Seasonal businesses are built around predictable spikes in demand, and those spikes can be huge. Holiday retail sales alone are expected to reach $1.61 trillion to $1.62 trillion in 2025, with November to January spending projected to grow another 2.9%, to 3.4%, year over year.
Weather drives other seasonal surges: Swimsuit brands peak in late spring and early summer, while firewood, gift services, and snow removal spike the moment temperatures drop or snow hits. Because of this kind of concentrated demand, seasonal businesses can be extremely profitable in a short window, making them a great option if you want extra income without a year-round commitment.
Read on to discover a variety of seasonal business ideas, learn how to launch your own business with them, and get estimates on startup costs and earning potential for each business idea.
What is a seasonal business?
A seasonal business is a business that earns most of its income during a specific time of year, usually tied to weather, holidays, tourism patterns, or cultural events. It typically ramps up operations during its peak season and scales back or pauses during off-peak months.
In most places, these businesses still need the same legal setup as any other business. For instance, seasonal business owners typically need to register their company, set up taxes, and apply for special permits or temporary trading licenses (depending on the location and type of service).
Seasonal businesses are especially common in industries like agriculture (harvests, farm shops), retail (holiday pop-ups, gift stalls), and tourism (beach rentals, guided tours), where demand naturally rises and falls throughout the year.
Spring and summer business ideas
- Farmers market booth
- Lawn care and landscaping
- Pool cleaning business
- Tour guide
- Outdoor equipment rental
- Outdoors guide
- Mobile car wash
- Summer camp activities
- Event and wedding planning
Spring and summer are ideal seasons for businesses that thrive on foot traffic, warm weather, and outdoor activity, making it a great time to launch services or pop-ups that tap into increased consumer spending.
Farmers market booth
Selling at a weekly farmers market, where you sell products to hungry crowds, is a classic summer business idea. Beyond produce, you can offer handcrafted items, art, and baked goods as well.
While most booths are not free—they can cost between $20 per day to several hundred dollars per season—farmers markets do most of the marketing for you and typically draw a lot of foot traffic from locals and tourists.
- Startup costs: $1,000 to $5,000 (stall fees $20 to $300 per day per market, inventory, packaging, and signage).
- Steps to start: Apply to local markets, get permits/insurance if required, secure inventory, set up POS (Square/Stripe reader).
- Earning potential: $2,000 or more per season, depending on product and foot traffic.
Lawn care and landscaping
If you’re looking for summer business ideas during the growing season, start a landscaping business to design and maintain green spaces for homes and businesses. Essential tools include a lawnmower and a way to transport it, equipment like pruning shears, a string trimmer, fertilizers, and pest control solutions. Offer package deals for the entire summer to secure steady weekly work.
Your location plays a big role in how profitable landscaping can be. Warmer regions often mean a longer earning season, while colder climates may limit work to a few high-demand months. Startup costs can also vary depending on the scale you’re going for. A basic setup might run a few hundred dollars for handheld trimmers and a push mower, while a fully kitted-out trailer with commercial-grade equipment can cost several thousand.
- Startup costs: $300 to $1,000 for a basic push mower and trimmer. $5,000 or more for commercial trailers/equipment.
- Steps to start: Buy equipment, create fixed-fee service packages, promote locally to homeowners/homeowner associations (HOAs).
- Earning potential: The median income for landscapers in the US is $18.50 per hour or $38,470 per year.
Pool cleaning business
Pools require a lot of cleaning and fine-tuning—filling, skimming, vacuuming, scrubbing, balancing chemicals—which many homeowners prefer to outsource to a professional. Start a pool maintenance business to help set up pools for summer, keep them swim-ready through the warm-weather months, and overwinter them when the weather starts to cool.
When it comes to pricing, most pool businesses charge either per visit or as part of a seasonal service package.
Light maintenance (like weekly skimming and quick chemical balancing) might land in the $50 to $100 per visit range, while more involved cleaning will likely reach a couple hundred, depending on pool size. Lots of homeowners prefer a flat monthly or “season pass” package, priced based on frequency and complexity, which can be a great way to lock in predictable revenue.
