Getting Started As A Seasonal Adventure-Guru
You love to travel, right? You’re an experienced globetrotter, and already know all the secrets to making the most out of a journey. You’ve been high in the mountains, deep in the jungle, and now it’s time for you to lead others to these amazing destinations (and earn yourself some extra cash) with a seasonal adventure business. Now before you dismiss the idea outright with the usual pessimistic response (I don’t know how to manage a business!) – take note that the concept of female-led adventure travel isn’t just a fantasy. Getting into business, while sometimes risky, is a rewarding endeavor provided you plan appropriately and know something of what to expect.
Starting your business is one of your first hurdles. There’s the obvious stuff you’ll need to do like selecting a name, creating a website, and getting logos and other graphic design work done. There’s also less obvious stuff you might not have thought necessary. You don’t want to go in blind, so you’ll have to do some initial research: Who is your competition? How can you stand out? How many employees will you need, etc.? Will you need an office? You’re going to be out in the field traveling quite a bit, so the option of doing your “business administration” at your home could be feasible. It’s an excellent strategy for keeping overheads to a minimum.
Before plunging headfirst into the cold business waters, you’ll have to analyze the market. You have a hunch that there is demand for your adventure services, but is it in your particular locality? Maybe you’ll have to target a wider range to attract the clientele you seek. Knowing that will also affect your advertising strategy: strictly local? Regional? National? Will you use print ads? Television? Or go online? That in itself poses another layer of complexity, as there is an endless supply of avenues through which to advertise on the internet. Finding the one that suits you will take some careful consideration. There’s also legal mumbo jumbo to sort through to officially incorporate as a business, but thanks to various online services, it’s actually a lot easier to break down all that legalese than it was in the past.
Once you’re official, the task of operating your seasonal business is underway. Your chosen business model has a series of pros and cons, but a few things often cited by owners of seasonal operations are:
Having to ramp up for the busy season. Typically speaking, most (if not all) of a seasonal business’ income is made during one part of the year (the season) where this business is in high demand. With that comes the ability to plan for it in advance, and lay down strategies to help cope with the (hopefully) large influx of work, but it is daunting, especially if you are trying to tackle it all alone. You should consider hiring a solid team to help you plan and operate some of the business aspects of your service, and you’ll need to maximize your earnings during the busy season so that you can make it through your cold months with cash to spare.
Speaking of those cold months, they present another challenge for owners of seasonal businesses. Do you have another job that you work during the off-season? If so, that’s helpful for keeping money coming in, but it also distracts from planning for your seasonal business, your real passion (or so we should hope). Also, trying to find alternate employment flexible enough to line up with your off-season is challenging. It’s not often that you can customize the dates and hours you will be working a job to align perfectly with your own schedule.
Seasonal business owners are also in perpetual worry of something unforeseen that will cripple their revenue and make them unable to recover enough to keep their dream solvent. It’s a grim reality, but one that can in some cases be assuaged by alternative funding sources, like working capital loans. Banks will at times be leery of the seasonal business crown, but there are lenders that not only accommodate, but specialize in helping seasonal businesses out in a pinch.
It’s a path fraught with potential danger, but at the same time, outstanding reward.So if you’re up for the challenge and have the skills and foresight to handle the obstacles, you could get to run your own seasonal adventure travel business in short order.
