15 Small Business Ideas for the Summer Season

Summer is just around the corner and with it come fantastic small business ideas. What does this mean? Well, it is the perfect time for business-savvy entrepreneurs to make quick money from the many unique business opportunities that present themselves during such a period. So don’t just dust off your bathing suit and your sunglasses, but your business hat too!

The Basics About Seasonal Businesses

Seasonal businesses provide services or products used during a specific time of a year, and they make significant incomes during the prime time. However, some seasonal businesses may operate year-round by minimizing costs during the other seasons. They can be great small business ideas if you're business savvy enough. Some seasonal businesses adjust to different customers or seasons to remain in business throughout the year while others close during “off-peak” seasons. Financial discipline, making the most of the peak season and capitalizing on off-season are some of the secrets for your small business to survive throughout the year. No doubt that seasonal business may offer more creativity, flexibility and extra income to the owner. Other advantages are:

• Make meaningful connections – The off-season time allows you to engage with your customers to inform them about your plans, news, and products. You can do this via social media platforms. Also, you can strategize your marketing campaigns to win more customers next season.
• Be innovative – Downtime helps you become better by taking critical on-line courses/training, researching your competitors, attending trade shows and spending money in professional development. Besides, it ensures that you get a vivid picture of what you can expect from your employees, plan needed stock carefully and upgrade your systems and technology.

A seasonal business is not like any other traditional business and is restrained by the time of a year. Some of the cons involved are:

• Inevitable financial downturns – The possibility or getting high profits during downtime is small. The off-season can significantly affect the business. Avoid overtrading and don’t forget to save some money to be used during slower periods (loans are great too).
• Stress – Seasonal business comes with stress, now this one doesn’t affect your business directly, but it affects you. Hiring employees, financial problems or looking for startup capital can be quite unnerving, and you need to be prepared for it.

A Christmas store is a perfect example of a seasonal business. It is a retail store that provides Christmas decorations, cards, angel figures, nutcrackers, and stuffed items. The store earns a lot of money during December (even during 1-2 months before the Christmas holiday). But it becomes difficult to operate during the other nine months of the year. There cannot be that many people that buy Christmas cards in July.

15 Summer Business Ideas

Looking forward to starting your own business and earning money this coming summer? Wondering which type of business can thrive during this season? Here are 15 small business ideas for the summer (though some can be profitable throughout the year):

1. Pool maintenance 🏊

Most people love swimming during the hot season. However, most pool owners don’t want to deal with pool maintenance. With the right tools required for pool cleaning and your know-how, you can provide this service. It only requires small startup capital, and you can operate from your house.

The upside is that pools need maintenance all year round, so you won’t find yourself starting a business that will just last for a couple of weeks.

2. Catering: barbecue 🍖

Do you love cooking? If yes, then this is the right business for you as you will have fun and enjoy what you do while earning money. Market your caterer skills and services at different gatherings. You can even have themed catering depending on the season: everyone loves a barbecue during the summer.

This is definitely one of the most delicious small business ideas for the summer.

3. Home rentals 🏘️

Renting your home or apartment is an excellent opportunity if you live in near holiday destinations receiving an untold number of tourists. You can make good money by renting them a room(s) or even the whole place. Apps like Airbnb have made this one of the most popular small business ideas. The advantage is that there is no capital required to start and no skills needed.

4. Tourism 🗺️🧭

If you love planning and tourism, this will be right up your alley.

If you are knowledgeable about historical sites, you can be a tour guide to help enlighten the tourists. Also, you can take them on other kinds of experiences, like camping, hiking and surfing. You can hire a bus to take the tourists to the destinations so that you don’t have to invest as much in this small business idea

5. Food truck 🚚🥡

One of the small business ideas that takes you to the beach, the park, concerts, and festivals. A food truck is great because you can just take it to where people are hungry (so anywhere!). You just need to be great at cooking and have a passion for food.

Food trucks have become more and more popular over recent years, so if your food is delicious, success will be in your pocket.

6. Summer camp 🏕️

It is an ideal business opportunity for any individual who is still a kid at heart. Ensure that you or your staff have the training for the type of games or services you provide. These can include a campfire, hiking, computer programming, performing arts, mathematics, or music among others.

Students will acquire vital skills and values and parents will be willing to spend for camping if that means keeping their kids happy during the season.

7. Ice cream, frozen yogurt or smoothie stand 🍦🥤

When it comes to summer small business ideas, this might be the most summery of them all.

You can start selling ice cream, frozen yogurt or smoothies. During the summer everyone’s hot and will buy anything refreshing in the glimpse of an eye. You can have different flavors for different customer’s preferences.

8. Tutoring 👨‍🏫

If you’re a teacher or college student who is looking to earn some money during summer, this might be one of the best small business ideas for you. Distribute flyers in your neighborhood so that you can get more kids to tutor. You can even engage in online tutoring after summer and continue earning throughout the year.

9. Landscaping 🌳🌲🌻🌹

Landscaping is a great small business idea for the summer that requires no special skills.

You can buy or rent the needed equipment (like a lawn aerating machine) and start working in no time. A truck could also be used for hauling garden mulch on gardens or lawns as required by the customers. You can offer different kinds of services, like gardening and mowing.

Even though you’ll get tons of customers during the summer, you’ll probably have too the rest of the year.

10. Swimming classes 👙

Starting a swimming school during summer can be a very successful summer small business idea.

All the kids will want to hang at pool parties, but many don’t know how to swim (and parents might not have the time nor patience to help them). That’s where you come in.

You can even continue to be in business throughout the year as children can keep attending your classes during weekends.

11. Car wash ✨🚗✨

We know, cars can get so filthy during the summer. And no one really likes driving around in a dust cloud. That’s where you come in.

Car washing is an ideal business because tons of people will want pristine cars.

You can continue with this business all-year round because even during rainy season cars also get dirty.

12. Pet sitter 🐶🐱

Many families go on vacation during summer, and the trip most likely will not include their pets. If you love animals and have experience keeping them happy and feeding them, you can earn some extra money.

People will always feel safer going on vacations knowing their pets are well taken care of. No startup capital required.

13. Photography 📸

If you are good at taking photos and you have a camera, why not turn this into a business opportunity?

There are a lot of events during the summer that you can photograph, like weddings. Make sure that you have a good camera and you know some photo editing programs to deliver beautiful and amazing photos.

14. Fireworks retailer 🎆🎇

Before you set up a shop to sell fireworks, make sure that the state permits you to sell such items. Fireworks are on high demand during warm seasons like summer. The initial cost for setting up the shop is low.

You’ll be sure to have a lot of clients on the 4th of July!

15. Moving services 🏡🚛🏠

Many individuals move into new houses/apartments during the summer period. Therefore, it is a busy period for those involved in real estate businesses.

If you have a truck to move household items, then you are good to go. Also, you can rent the truck if you don’t have one so that you incur a low cost when starting the business.

A Business for All Seasons

Regardless of your preference in small business ideas that peak during certain seasons of the year (cold or warm), a seasonal business can provide you with an opportunity to operate a profitable business. In order to have a profitable business, whether seasonal or year-round business, it is important for entrepreneurs to know their service/product, budget, customers and the overall market to improve their products/services or take advantage of any opportunities that may arise. Do not let a lack of or insufficient capital limit your entrepreneurial dreams. If you’re in need of extra money to grow your business, a small business loan could be just what you were looking for.

Learn how a business loan can help your seasonal business.

We will help you choose the loan that’s better suited for your business, just fill out our easy business loan application and you’ll be on your way to making your business thrive all year long!