- Startup costs: $500 to $1,000 for chemicals and skimmer/vacuum; $2,000 to $3,000 or more if vehicle outfitting needed.
- Steps to start: Learn water chemistry basics, create weekly/monthly maintenance plans, market to pool owners.
- Earning potential: Pool cleaners make an average of $20.58 per hour.
Tour guide
If you live in a tourist hot spot, start a part-time business as a tour guide. Offering walking tours is a great low-investment business idea, since all you really need is solid local knowledge and an effective marketing strategy.
For a more upscale experience, offer bike or bus tours. For a unique business idea, tailor your tour business to a niche target audience like coffee enthusiasts or ghost hunters.
- Startup costs: $0 to $2,000, depending on licensing, marketing materials, and whether you need equipment (e.g., audio headsets for larger groups).
- Steps to start: Choose a tour niche (historic, foodie, architecture, ghost tours, brewery walks, etc.), secure any required permits, and partner with hotels/visitor centers to get referrals.
- Earning potential: $20 to $50 per person for group walking tours; a single 15-person group can bring in $300 to $750 per tour. Running two tours per day during peak season can reach $1,000 or more per day in tourist-heavy cities.
Outdoor equipment rental
If you live in an area with great access to outdoor activities, renting equipment like kayaks and paddleboards is a great lifestyle business idea. If you live in a mixed climate, you might run a bike rental business in the summer and rent snowshoes and snowmobiles in the winter.
Before you start, do a little back-of-the-napkin math so you know whether your gear pays off. Let’s say you buy 10 paddleboards at $500 each—that’s $5,000 upfront. If you charge $30 per day and rent each board out 15 days in the season per board, that’s $30 × 15 × 10 = $4,500 in gross revenue.
Subtract costs like transport, storage, cleaning, maintenance and maybe one part-time seasonal employee—let’s assume $1,500 total. That leaves around $3,000. So you’ve recouped over half your investment in one season, which means, by the second or third season, you’re well into profit.
Don’t forget insurance and risk mitigation. Renting gear means liability: Someone might damage equipment or get injured, or you could have theft/flood damage (especially near water). Get a business insurance policy that covers public liability, equipment damage and theft. If you use trailers or vehicles, you’ll need appropriate cover there too. Factor those premiums (which might be a few hundred to a few thousand per season, depending on value) into your cost structure so your return on investment (ROI) estimate stays realistic.
- Startup costs: $4,000 to $8,000 (equipment, storage, and transport).
- Steps to start: Buy small initial fleet, secure storage/transport, add liability waivers and insurance, market to tourists.
- Earning potential: Upward of $4,500 per season.
Outdoors guide
If you have hiking and camping experience and enjoy being outdoors, become a camping guide to help seasonal visitors make the most of their trips to your area. While summer camping is popular, winter-season camping offers snowshoeing, ice fishing, and more. If you have experience with kids, you can also sign up to be a local camp counselor for a seasonal job.
- Startup costs: $500 to$3,000 for gear, safety equipment, permits, insurance, and transport.
- Steps to start: Get certified in first aid/outdoor safety (WFR or CPR), pick a niche (day hikes, overnight treks, fishing, foraging), and market to tourists or out-of-town adventure seekers.
- Earning potential: $150 to $500 per guided trip for small groups, or $1,000 or more per weekend for overnight/extended experiences. Premium niches (backcountry, wildlife tours) can go even higher.
Mobile car wash
A mobile car wash is one of the lowest-barrier seasonal business opportunities because you’re bringing the service to the customer and you don’t need a storefront. All you really need is cleaning supplies, water access, and a way to get around. Busy professionals and parents love the convenience factor, and you can earn more by offering add-ons like waxing, interior detailing, or subscription-style “monthly shine” packages.
- Startup costs: $1,000 to $3,000 (pressure washer, soaps, towels, wet/dry vac, potentially a water tank).
- Steps to start: Advertise convenience (“we come to you”), bundle interior and exterior tiers, target office parks and HOA neighborhoods.
