Starscapes home-based business opportunity

SEASONAL SENSATION

How to pull in high-profits all year long from seasonal businesses.

What does a summer camp owner do when youngsters return to school? What can a firewood delivery service sell during the heat of the summer? How can a patio furniture store stay in business when the rains come pouring down?

When your peak selling season lasts only a few months, how do you keep your business going, especially when there's rent to pay, supplies to purchase and payroll to meet?

Running a seasonal business has its challenges. You can smooth out the bumps between peak seasons by following these five strategies designed to turn your business into a thriving year-round concern. These pointers are equally valuable for expanding your single-product or single-service business into other money-making ventures.

Multiple Your Options: Diversification has long been the name-of-the-game in keeping a one-season business going year round or helping a business increase its product line or services to existing clientele. Oftentimes, it's not a matter of starting an entirely new business, but expanding the one you already have.

Nordstrom's started out as a shoe-salon in Seattle, WA. Weight Watchers was a weight reduction support program long before it started marketing its own line of prepared foods. Tilley Endurables, Inc., the Canadian manufacturer of canvas hats, now carries travel clothing and accessories.

You too can expand your market base by adding new products or sales outlets or offering a side business. For example, a restaurant can add take-out and delivery services to attract customers who can't dine-in; laundromats can get full use of their space by adding exercise equipment or electronic games or serving espresso and sandwiches.

Explore New Markets: To attract new customers, look to see how you can market yourself differently. If your bakery and cafe is a hit with customers wanting low-fat breakfast and dessert products, you might investigate selling wholesale to local supermarkets and delicatessens. If your print and frame shop needs a boost in sales, consider a mail-order business. This way you can increase your market without adding sales personnel or a new location.

Sell Off-Season: Off-season sales not only keep your name before your customer, but also give you an opportunity to sell end-of-the-season merchandise, reduce your inventory and generate some extra income.

Sierra Nordic in Norden, Ca. keeps its name before its customers with an annual late summer sale of cross country skis and equipment. The speciality shop also mails a newsletter to customers during off-season months to talk about improvements in ski equipment and what to expect next season.

Pop the Big Question: Dozens of potential new business ideas are just waiting to be discovered. How? Ask your customers what new services or products you can provide. Talk with your suppliers or vendors about new business possibilities. Listen carefully to what your customers are saying about your product.

When cookbook author Chuck Bellissino of Sacramento, Ca. appeared at cooking demonstrations to market his book, Encyclopedia of Sauces for Your Pasta, he was often asked by people who loved Italian food but didn't like to cook if his sauces could be purchased pre-made and ready to use.

Now that Bellissino's book has sold some 30,000 copies, he's looking into marketing his sauces in plastic containers that can be dropped into boiling water and heated while the pasta cooks.

Dave Walter who runs Dave's Super Save supermarket and deli in Aurora,

Ill. listened to his customer's requests for outdoor catering. Walker and his brother launched The Grill Brothers, which, from April to October, cooks up a feast for graduation parties, banquets and other special affairs. The brothers are considering another sideline: selling their barbecue sauces and other delights under The Grill Brothers label.

Keep 'Em For Life: "A satisfied customer is the best business strategy of them all," writes Dr. Michael LeBoeuf in his book How to Win Customers and Keep Them For Life. LeBoeuf suggests you regularly take your customers's pulse to evaluate their satisfaction level with your product or service.

"For better of worse your customers have an opinion about the quality of service that you offer and collecting, gathering, and measuring those opinions on a regular basis provide the crucial information that you need to keep them buying, multiplying and coming back," advises LeBoeuf.

To win new customers, he adds, you need to ask, "What's the unmet need?" To keep them for life, ask, "How are we doing? How can we get better?" One way do this is follow-up each customer purchase with a phone call or letter and ask ask these two questions.

Customers will be loyal to you, says LeBoeuf, when you offer a top quality product or service that is sold or delivered with the best customer service attitude. When you excel in this area, you'll receive plenty of referrals. When you don't, you'll know why customers aren't renewing their orders.

To keep your customers for life, try these suggestions offered by Calaria & Company, a marketing firm, in its Profits & Philanthrophy newsletter: hold customer-only sale days without any mass media and ask each customer to invite a friend; host a preferred-customer show where customers can preview your new products or services; form a free club for customers and offer free products or services as an inducement to join.

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