{"id":366920,"date":"2021-11-14T17:09:59","date_gmt":"2021-11-14T14:09:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-to-cope-when-your-business-is-holiday-based\/"},"modified":"2021-11-14T17:09:59","modified_gmt":"2021-11-14T14:09:59","slug":"how-to-cope-when-your-business-is-holiday-based","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-cope-when-your-business-is-holiday-based\/","title":{"rendered":"#How to cope when your business is holiday-based"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;<strong>#How to cope when your business is holiday-based<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Tammy Sons, 52, CEO of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/tnnursery.net\/\">T.N. Nursery<\/a>, knows all too well the highs and lows of running a seasonal business during the holiday season. The third-generation nursery began selling Christmas trees in the \u201950s and now ships to every state in the country.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe got the idea from a buyer in Long Island; he visited us in Tennessee in 1959 and said, \u2018I will buy every cedar tree you grow in November.\u2019 We sold him more than 80,000 cedar trees and native honeysuckle azaleas, and he resold them all over New York.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Now, her company is grossing more than $3 million per year, with their holiday season revenue increasing nearly 80 percent above the rest of the year\u2019s sales.<\/p>\n<p>Sons urges aspiring seasonal rainmakers to think creatively about what you can sell to drive extra revenue in the off-season, such as the way she resets as a nursery for all things shrubs, perennials and ferns during the off-season.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo one thinks the tree nursery industry would flourish in winter because people are not interested in planting plants in the cold season,\u201d she said. Yet, \u201cour season thrives in the holidays.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ross Harke, 33, of Lindon, UT, sees a similar seasonal business explosion. A co-founder of smart holiday lights company <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/myeverlights.com\/\">EverLights<\/a>, his business generates 80 percent of their revenue in Q4.<\/p>\n<p>Like Sons, he urges wintertime hustlers to diversify. \u201cSince our lights can stay up year-round, they can be used for any occasion. Your focus should be on helping customers with your service and giving them an amazing experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/AT-WORK-Nov15-Susan-Castriota-05.jpeg.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=716\" alt=\"One of the New York-based works of art that Castriota has made.\" class=\"wp-image-20131167\" width=\"359\" height=\"509\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/AT-WORK-Nov15-Susan-Castriota-05.jpeg.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=711 718w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/AT-WORK-Nov15-Susan-Castriota-05.jpeg.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=534 538w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/AT-WORK-Nov15-Susan-Castriota-05.jpeg.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=356 359w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/AT-WORK-Nov15-Susan-Castriota-05.jpeg.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=178 179w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/AT-WORK-Nov15-Susan-Castriota-05.jpeg.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 359px) 100vw, 359px\"\/><figcaption>One of the New York-based works of art that Susan Castriota has made.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Susan Castriota<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/castriotadesigns.com\/\">Susan Castriota<\/a>, a 60-something designer and artist in Pittsburgh, has the art of fulfilling wintertime orders down to a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a>. She\u2019s been in the industry since the 1980s, and has corporate clients like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Heinz, the White House Historical Association, PNC Bank and the American Heart Association.<\/p>\n<p>She knew she needed to pivot when card-giving started to decline. To stay afloat, she started offering special order cards, such as a New York City line, with a mix of both business and personal clients. To sustain herself beyond the holiday deluge, she also designed and patented a line of glass cookware, which she sells on Web sites like Amazon.<\/p>\n<p>Her busiest months for cards and portrait gifts are traditionally October, November and into mid-December. \u201cIt\u2019s a very short season that comes on very quickly, so you have to be prepared and ready to offer a design and printed product in record time,\u201d said Castriota. \u201cI start to advertise early in September and plan on working until Christmas Day if that will make the customer h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>y,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Looking to start a cold weather side hustle? Heed the advice of New York City\u2019s Nadia Doh, a macro analyst for a boutique financial advisory company by day, and CEO of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/sweetwaterlabsnyc.com\/\">Sweetwater Labs<\/a>, a natural skin and body care line, in her off-hours.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI started this company after years of searching for products for my sensitive skin,\u201d she said of Sweetwater Labs, which also markets candles, perfume and jewelry.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/AT-WORK-Nov15-Susan-Castriota-07.jpeg-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Susan Castriota realized she needed to pivot with her Christmas tree business and began using to her artistic talents to build her company.\" class=\"wp-image-20141476\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/AT-WORK-Nov15-Susan-Castriota-07.jpeg-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/AT-WORK-Nov15-Susan-Castriota-07.jpeg-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/AT-WORK-Nov15-Susan-Castriota-07.jpeg-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Susan Castriota realized she needed to pivot with her Christmas tree business and began using to her artistic talents to build her company.