoint protection

  • Firewall firmware

  • Backup solutions

December is one of the most common months for cyber attacks — so running outdated systems is especially risky.


3. Set Clear Access and Permission Rules

With employees working remotely or swapping shifts, access control becomes crucial.

Make sure:

  • MFA is required for all accounts

  • Former employees or seasonal accounts are removed

  • Temporary permissions have clear expiration dates

  • VPN access is secured and monitored

  • Admin rights are limited and clearly assigned

Defined access keeps your environment clean and your data secure.


4. Ensure Your Backup & Disaster Recovery Plan Is Bulletproof

If something goes wrong during the holidays, you may not have a full team available to respond. That’s why your backup and recovery processes need to be rock solid.

Confirm:

  • Backups are running successfully

  • Restores have been tested recently

  • Your data retention schedule matches compliance requirements

  • You have offsite or cloud-based redundancy

  • A documented recovery plan exists and is accessible

This is one of the highest-value steps you can take.


5. Document Roles, Processes & Points of Contact

Nothing stalls business faster than confusion over “who handles what.”

Before people leave:

  • Ensure all responsibilities are clearly assigned

  • Provide internal escalation paths

  • Share a list of contacts for IT, accounting, HR, and key departments

  • Document critical workflows (billing, onboarding, approvals, etc.)

When everyone knows the plan, operations don’t miss a beat.


6. Prepare Your Tech for Remote Work Surge

Employees often log in from:

  • Airports

  • Hotels

  • Family homes

  • Personal devices

Make sure your remote-work environment is ready.

Check:

  • VPN capacity and reliability

  • MFA enforcement

  • Secure Wi-Fi guidance for employees

  • Cloud app access (Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, etc.)

  • Device encryption for laptops

A seamless remote setup minimizes mid-vacation support calls.


7. Set Up Monitoring for After-Hours Alerts

If you want to avoid holiday surprises, monitoring is essential.

Examples:

  • Server health

  • Network outages

  • Firewall or Wi-Fi issues

  • Backup failures

  • Unauthorized login attempts

With proactive monitoring, most issues are caught before you even know they’re happening.


8. Lean on Your IT Provider During the Slowdown

When your internal team is stretched thin, a managed IT partner can step in to:

  • Cover support gaps

  • Monitor infrastructure

  • Ongoing security management

  • Handle after-hours alerts

  • Assist with end-of-year IT tasks

A strong IT partner ensures business continuity — even when internal staffing is low.


Final Thoughts

Your team deserves time away during the holidays, but your business still needs to run smoothly. With the right planning, automation, and IT support, you can keep everything operating efficiently while minimizing disruptions.

If you want help preparing your systems, adjusting permissions, or strengthening your holiday coverage, the Runbiz team is here to make your December stress-free and secure.


 
 
bottom of page