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If you’re looking for ways to bring in a second source of income over wintertide, we’ve got you covered. Below are seven of the best winter season business ideas that capitalise on the major holidays, including Christmas, Halloween and Valentine’s Day.
Small business ideas for the winter season
1. Sell Christmas trees
This is one of the most obvious but rewarding Christmas business ideas and will be best suited to entrepreneurs who already have gardening or landscaping experience – or better yet, have their own warehouse or garden centre to use as a sales venue. You’ll have to start years in advance if you want to grow and sell your own Nordmann Firs or Norway spruces as it takes 6-8 years to grow them to a marketable height. However, buying from growers and reselling trees can still make you a decent income over the festive season. To make your business attractive to those that want something festive but not a full-size Christmas tree, consider selling other fern decorations too, like wreaths or decorative garlands.
2. Make and sell gift assortments
At Christmas time, everybody’s in a rush to find last-minute gifts for family, friends and colleagues. Make their lives a little easier by selling pre-wrapped gift baskets and assortments that they can easily pick from – complete with gift-wrapping, bows and ribbons. If you already run a business that’s just a little quieter in the winter months, consider offering a selection of your products in assembled gift boxes. Or, start from scratch and put together some classic gift items like candles, chocolates and soap for a lucrative side hustle.
And this idea isn’t reserved just for Christmas, with the addition of love hearts and rose petals, it can also double up as a Valentine’s business idea. Consider offering your gift baskets online too via an e-commerce store for added customer convenience. With Square, you can get a mobile-ready site up and running in minutes.
3. Sell mulled wine and eggnog
Another great Christmas business idea is selling hot, festive drinks, including mulled wine, hot chocolate and eggnog. You can set up a stall at a Christmas market or sell your liquid treats via food vans at events and festive venues, such as carol concerts, ski rinks or simply on the high street – which is bound to be heaving with Christmas shoppers. And with the Square terminal you can easily take card payments from customers from your stall or van.
4. Host seasonal events
If you’re lucky enough to own any kind of event space, the winter season is a great time to pull in extra income by hosting corporate Christmas parties and spooky Halloween costume parties. Corporate events tend to follow the same kind of themes and structures, so you can offer set menus and decoration options. Plus, they often take place on weekdays, meaning you can keep your event space free for other things, like weddings or birthday parties, on the weekends.
5. Home winter weatherproofing
With gas and electricity prices being what they are, people are keener than ever to weatherproof their homes and keep draughts out. So for those of you who have handyman skills, it could be a great winter business idea to offer home weatherproofing services to clients looking to heat their homes more economically. If you can waterproof surfaces too, this could be a great business idea for the rainy season.
6. Wreath and Christmas decorations
If you’ve got a background in floristry or arts and crafts, you could put your creativity to good use and set up a small business that makes and sells wreaths, Christmas floral arrangements, garlands, baubles and tinsel. You’ll need to have funds to cover the cost of materials to get started, but since artisanal Christmas gear often goes down a treat at Christmas markets, you should quickly make your money back – and some. Selling online, on marketplaces like Etsy, via social media or your own e-commerce site can also help boost sales. And whether you’re selling in person or online, with Square, you can take payments quickly, easily and securely.
7. Event and home decoration
Companies and households alike tend to host parties over the winter period, whether that’s for Halloween, Christmas or New Year’s. If you have a flair for interior decoration, this presents a great opportunity for using your skills to earn some extra income by garnishing people’s homes or event spaces for celebrations and get-togethers.
8. Personal training
Capitalise on the ‘new year new me’ trend by launching a personal training side gig. If you have gym experience and the right qualifications, you could offer your services to people looking to get in shape. This could be either in a sports facility if you have a contract or agreement with the owner, in public parks or in people’s homes.
9. Professional organiser
With all the gift buying, decorations and large food hauls that go on over Christmas, many find their homes and larder cupboards quickly overrun with items. If you have a natural gift for tidying and organising, consider offering your services to those looking to better organise their living space in the post-festive period.
10. Start a greetings card business
If you have knowledge and skills in graphic design or illustration, you could turn your creative talents into a card design business. With Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s and Valentine’s Day all falling in the Winter period, there’s plenty of opportunity to tailor your cards to the season’s event calendar.
Whether you’re looking for a lucrative side hustle or a new entrepreneurial venture, there are plenty of great winter business ideas to choose from. And with Square POS, you can easily take payments, and keep track of sales, records and inventory wherever you are.