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Susan Castriota<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After getting great feedback from her personal network, she decided to co-found her own company with business partner Yoav Irom in 2017. During the holiday months from October through December, they make roughly $300,000, more than 35 percent of their annual revenue.<\/p>\n<p>Both jobs keep her extremely busy, but it\u2019s worth it to the 50-year-old entrepreneur. She estimates she works at least 40 hours a week for Sweetwater Labs \u2014 just because sales volume for seasonal workers is a pendulum, doesn\u2019t mean the crank is ever turned completely off. \u201cBe prepared for a lot of work, so be tenacious, not just for a month, not just for a year, but for years,\u201d said Doh.<\/p>\n<p>Well, assuming you\u2019re prepared to budget smartly, caution accountants.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"714\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/AT-WORK-Nov15-Susan-Castriota-03.jpeg.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=714\" alt=\"Artwork of the  Rockefeller Center Christmas tree by Susan Castriota.\" class=\"wp-image-20141450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/AT-WORK-Nov15-Susan-Castriota-03.jpeg.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1428 1428w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/AT-WORK-Nov15-Susan-Castriota-03.jpeg.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1071 1071w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/AT-WORK-Nov15-Susan-Castriota-03.jpeg.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=714 714w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/AT-WORK-Nov15-Susan-Castriota-03.jpeg.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=357 357w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/AT-WORK-Nov15-Susan-Castriota-03.jpeg.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 714px) 100vw, 714px\"\/><figcaption>Artwork of the  Rockefeller Center Christmas tree by Susan Castriota.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Susan Castriota<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThere are a few things that are key for seasonal businesses to budget successfully,\u201d said Dawn Brolin, CPA, QuickBooks ProAdvisor and managing member of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/powerfulaccounting.com\/\">Powerful Accounting<\/a> based in Windham, Conn. \u201cFirst, you need to be researching your costs, and not assume they\u2019ll stay consistent year-over-year. We know this is particularly important right now, as there\u2019s been significant inflation and supply chain issues driving up the costs of items \u2014 whether that\u2019s lumber, gas, poultry, labor, or any other item your business uses.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brolin also encourages seasonal business owners to consider both their costs and income in annual terms.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaking $30,000 in two months might feel like a lot, until you realize that income has to supplement costs throughout the year when your income is lower,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Another problem for those embarking on a seasonal biz are the tax implications.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor example, if you\u2019re a sole proprietor, and you pay quarterly taxes, making a bulk of your income during a short amount of time will have a significant impact on the amount of taxes you pay in a given quarter,\u201d said Brolin.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/holiday-lights.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Stylish christmas golden star illumination and fir branches with red and gold baubles, golden lights bokeh on front of building at holiday market in city street.\" class=\"wp-image-20131226\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/holiday-lights.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/holiday-lights.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/holiday-lights.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Seasonal workers can do a reset of their brad in the off-season to keep business alive.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images\/iStockphoto<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you\u2019re numbers-averse, tough luck. \u201cGet to know your business! You can easily run a report in QuickBooks or whatever software system you use that will help you see your P&amp;L on a monthly basis, including a breakdown for things like <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> operating expenses and payroll,\u201d said Brolin. \u201cKnowing and understanding these numbers will be super helpful in ultimately setting a budget that will work year-round.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And budgeting is a non-negotiable. \u201cThere are a lot of seasonal businesses that fall into the trap of splurging after a successful season and before they know it, they\u2019re needing to borrow money,\u201d said Brolin. \u201cThink of your business in annual terms, and you\u2019ll be able to avoid this.\u201d\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/11\/14\/how-to-cope-when-your-business-is-holiday-based\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#How to cope when your business is holiday-based&#8221; Tammy Sons, 52, CEO of T.N. Nursery, knows all too well the highs and lows of running a seasonal business during the holiday season. The third-generation nursery began selling Christmas trees in the \u201950s and now ships to every state in the country. \u201cWe got the idea&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":366921,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/AT-WORK-Nov15-Susan-Castriota-01.JPEG-1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[118973,71736,71737,66,68,5070],"class_list":["post-366920","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-11-14-21","tag-at-work","tag-career-advice","tag-christmas","tag-holidays","tag-jobs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366920","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=366920"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366920\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/366921"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=366920"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=366920"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=366920"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}