- Earning potential: Car detailers earn an average of $29.85 per hour.
Summer camp activities
You don’t need to run a full-blown camp to tap into summer camp demand. In fact, many parents just want safe, structured screen-free time for their kids.
You can host themed activity days (crafts, nature walks, sports tasters, STEM mini-projects), pop-up workshops, or weekly sessions in local parks or community centers. It’s a great fit if you already work with children in another capacity or are a stay-at-home parent, and once you have a reputation, word of mouth from parents can fill your calendar fast.
- Startup costs: $2,000 to $8,000 (venue, supplies, insurance, staffing).
- Steps to start: Choose age group and theme, secure permit/location, run sign-ups early, partner with schools or rec centers.
- Earning potential: 30 kids at $200 per week = $6,000 per week, often for six to eight weeks.
Event and wedding planning
Event and wedding planning is a classic seasonal business because demand spikes during warmer months when outdoor venues are in full swing.
Couples (and stressed hosts) are willing to pay for someone who can juggle vendors, timelines, décor, logistics, and keep everything running smoothly on the big day. You can start small with day-of coordination or elopement-style micro-weddings, then scale into full planning packages once you have relationships with venues and suppliers.
- Startup costs: $1,000 to $5,000 (portfolio website, marketing, travel, decor samples).
- Steps to start: Build vendor list, offer “day-of,” “partial,” and “full” planning tiers, network with venues/photographers.
- Earning potential: Wedding planners in the US earn an average of $70,596 a year.
Fall and winter business ideas
- Firewood sales
- Holiday decorator
- Snow removal services
- Tax preparation services
- Chimney sweeping
- Gift wrapping services
- Christmas tree farm
Fall and winter create strong demand for cozy, convenience-driven, and holiday-focused services, making them ideal seasons for businesses that help people stay warm, celebrate, or prepare for harsh weather.
Firewood sales
Looking for a winter business idea that keeps people warm during the cold months? Try selling firewood. Start small by collecting and chopping old trunks and stumps from friends and neighbors.
Remember, you can’t sell the wood right away unless you want to sell it cheaply as “green wood.” The best firewood is seasoned, or left to dry out, for at least six months for softwood (like cedar or spruce) or a year for hardwood (like oak or birch).
Once your wood is seasoned, sell the wood in bundles. If you have a pickup truck, offer local delivery for an extra fee. Pricing usually depends on species and dryness, but seasoned hardwood generally fetches a much higher price per cord or bundle than softwood. You’ll also need a dry, well-ventilated storage space (either a covered shed, lean-to, or stacked area with airflow) so moisture doesn’t undo all the seasoning time you invested.
- Startup costs: $1,000 to $3,000 (chainsaw, splitter, truck/trailer).
- Steps to start: Source/log wood early, season properly (six to 12 months), bundle and deliver locally.
- Earning potential: $8 per bundle x 500 bundles = $4,000; hardwood cords can sell for $200 to $400 depending on region.
Holiday decorator
Many people love the holiday season but prefer outsourcing some of the work, meaning there are plenty of unique business ideas you can try to make extra cash. Try holiday light installation or themed decorating for homes and commercial businesses. If you’re crafty, try custom ornament sales, holiday baking and decorating, or costume sewing.
For services like decorating or light installation, you can create simple tiered packages to make pricing feel clear and approachable.
For example, a basic package might cover indoor tree decorating or a small exterior light display, a standard tier could include both indoor and outdoor décor with setup and takedown, and a premium tier might include custom design, sourcing decorations, storage, and return visits for touch-ups. Some decorators also charge by home size or square footage, which can work well if you’re serving larger properties or commercial storefronts.
A great example of this is Courtney Warren, who charges up to $25,000 to decorate homes at Christmas.
- Startup costs: $500 to $2,000 (lights, ladders, safety gear, vehicle).
- Steps to start: Offer tiered decorating packages, start marketing by October, upsell takedown/storage add-ons.
- Earning potential: The average salary in the US for a holiday decorator is $58,290, though some charge up to $25,000 per home.
