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Approaching Uncertainty

Ideation

How can seasonal businesses remain viable during the off-season?

Posted by Shivali Anand

January 4, 2022 | 3-minute read (497 words)

A smiling woman chooses Christmas decorations in a store.

Whether it's a winter ski camp or a Christmas boutique, every seasonal business owner grapples with the off-season slowdown. Dealing with diminishing revenue, poor cash flow and unforgiving expense sheets is no small feat. Keeping the business solvent during the quiet season requires a well-conceived strategy and advance planning.

Seasonal business owners can explore these ideas to make the off-season work for them:

Understand the business cycle

Before launching a seasonal business, conduct extensive study on the sector and thoroughly understand how the business cycle works. What is your expected income? When are you most apt to see a dip in sales? What degree of volatility should you expect? Talk to industry insiders, consumers and colleagues. When it comes to a seasonal business, you must control costs to ensure you have sufficient capital to cover expenses during slow periods.

Scout new income sources

If you diversify your services and look for new opportunities, your business may not have to grind to a halt during the off-season. Consider offering and selling similar items or services that your clients desire year-round to be profitable. Look for solutions that can help you keep your firm afloat and provide yearly stability. You can leverage the same resources, save money on overhead and advertise your new company to existing clients.

Promote your company

Marketing is a long-term endeavor. Even if you run a seasonal business, you must sell your goods yearly. You must maintain contact with your consumers, both current and potential. It would help if you kept the dialogue going for your company to be remembered and remain relevant. This is a great time to reach out to your target group before the holiday season gets crazy.

Organize your team

It is challenging to find employees for a seasonal firm. You can end up spending a lot of money, as well as time and resources, on training new workers every season. Be sure to manage expectations and be transparent about the length of service, salary and pertinent laws and regulations. Establish a solid relationship with them so when the season ends, they eagerly anticipate the next one. They will support you if you make them feel important.

Make

a strategic plan

Make the most of your downtime by planning and strategizing. Examine your financial data, research the market, set goals, create an expense sheet and list the requirements you expect to face in the next season. You should also assess your previous season's performance and compile any lessons learned. The goal is to prepare for the worst-case scenario so you can deal with anything.

Connect and network

You have the benefit of connecting with your target audience at the touch of a button in our digital era. Take advantage of the off-season to generate high-quality content for clients to help them remember you. Create your community, write blog entries, engage in forums, conferences and trade exhibitions, be active on social media and attend business events to meet new people and investors.

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Ideation

How can seasonal businesses remain viable during the off-season?

Understand the business cycle

Scout new income sources

Promote your company

Organize your team

Make

a strategic plan

Connect and network

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