It’s the time of year when many of us celebrate Christmas. While historians reveal a very checkered past to what we now know as Christmas as a ‘story-catcher’, I am always intrigued to find out about people’s rituals and traditions.
On my mother’s side, our heritage is German / Polish. So for us Christmas Eve is always a rather large affair. When my Opa was alive he’d prepare a feast from his backyard: a goose, potatoes cooked in goose fat, sauerkraut, frankfurts and lots of schnapps. Sans goose, today the meal pretty much remains the same. As are the rituals. We open gifts on Christmas Eve and spend Christmas Day admiring our bounty – which at the time seemed enormous – but nothing compared with today’s booty.
As kids you think everyone celebrates Christmas in the same way. And while the general themes tend to be the same – getting together over food and gift giving – everyone does it differently. Just like small business.
To me the beauty of small business is the way you can add your own personal touch to what you do. Your business can reflect your values and you create your own rituals – whether they are the way you operate or the way you work with your stakeholders.
And just like Christmas rituals, it is important to wrap in bubble wrap those characteristics that make you who you are and your business unique. These are what makes you authentic in your business and what draws the right people to it.
In a world where we are often encouraged to conform, I share the view of Oscar Wild – “Be Yourself Because Everyone Else is Already Taken”.
Enjoy the festive season whatever it holds for you and be kind and generous to those less fortunate.