Snow removal services
If you live in an area with heavy snowfall, start a snow removal business to clear driveways, sidewalks, and steps. Many homeowners and local businesses pay a pretty penny for this service.
Be prepared for a significant initial investment in equipment (like a small tractor or plow attachment for a truck) if you plan on plowing large areas, and expect to work irregular hours to keep up with the weather.
You can charge either per visit (great for casual residential customers) or set up seasonal contracts that guarantee service whenever snowfall hits—a popular option for businesses and homeowners who don’t want to worry about calling each time. Contract models tend to be more reliable and protect your income during low-snow weeks, while per-service pricing usually commands a higher rate per visit but is less predictable overall.
- Startup costs: $10,000 to $30,000 (truck and plow or compact tractor).
- Steps to start: Offer seasonal contracts and an on-call service, partner with HOAs and commercial sites to start.
- Earning potential: 20 residential contracts at $300 to $600 can bring in $6,000 to $12,000, plus emergency callouts. The average hourly rate for a snow plow operator is $24.44.
Tax preparation services
In the US, taxes are due every year on April 15. Many individuals and business owners need help preparing and filing their taxes during tax season, so you can offer your skills with tax software as a seasonal consultant (and you can work from home while you do it).
To get started, apply for a preparer tax identification number (PTIN) through the IRS. You can also participate in the IRS’s Annual Filing Season Program to enhance your résumé.
- Startup costs: $100 to $1,000 (PTIN registration, tax software, liability insurance, basic training).
- Steps to start: Register for a PTIN via the IRS, choose a software platform, advertise to individuals or small businesses for filing season (January to April).
- Earning potential: $150 to $500 per return for individuals; $500 to $1,200 or more for small business filings.
Chimney sweeping
A chimney sweeping service is a great seasonal business idea in colder climates where homeowners rely on fireplaces or wood stoves through the winter.
The work involves clearing soot and blockages, checking for structural issues, and making sure flues and vents are safe. Because it’s tied to fire safety, many customers book annually as part of routine maintenance, which means lots of repeat business once you build a client base. You can also upsell related services like chimney caps, smoke tests, minor repairs, or draft fixes.
- Startup costs: $1,000 to $3,000 (ladders, brushes, vacuums, PPE).
- Steps to start: Get certified (if required), market late summer/fall, add upsells like chimney caps or repairs.
- Earning potential:$129 to $380 per chimney sweep.
Gift wrapping services
Gift wrapping is one of those holiday jobs lots of people love the result of but don’t actually enjoy doing. You can set up shop at local craft fairs, malls, or markets, or offer mobile/at-home wrapping services for busy parents or professionals, like Nifty Package Co.
It’s also a great add-on for online sellers. Many small ecommerce businesses actually partner with gift wrappers for a polished seasonal touch. Premium options like ribbon upgrades, custom tags, or themed wrapping styles (minimalist, luxe, kids’ characters, eco-friendly, etc.) are easy ways to increase your margins without much extra cost.
- Startup costs: $300 to $1,000 (premium papers, boxes, ribbons, booth fees).
- Steps to start: Offer pop-up booths or mobile wrapping, partner with local boutiques or ecommerce sellers.
- Earning potential: 50 gifts per week at $10 equals $2,000 per season, more with corporate contracts or luxury wraps.
Christmas tree farm
If you have access to land or are already thinking about agricultural side income, a Christmas tree farm can be a charming (and surprisingly profitable) seasonal business.
Trees take a few years to mature, but once they do, sales are consistent and can become a local community tradition. Some small farms also boost their revenue by selling wreaths, hot drinks like cider or hot cocoa, tree ornaments, photo op setups, or “cut your own” tree experiences.
- Startup costs: $5,000 to $20,000 or more (land prep, seedlings, irrigation, signage).
- Steps to start: Plant saplings (three- to eight-year maturity), create “experience-based” sales model (photos, cocoa, wreaths).
- Earning potential: $20 to $100 per tree. For example, 500 trees at $40 each equals $20,000, before add-ons.
