End-of-Year Prep: 5 Things to Tidy Up Before the Holidays.

A simple checklist to help you step into the new year organised and stress-free.

As the holidays approach, many business owners are longing to switch off, relax, and recharge. But before you close the laptop and activate your out-of-office message, there’s one final task worth tackling: tidying up the back office. A small amount of organisation now saves you countless hours — and stress — when you return in the new year.

Here are five key areas to tidy up before you log off for the holidays.

📊 1. Get Your Bookkeeping in Order

End-of-year bookkeeping doesn’t have to be overwhelming — but it's essential. Now is the time to clean up your financial records so you’re not walking into January with unanswered questions or messy accounts.

What to tidy up:

• Reconcile all bank accounts and credit cards.

• Categorise any uncoded transactions.

• Check that invoices and bills are all entered, paid, or followed up.

• Upload outstanding receipts so nothing gets missed.

🗂️ 2. Refresh Your Digital Filing System

Digital clutter slows you down more than you realise. Before taking a break, give your files a quick refresh so you’re not overwhelmed by chaos when you return.

Focus on:

• Archiving completed projects.

• Removing duplicates and outdated drafts.

• Ensuring important documents are saved and backed up.

✉️ 3. Sort Your Inbox

Nothing kills post-holiday motivation like a cluttered inbox. Spend a little time sorting and cleaning now so you can start fresh in January.

Quick wins:

• File or archive older emails.

• Unsubscribe from newsletters you never read.

• Send final follow-ups.

• Set your out-of-office reply.

✅ 4. Archive Completed Tasks & Projects

Your task list is probably longer than it needs to be. This is the perfect moment to clean up your task manager or project board.

Do this before you log off:

• Mark completed tasks as done.

• Close finalised projects.

• Remove or reschedule outdated tasks.

• Note anything needing attention in early January.

🗓️ 5. Plan & Automate for the New Year

With everything tidied, take a moment to look ahead. A bit of planning now sets you up for a smooth and organised start to the new year.

Helpful steps:

• Schedule recurring tasks.

• Set goals for Q1.

• Note key deadlines.

• Decide what to delegate or automate going forward.

🎁 Let Streamline VA Help You Wrap Up the Year

If this list feels overwhelming — or if you'd rather spend your last week of the year doing something more enjoyable — Streamline VA can take it off your plate.

From bookkeeping and inbox management to file organisation and task cleanup, we make sure your business is tidy, compliant, and ready for a fresh start.

Sign off with confidence, enjoy your holiday, and step into the new year organised and stress-free.