New Year SME Reset Series – Part 1: 2 Key Things SMEs Need to Know After the Holiday Closedown
Posted on 02 Jan 2026
1. Reassess Cashflow and Working Capital for Q1
The first quarter can be one of the tightest for cashflow. December may have brought strong trading, but January and February often come with:
- Slower customer payments
- Costs and wages resuming all at once
- Upcoming provisional tax, GST and PAYE commitments
- Reduced productivity as the team settles back in
What to do now:
- Review your cash position for the next 4–6 weeks
- Update your cashflow forecast with new invoices and commitments
- Follow up overdue debtors early
- Consider pricing updates or short-term funding strategies if needed
Visibility is key—the clearer your financial picture, the more confidently you can plan.
2. Reset Your Workforce Compliance and Rosters
After a closedown, many compliance and HR processes restart. Ensuring everything is aligned now helps avoid issues later.
Check:
- Annual leave balances
- Public holiday entitlements
- Updated rosters and staffing levels
- Health & Safety refreshers
- Any payroll adjustments needed after shutdown
Getting your people processes right early reduces the risk of compliance gaps down the track.
Coming Up Next Week
This is Part 1 of our New Year SME Reset Series.
Next week, we’ll take a practical look at how to re-energise your team after the Christmas break — including simple ways to rebuild motivation, clarity and momentum for a strong start to 2026.
