Managing a Seasonal Business

Most seasonal business will be going through a transformation at the moment. As autumn begins, businesses that traditionally flourish in the summer will be getting ready for a quiet few months while businesses that offer products or services more commonly associated with the approaching cold weather will be gearing up for their busiest period of the year. But how do businesses that experience such hot and cold periods manage to stay afloat during the quiet months? And if you were to start a small business that would be affected by the seasons what should you be doing?

Seasonal Staff

Temporary staff are ideal for a seasonal businesses. To keep staff costs low you will want to run a skeleton staff during the quieter months but during the peak period you will need an abundance of extra employees. Temp agencies and recruitment companies should be able to source adequate numbers of quality candidates for these roles.

Seasonal Opening Hours

Keeping your business open for longer during your peak periods will maximise the number of customers you can process and increase profitability. The Economy Radiator Company from Dalton in England are a good example. They sell electric radiators so they are about enter their peak autumn and winter season; to make the most of this they are opening their customer contact centre on a Saturday for the first time. Every seasonal business should be jumping on opportunities in this way. Using the same logic; there is no point in keeping offices, showrooms and so on open during the quiet months. Limit the hours your business is open during the quiet season and watch your utility bills; gas, telephone, electric etc…; plummet.

Off Season Marketing

By taking customer details such as email, postal address and telephone numbers at the point of sale, seasonal business can successfully encourage return customers with a direct marketing campaign during their quiet season.  Also consider offering discounts on your products or services during the quiet period; if the price is right customers will buy something even if it is out of season. Lastly, if your business sells expensive or luxury items, then consider allowing customers to pay for their purchase in instalments throughout the year; this ensures a steady revenue flow even when sales are down.

Seasonal businesses can be difficult to get right but with a bit of flexibility, and a creative approach to sales and marketing, your seasonal business should avoid extreme changes in profitability regardless of the time of year.