November 29, 2010 12:09 pm

Rebecca Murtagh

Cyber Monday & Holiday Shopping Has Business Owners Cringing as Employees Shop and Productivity & Profit Suffers

Black Friday has come and gone, and for those who have not yet gotten their fill of shopping and great deals, CyberMonday is when retailers make “internet only” deals available…distracting workers and making employers cringe.Cyber Monday reduces productivity and profits for businesses

According to the National Retail Foundation (NRF), 106.9 million shoppers will shop online on Cyber Monday 2010.

Many Cyber Monday and holiday shopping purchases will be made at work.

Cyber Monday Facts:

  • 29% of employees plan to shop at work on Cyber Monday
    Source: Career Builder
  • Employees will spend around 14 hours shopping at work during the holiday season. Source: ISACA

This can suck the energy out of any business. So, how can you offset the impact on productivity and the bottom line?  During lean times, most businesses cannot afford to lose productivity at this scale, and internet shopping can become a serious problem. But, if you are looking for a way to reduce the impact of cyber monday and holiday shopping on your bsuiness, below are some ideas, with a little fun thrown in for good measure.

How to Reduce Impact of Online Holiday Shopping on Your Business:

Prohibit Cyber Monday Shopping

Go ahead, just pull the plug and make the internet unavailable. Of course this also means no email, research, access to applications in the cloud, website maintenance, etc. But if you want to take the hard line, this will send the message. (hide after you announce this decree and definitely don’t let anyone see YOU surfing for deals!)

Give in, with Limits

Give your employees an extra hour off to take during the day – Consider this approach damage control. Chances are this will be a fraction of the time they would have spent online away from their daily tasks, and maybe they will feel guilty about taking more time and take just that hour. (I said maybe : )

Cut them loose

Let everyone leave an hour early – Cyber Monday deals will last throughout the day, as long as the inventory holds out. If there was something they really wanted, chances are they were shopping at midnight when deals went live online, but this is a gesture that makes you look good and keeps you from feeling helpless watching hours of productivity go down the drain as everyone shops. Those who have no interest in shopping Cyber Monday will also appreciate the time off…who couldn’t use an extra hour in the day?

Take a Cue from the Grinch

Get in the holiday spirit and look at it as a holiday bonus…you’re giving up a little productivity and profit so that employees can save a little money. In tough times, some of your employees may only be able to afford the gifts on their shopping list on sale. employeers can build good will on Cyber Monday

So donn the holiday spirit and let your employees know that you are aware that they will be shopping on Cyber Monday, and invite them to share great deals with other employees (and you!)…

You just may feel your heart grow three sizes on Cyber Monday, just like the Grinch!

You Can Use Cyber Monday to Share Good Will With Employees & Staff!

About the Author

Rebecca Murtagh: Human First Futurist, CEO & Founder of Human AI Institute, winner of the Inc. Magazine Power Partner Award.

Rebecca leverages decades of experience working with Fortune 500, Silicon Valley, Wall Street, Mains Street, global brands and startup entrepreneurs to help executives, their teams, and entrepreneurs leverage their genius through Human AI to improve productivity, collaboration, creativity and job satisfaction for optimum performance and long-term success.

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