Year-round businesses with seasonal peaks
- Food truck or booth
- Pet sitting services
- House care
- Plant sales
- Seasonal sport instructor
- Upcycling
- Specialty gift basket creation
Some businesses can run year-round but see big seasonal spikes, especially if they’re able to pivot their offering with the weather or major holidays to stay relevant and profitable across multiple seasons.
Food truck or booth
Mobile or pop-up food and beverage sales offer a great seasonal business idea, especially if you’re already in the restaurant industry. While startup costs can be significant (for necessities like ingredients, staff, the truck or booth), food trucks can bring significant revenue in a short span of time. You can advertise at events, farmers markets, or high-traffic areas.
Food trucks and booths aren’t just a summer thing: In the colder months, ask local skating rinks or ski resorts if you can set up a hot beverage stand on their property. Look into setting up your booth or truck at local events during various holiday seasons.
The Cheese Bar’s founder started with a simple food truck in London, validated the concept at a market stall, then expanded into full restaurants, retail locations, and an online subscription business.
A big part of staying profitable is adapting your menu to what people want at each point in the year. Summer menus tend to favor fresh, grab-and-go foods (think iced drinks, fruit bowls, tacos, lemonades, or sliders), while colder months are perfect for warm, comforting options like soups, hot chocolate flights, mulled cider, grilled cheese, or seasonal baked goods. You can also rotate limited-time flavors tied to local festivals or holidays, which makes customers more likely to return just to “catch” the menu before it’s gone.
- Startup costs: $20,000 to $100,000 (truck/trailer, licensing, equipment). Lower if it’s a seasonal booth or pop-up shop.
- Steps to start: Choose location circuit and seasonal menus, rotate with events and festivals, add holiday beverage pop-ups.
- Earning potential: Average revenue for a food truck in the US is $346,000.
Pet sitting services
When pet owners go out of town for summer break or winter holidays, they need reliable care for their animals. Pet sitting can be a great weekend side hustle you can do without needing to quit your day job. Offer in-home visits to feed cats and walk dogs, or turn your house into an all-inclusive pet hotel for drop-offs. With dedication, you can turn your seasonal pet-sitting gig into a full-time job.
- Startup costs: $0 to $1,000 (insurance, software, travel).
- Steps to start: Offer in-home care or boarding. Focus on market peaks, like school breaks, summer vacations, and winter holidays.
- Earning potential: $30 to $75 per night per pet.
House care
If you’re handy or have experience in home maintenance, start a home service business. In the summer, offer specialized services like painting, roofing, or window cleaning, and focus on weatherproofing in the fall and winter. You can also start a fencing business or an indoor cleaning business. Begin solo to minimize startup costs, and hire seasonal employees as your business grows.
- Startup costs: $500 to $5,000 depending on tools.
- Steps to start: Switch business offerings by season (e.g. painting/pressure washing in summer to winter-proofing/repairs in winter).
- Earning potential: Average rate is $23.44 per hour.
Plant sales
A great business idea leverages your skills. So, if you have a green thumb, why not sell plants? Sell cut flowers, vegetable starts, and herbs in the spring and summer months. In the winter months, run a Christmas tree farm or sell evergreen wreaths, depending on market demand.
- Startup costs: $500 to $5,000 (seedlings, soil, tables, displays).
- Steps to start: Sell seedlings in spring, flowers in summer, evergreen décor in winter.
- Earning potential: Can earn as much as $12,400 a month.
Seasonal sport instructor
If you excel in a seasonal sport—like swimming and surfing in the summer, or skiing and ice skating in the winter—offer your skills as a seasonal instructor to kids or beginners.
Start by reaching out to local venues—pools, beach clubs, ski resorts, or skating rinks—to see if they have open positions. With a strong health and fitness background, you can also offer personal training or one-on-one coaching.
- Startup costs: $200 to $2,000 (certification and equipment).
- Steps to start: Partner with local pools/ski clubs/rinks, sell private lessons or group clinics, get certified wherever necessary or beneficial.
- Earning potential: Ski instructors can get paid $18 or more an hour depending on experience and location.
