Your Guide to Starting a Thriving Seasonal Business
If you’re in search of a small business idea that doesn’t require a commitment all year long, a seasonal business could be right for you.
Seasonal businesses are attractive for a number of reasons, but how do you start one? Today, we'll explain the steps you need to take when identifying a seasonal opportunity and turning it into a lucrative business.
Step 1: Choosing a seasonal business
If there’s a seasonal demand for a product or service, there’s an opportunity to create a seasonal business. The most lucrative ideas will vary based on regional demographics and consumer wants, but here are some ideas to get you started:
- Landscaping services during summer
- Snow removal during winter
- Holiday stores, like a Halloween or fireworks store
- Outdoor adventure tour company
- Pool maintenance
- Tax preparer
- Seasonal insurance adjuster
These ideas are just a small sampling of the possibilities, so spend some time thinking about how you can use your skills and interests to create an in-demand company.
Step 2: Like any business, research is non-negotiable
Remember, there needs to be enough demand for your seasonal business’s offerings to make up for the months you aren’t operating.
Spend plenty of time researching demographics, talking to people in your community about what they need seasonally, and scoping out the competition. Don’t forget to account for any initial investments, overhead, and other costs.
Once you have a solid understanding of these factors, you can get started on the next step.
Step 3: Get the word out about your business
With a fully vetted business idea, it’s time to get ready for your first season. A business needs customers, so marketing and outreach is a logical place to begin.
There’s an endless array of marketing tools and tactics that you can use, so pick a few that you’ll commit to regularly. Some low-cost, but impactful, options to consider include:
- A website (so that you can benefit from methods like local search and SEO)
- Social media, including Facebook and Instagram
- Local listings sites, like Yelp
- Posting on neighborhood forums, like Nextdoor
- Vehicle wraps (which are a more affordable form of outdoor advertising that can be very effective)
No matter which channels you choose, the most important ingredients in marketing success are strategy and consistency. You need a strategy to guide things, and consistency to see results.
Step 4: Consider where you’ll run your seasonal business
As any small business owner knows, you need a space to work on growing your business. Some people opt to work from their kitchen table or the couch, others have a home office, and others utilize rentable office space with flexible terms.
At Intelligent Office, we’re (obviously) biased toward that last option: renting office space for your seasonal business. That’s because a virtual office is the most flexible office space option available.
You could rent a private or shared office for the months that your seasonal business requires it, with no unnecessary overheard the rest of the year. Many providers even offer virtual assistant services, which could be invaluable when managing the administrative side of a seasonal business. When you’re ready to learn more, don’t forget to visit this page.
