Independent business owners, entrepreneurs and the self-employed all have very different working patterns and working years to those on PAYE.
When it is your responsibility to ensure that your business keeps up with changing trends and changing seasons, you’ve got to ensure you are always planning ahead of time.
Despite the rather erratic weather the UK has experienced this year and with the weather forecasters predicting another hot spell this coming weekend (7/8 Oct 23) we are still hard wired to accept that we are meant to experience four distinct seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter.
However, with Autumn officially just around the corner, the clocks being readied to go back an hour and the end of the traditional summer drawing near; the changes to the seasons can and do affect how certain businesses function, what work they undertake, how it affects their incomes and how they change their projections.
For some most businesses and in particular retail and hospitality, Autumn marks the beginning of the Christmas countdown.
Stocks will have already been secured to start advertising the seasonal changes, marketing campaigns will have been finalised months ago and across the board, product ranges will be reflecting the seasonal and holiday spirit.
With the current economic climate being unpredictable, it was notable that some companies came into the school summer holidays advertising children’s school essentials with slogans such as “Spread the costs this summer” encouraging parents to buy early.
With this “spread the cost” idea necessary for many people this year, many retailers have been stocking and advertising festive items, with some retail outlets running Halloween and Christmas items alongside each other since late August.
However, what happens if you are not a retailer, how does the changing of the seasons affect your business? Depending on which sector you work in, do you change your diary for the Autumn/Winter months?
The travel, tourism and hospitality sectors are still struggling to recover from the impact of Covid19 and Brexit and have now taken another hit as the cost of living continues to rise in the UK. These sectors are also areas where seasonality can impact or alter their business model.
When you consider the hospitality sector there is clearly more scope for financial gain during the warmer months if outdoor seating is available and can maximise income (staffing permitted) whereas the Autumn/Winter months can drive people indoors, reducing the ability to maximise profit.
However, the flip side of this is how many additional seasonal events these establishments can offer, which can balance potential income generators. Halloween, Guy Fawks Night, Christmas and New Year are all events which can be capitalised on by the hospitality sector, generating alternative incomes during the cooler months.
Outdoor events, holiday destinations and seaside resorts are another area which are greatly affected by seasonality.
However, having had to diversify during the height of the pandemic this has allowed many outdoor event organisers to cash in on the changing seasons, offering alternative experiences to capitalise on the reduced daylight and cooler weather.
One such example is how the UK has embraced Halloween for example. Although having always been a huge event in the USA, the UK now embraces this with many Halloween based events across the country, parties, themed events, etc, all enabling outdoor event organisers alternative income opportunities.
Another area which has enabled certain establishments to capitalise on the changing seasons is the Festival of Light/Christmas Lights now becoming a large part of some historic houses and parks annual calendar. Depending on budgets some of these events can run from mid-November right through to Christmas, creating a previously untapped seasonal income.
Having skimmed across how some retail, hospitality and outdoor event companies can capitalise on the changing seasons, what about the practical services such as mechanics, gardeners/garden machinery repairs, builders, carpenters, roofers for example, how can they adjust to the changing seasons?
Any industry which involves predominant working outside and or in environments where being exposed to the elements is a part of the role, will adjust their work to fathom the seasons.
Adjusting diary bookings to accommodate shorter days, diversifying skills which can include taking on more indoor work, changing clothing/materials and tools to adapt to the cooler weather are all things which a myriad of workers have to adopt to work with the changing seasons.
In the motorcycle business I run with my partner, we tend to leave the Autumn/Winter months for longer project work as a lot of motorcycles are not ridden during the cooler/wetter months of Autumn/Winter.
We therefore undertake projects which are more involved such as extensive wiring, modifications or customisations, work which can take weeks to complete rather than a few hours or a day. We ensure that our diary is adjusted accordingly and make sure that the longer more involved tasks do not impact on the seasonal service work which comes around March-August time.
Adapting to the seasons is an organic part of any business. Not only do business owners need to adapt their diaries to meet the requirements of their client/customer base, but they also need to consider the impact the changing seasons have on their staff and adjust accordingly.
Written by Katy-Jane Mason for & on behalf of Virtually Smart Ltd.
