6 seasonal strategies for small businesses in 2025

Business name
Despina Karatzias
Last updated date
8 Apr 2025

Despina Karatzias, founder of the Institute of Excellence, shares 6 tips to help businesses master the seasonal trends in their industry.

Before we dive in, let’s start with a light one. 

Why did the seasonal business bring sunscreen to the strategy meeting?

Because they were planning for a hot quarter.

(Okay, we promise that’s the only joke.)

Running a small business isn’t for the faint-hearted, but if you’re reading this, you already know that.

As the current Victorian Small Business Commissioner, Lynda McAlary-Smith, once said, ‘You don't start a small business for an easy life. You start one for an inspired life.’

And she’s right. Running a small business means constantly growing, adapting, and learning to ride the ups and downs of seasonal demand.

a bartender and a customer in a fancy restaurant

The good news? With the correct planning, partnerships, and a proactive mindset, seasonality doesn’t have to be a challenge. It can be one of your business’s greatest strengths.

Here’s how to make seasonality work for you no matter the time of year.

1. Plan like the pros (and far in advance)

Some music artists release their Christmas albums earlier than everyone else. Even if they hit shelves in November, those albums were likely recorded, mastered and scheduled months in advance, probably back in the previous year’s winter.

Small businesses can learn from this.

If you want to run a strong summer sale or finish the year with a high-impact Christmas promotion, don’t wait until December. Plan now and work backwards. Set a live date for your campaign. This will give yourself enough time to create content, set up systems, create a clear call-to-action and set some targets.

Here’s a hint: If it doesn’t get scheduled, it won’t get done.

Some ideas to start working towards start with key moments like:

2. Get strategic with partnerships and events

The more connected you are to your local business ecosystem, the more opportunities you’ll see and the easier it’ll be to create buzz, even if your core offering is seasonal. You don’t have to go it alone. Aligning your business calendar with your local council or region’s event calendar. This is a smart way to stay visible and relevant. It’s a great way to pick up business during off-peak periods.

Teaming up with others in your local area can help everyone stay busy and visible during slower seasons. Here are some ways you can connect with local organisations.

Partner with local businesses: a cafe could partner with a florist for a seasonal Mother’s Day pop up. A fitness studio might collaborate with a nearby beauty salon for a winter wellness promo.

Tap into community events: there's always something happening – from farmers’ markets, food and music festivals to sporting club grand finals. Align your promotions or pop-ups when your local area is at its busiest.

Join local business groups: this is a great way to stay connected with what’s happening and find others to collaborate with you.

The more connected you are to your local business ecosystem, the more opportunities you’ll see and the easier it’ll be to create buzz, even if your core offering is seasonal.

3. Create seasonal content that connects

Seasonal content is one of the easiest ways to stay visible, relevant and top of mind. Especially when people are actively searching for gifts, events, or experiences tied to a moment in time.

Your content strategy should strike a balance between the following:

  • Evergreen content: the stuff that stays relevant all year round. For example, your About us page or customer FAQs.
  • Seasonal content: timely posts, landing pages, or videos that tap into current trends, holidays, or events.
  • Branded content: like many small businesses, you don’t have an in-house designer. There are free creative sites like Canva that can create engaging visual content with customisable templates. They are also great for generating social media marketing graphics.

Don’t forget to optimise your website too—seasonal keywords, festive hashtags and search-friendly pages can make all the difference when customers go hunting online for what you offer.

Think of it as your ‘findability strategy’. When people are searching for things like ‘Easter chocolate in Melbourne’, you want your business to show up.

Here’s a great example: Coated, a Melbourne-based chocolate company.

They recently announced a pop-up store for their limited-edition Easter campaign. Their Easter launch wasn’t just about selling chocolate, it was about creating an experience.

They teased it on social media with engaging behind-the-scenes videos of their journey setting up a new space and seasonal messaging building excitement well before Easter arrives.

For more information on what Coated did in their campaign, visit the Coated website.

What can you take from that?

Seasonal content doesn’t mean changing your whole business. It means aligning what you already do with what your customers are already thinking about.

You don’t have to sell chocolate to tap into seasonal moments by sharing themed gift guides, local event tips, or how-tos that tie back to your offering.

And don’t forget to revisit your seasonal content each year. Update the copy, refresh your images, fix broken links, and make sure it still hits the mark.

If you think you’ve got outdated content on your website, there are plenty of free broken link checkers that you can use to keep your website up to date

4. Diversify your revenue streams

Look at what complements your primary offering and fills the seasonal gaps.

Here are some ideas:

  • A wedding photographer could offer branding shoots for local entrepreneurs in the off-season.
  • A summer tourism operator might develop local history walks or workshops for cooler months.
  • A retail store could move into online sales to find a new stream of income selling products or services via their website or local marketplaces Madeit Australia, Buy From The Bush or Kogan – these are great alternatives to Etsy, Amazon, Airbnb or eBay.

The key takeaway and reminder are that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel, just spin it in a new direction.

5. Know your numbers, know your game plan

If seasonality affects your income, you need to know:

  • your monthly break-even point
  • how to structure payment plans or subscriptions to flatten revenue dips.
  • when and where cash flow tightens
  • what expenses can be shifted or reduced.

Stretching cash flow isn’t just about cutting costs, it’s about being proactive. Pre-paying expenses, reviewing supplier terms, or bundling services can help you avoid the crunch.

Seasonal business or not, cash flow is everything.

Map out your revenue peaks and drops, and plan accordingly. That might mean:

  • offering subscriptions or memberships to spread income across the year
  • pre-paying expenses when cash is strong
  • cutting non-essential costs in off-seasons
  • negotiating flexible terms with suppliers.

Even reviewing your app subscriptions and software tools can uncover sneaky recurring costs that add up over time.

6.  Incentivise during the quiet times

When it’s slow, don’t go quiet, get creative.

Incentives don’t need to be huge discounts. Sometimes it’s about smart offers that spark engagement and drive pre-bookings or future sales. A few ideas include:

  • ‘book now, use later’ offers (perfect for services or experiences)
  • free upgrades or add-ons during low-traffic months
  • open-dated or monetary gift vouchers for birthdays or holidays
  • bundles with products or services you want to promote during quiet times.

The goal is to stay relevant, build relationships, and smooth out your income between peaks.

Managing seasonal business doesn’t put you at a disadvantage, it puts you in sync with your customers, your community, and the natural flow of the year.

Recap with your seasonal success checklist.

Seasonality doesn’t have to be a hurdle, it can be your superpower.

Here's what to keep in focus:

  • Plan early and work backwards: campaigns that hit hard are never last-minute.
  • Stay on top of your numbers: know your break-even point and stretch your cash flow between peaks.
  • Align your business with key seasonal and local events: don’t miss the moments your customers already care about.
  • Design your visuals and messaging in advance: a strong seasonal look adds instant relevance.
  • Use downtime wisely: strategise, tidy up your systems, check your cash flow, and get ahead.
  • Tup locally: collaborations and community events keep your brand active and visible.
  • Offer timely incentives: smart promos and gift vouchers keep revenue flowing in quiet times.
  • Diversify where it makes sense: add complementary products or services to fill the gaps.

And finally, own your role in your local economy. Whether you’re buzzing at Christmas or booming in the winter months, your small business contributes to the heartbeat of your community. That’s something to be extremely proud of.

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