Many businesses have high and low periods, times when they’ve got more work than they know what to do with, and times when they hardly have any customers or clients in need of service. For some this is dictated by things like market trends, supply shortages, or other unpredictable factors.
Then there are businesses who have regular heavy and slow periods, ones where you can anticipate, at least to some degree, when you’ll have a big uptick in work or a stretch of inactivity. These businesses are considered seasonal, and if you’re in such a business, you may be wondering if there’s a way to keep profits coming in, even past the peak busy season. The short answer: yes, it’s possible, and we can tell you how.
THE HIGHS AND LOWS
Before we get into profit-making methods, lets take a quick look at what makes a business seasonal. A seasonal business is one where activity fluctuates on a regular basis in correspondence to certain regular changes and/or events. This can be a response to actual seasons and the weather associated with them, regularly occurring events like holidays, school schedules, or peak vacation periods, or regular changes in the environment, like the migration of animals.
STORING NUTS FOR THE WINTER
While a seasonal business may see their activity dry up for a time, there are other options besides shutting down during the slow periods. One way is through the business’s billing model. This is especially viable for service-based businesses, as the recurring service visits make it easier to sell customers on a recurring payment method, such as a monthly service bill. This billing model can be marketed as a membership or service contract.
Off-seasons are also good times for businesses to focus on getting the word out about their products and services to customers and to check up with regular clients. A strong online presence is key to this effort, promoting the business through online sales and marketing, such as blogs and social media. Seasonal businesses can stay in touch with their repeat customers and long-standing clients to keep them up-to-date on the latest offerings to get them thinking ahead about next season.
A business reliant on seasons can partner with other, similar businesses to expand their markets, their offerings, and boost their presence in the local business community. It’s a good idea for businesses to partner with ones that offer complementary goods and services. A lawn care service, for instance, may partner with an exterior cleaning company to offer a package deal of outdoor home and building maintenance. An ice cream parlor may partner with a coffee shop since one provides products popular during the warmer time of year while the other can see more business during the colder months.
Another option is to diversity your business offerings. Operating in a similar way to farming – where farmers plant crops that are appropriate to the season – your business can offer services that relate to the current season. A lawn care business may rake leaves in the fall and/or shovel snow in the winter. A store that sells holiday decorations will rotate their stock to focus on the next big holiday, and in between major holidays it may offer products for events that commonly occur during that time of year, such as graduations.
GENERATE A REGULAR INCOME WITH GRASSROOTS TURF
You can have a seasonal business that brings in regular profits by joining GrassRoots Turf. We’re a family-owned lawn care franchise with a recurring revenue model. We utilize monthly installment billing for our services, ensuring that you have a steady cash flow every month. We also provide you with operational support and comprehensive training, as well as exclusive territories based on population in specific markets. Learn more about franchising with GrassRoots Turf by contacting us for more information today.
