Monday, July 07, 2008

Is your business seasonal?

Sometime ago we developed an online shop for a client selling feminine hygiene products. The shop was oriented towards organic and specialist products - such as the Mooncup - that are not readily available on the high street. The shop also sells eco-friendly sanitary disposal bags too.

What our client has discovered is that small offices, guest houses and the like are grateful for finding a supplier of sanitary disposal bags in affordable quantities. Rather than having to buy such goods by the pallet, our client offers them in the 100s. As a significant number of her customers are guest houses and small hotels, etc, our client has also discovered that part of her business is also seasonal.

So, when researching for your next business plan, ask yourself if your own venture might have a seasonal aspect to it? School holidays, for example, will have a significant effect on demand patterns, Xmas and Easter too. Are there other seasonal peaks and troughs in demand that you need to be aware of?