Upcycling
As warm weather arrives, garage sales and flea markets thrive. Hunt for bargains, then clean, repair, and update the items to resell at a profit. Specialize in a niche—like wood furniture or vintage sweaters—to hone your expertise and market your business offerings to a narrower target market. You can resell your upcycled items locally or through your own ecommerce store.
- Startup costs: $200 to $2,500 (tools, materials, sourcing old items).
- Steps to start: Thrift/flea hunt, refinish, and resell online or at markets.
- Earning potential: Flipped items can often get a 300% return.
Specialty gift basket creation
Gift basket businesses do well around holidays and “gifting moments,” like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, graduations, new baby arrivals, or corporate thank yous. The beauty of this business idea is how customizable it is: You can create themed baskets based on interests (spa/self-care, foodie, pet parent, local artisan goods, eco-friendly products) or tailor them to specific occasions.
This is also a great low-risk seasonal business because you can start small and scale as demand grows. You don’t need a storefront as most orders can be handled online or through social media. Margins are often solid because presentation adds perceived value, and you can build partnerships with local makers or bakeries to stock your baskets at wholesale rates.
For pricing, many creators offer tiered packages like “simple,” “deluxe,” and “premium,” with optional personalization add-ons like name tags, handwritten notes, or custom product swaps.
- Startup costs: $300 to $2,000 (inventory, packaging, shipping supplies).
- Steps to start: Build themed bundles, partner with local makers, promote for holidays and corporate gifting.
- Earning potential: $40 to $150 per basket; 100 baskets in a season equals $4,000 to $15,000.
Off-season marketing and prep tips
Seasonal businesses don’t have to go quiet when the busy period ends. The off-season is where you can build momentum for your next peak. It’s the perfect time to plan, refine your offers, and stay visible so customers think of you first when demand comes back.
- Plan and test new offers. Use downtime to experiment with new packages, add-ons, or service tiers before next season.
- Tidy up your business operations. Service or upgrade equipment, restock supplies, create better workflows, or document processes so you can move faster when demand returns.
- Stay visible online. Share behind-the-scenes updates, educational posts, or light-touch “We’ll be back soon” content on social media or email.
- Build anticipation early. Run pre-booking offers, waitlists, or early-bird discounts to secure income and attract customers ahead of your busy season.
- Gather and apply feedback. Review what worked and what didn’t, then use that insight to improve customer experience or pricing.
- Partner with other brands. Team up with complementary businesses for cross-promos or bundled services.
- Diversify (lightly). Add a small off-season product or service to keep revenue coming in without losing focus or alienating your core audience.
Seasonal business ideas FAQ
How do I start a seasonal business?
Starting a successful seasonal business is similar to starting any other small business, but you need to plan for off-season considerations, like where to store your equipment or how to reduce year-round operational costs. You also need a strong local or digital marketing plan to attract customers and retain them year after year.
Are seasonal businesses profitable?
Yes, seasonal businesses can be profitable, as long as you maximize sales during the season and minimize costs during the off-season. If you’re worried about your cost-to-profit ratio, consider a seasonal business with minimal startup costs, like pet sitting, sports instructing, or tour guiding.
What are the challenges of running a seasonal business?
Even the best seasonal businesses can struggle with their boom-and-bust approach to profits and effort. During peak season, you may find yourself struggling to keep up with your busy schedule, while during the off-season you may have a hard time covering basic operational costs. Take these considerations into account when crafting your business plan.
What are the best businesses to start in winter?
The best winter business ideas are ones that solve cold-weather problems or tap into seasonal traditions. For example, a good winter business idea might involve seasonal services like snow removal, firewood sales, chimney sweeping, holiday decorating, gift wrapping, or mobile hot drink stands.
What are the most profitable seasonal businesses?
The most profitable seasonal businesses are those with high repeat demand and low ongoing costs, like landscaping, pool maintenance, equipment rentals, event planning, and holiday décor services. These businesses often generate strong revenue in a short window and can boost margins through contracts, upsells, or tiered service packages.
