When I first got back into teaching at the University of St Thomas I met a young man named Dan, one of our students, who had mastered the art of balancing seasonal businesses. While still in college, he had set up two businesses that took advantage of Minnesota’s two seasons — winter and summer (spring and fall don’t last long enough to really call them true seasons). Summer is short, but beautiful, and with its long summer days (remember it is really far north up there) people make the most of the outdoors. On the St. Croix River, the wealthy residents had beautiful boats and yachts that they would take out every weekend. Dan had a business providing cleaning, basic servicing, and general maintenance on these boats. The owners loved Dan’s services because he took care of all of the hassles that go along with boat ownership. They could just show up and take off in their boats for a day of fun in the sun. Business was so successful that Dan had hired several part-time employees.
In the winter, which some years lasts about eight months, Dan took advantage of the inevitable snow and built a very successful commercial snow plowing business, using some of the same workers and working with some of the same people who owned the yachts he took care of in the summer.
There are countless examples of entrepreneurs who balance one seasonal business with another. For example, the summer camp owner who turns her facilities into a retreat center the rest of the year, or the home builder who becomes a home re-modeler in the winter months.
I heard a report on Wall Street Journal radio this morning about another example. It seems that many entrepreneurs with lawn service businesses are also getting into the professional Christmas decorating business. Those of you who live in America’s suburbs have seen the proliferation of ever expanding outdoor Christmas lights and decorations displays. Many suburbanites want the decor, but do not have the time or inclination to climb up on the roof to install the annual extravaganza of lights. Thus is born a new industry: professional outdoor holiday decorators. There is even a franchise available for those who want help in setting up this type of business called Christmas Decor.
The best way to approach off-setting seasonal businesses is to set up a second business that takes advantage of the skills and/or resources you already have on hand. In some cases, you can even serve the same customer base with both businesses.
Dr Jeff Cornwall
Co-founder of The Entrepreneurial Mind, serial entrepreneur and professor of entrepreneurship.
I think this posting was very interesting. I actually have a friend that cuts grass mainly as his job in all the months of the season that need grass cutting, but in the winter he tries to aim his energy towards helping those customers with odd and end jobs through the winter when he really does not have anything else to do. I have also been thinikng of ways to find some sort of summer time niche to where I can start something up and run it throughout the course of the summer.
I am a landscaper in Ontario. This topic very interesting. I find that it is not all that hard to find work in the winter, but, the real challenge is to find a dependable source of work that still covers full wages and pays my overhead costs in the “off season”.