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The Philippines enjoys reasonably good weather all year round, with some months being a bit cooler or hotter than the others. For this reason, businesses here are not too affected by the change in season, unlike those in other countries with marked seasons. But like other countries, the Philippines has periods where enterprises have such brisk sales that make it lucrative for season-based—or more appropriately said, holiday based—businesses to thrive.

What is a seasonal business? According to Qfinance.com, it is “trade influenced by time of year.” Different businesses have different seasons where they get the most amount of business or when they need to be open to get the best return on their investment. Examples of this kind of business are bazaars, fairs and even carnivals. Carnival operators or perya as we know it in the vernacular only have business when they can find a town to set up in. Even this is dependent on the date of the town fiesta, which is usually when they have business.

Challenges

Securing capital is one of the challenges that seasonal businesses have. Since these businesses do not run for a whole year and consequently, their profit is also seasonal. People who own and run these businesses may have to borrow money to be able to re-open when their business season starts. They may also “scrimp to save enough capital to give them a leg up the next time they open,” says Peter Kawsek, whose company has over 35 years of experience in the manufacturing sector. Another challenge pertains to manpower, says Kawsek. Since the business is not open the whole year, the owners find themselves having to train new people for every cycle. “It would be prudent and very good for a business to have a core group that will help by keeping you from starting from scratch every time you open shop,” he advises.

The seasonal businessman, however, has an advantage over those who operate their business throughout the year. According to Kawsek, the former can make good use of the off-season to iron out the kinks in their operations. This means reviewing the past season for pointers that helped make the season successful, and finding ways to address the points that need improvement.

It’s the time for the inventory of stocks, auditing, for arranging paperwork, training and all the other chores that you simply cannot attend to in the course of the season, Kawsek adds.

Create the difference

Kawsek advises that you set up a business that “appeals to the emotions” especially for  occasions like Valentine’s Day and Holy Week. “Perhaps (offer) vacation packages? A pilgrimage? Valentine’s is always associated with flowers, chocolates, and dinners. So it should be along these (lines),” he says.

“Holy Week is always associated with going home to your roots, travel, retreat, extended family reunions, and vacations. From my experience, these are the businesses that do well during these occasions.”

Kawsek also suggests running a seasonal business “that supports existing (business) practices. Partner with established ventures—this is like being a subcontractor, or a supplier of merchandise or logistics— adding on to an existing product or service, thereby creating value for that business.”