As the head of a seasonal product business (mid-autumn festival, Tet holiday…) for many years, I have experienced many feelings of impasse. Every season comes, work is busy, orders come in, the team works hard, but the results after those months of “racing” make me sad: how much have I grown? Customers just come and go, the brand is not sustainable, and every time the season ends, everything is “reset”, from customer data to business plans. Every year starts over from the beginning.
I believe that many other seasonal product businesses are in the same situation. Why is that? I had to take the time to look back and reflect on the whole process, and finally realized: the problem is not the effort or the amount of work, but the direction of development and long-term sustainable operating strategy.
Why do seasonal businesses easily fall into a vicious cycle?
A common reality is that businesses that sell seasonal products often fall into a state of “sprinting” every time the season comes, then “hibernating” when the season ends. When the season comes, they are busy: preparing products, running ads, recruiting collaborators, shipping, taking care of customers. But when the season is over, most of them stop, there is no activity to maintain the connection with customers, causing the brand to be forgotten and have no foundation for sustainable development.
I used to feel very stressed every season, having to work hard to secure orders, but at the same time worrying about not being able to retain customers or build long-term relationships. Then when the season passed, everything seemed to fall into a state of “silence” for the whole year, the team quickly lost motivation and connection.
How did I change my mindset?
The biggest turning point came when I realized that “just do it and forget it” wasn’t the only way to successfully sell seasonal products. Instead, I needed to create a journey that lasted 12 months – even if the main product was only popular for 1–2 months.
I started by setting a clear strategic direction for each period of the year, not forgetting the seemingly “off-season” times to maintain customer connection and build my brand.
June–July: Focus on market research, collect feedback from the previous season, and plan new product and packaging development. This is also the time to start “teaser” communications for the next season, creating curiosity and anticipation.
August: Launch an early booking campaign with attractive offers, increase interaction on fanpages and social media channels, develop content related to culture and product stories.
September–October: This is the peak sales season, all resources are focused on customer care, order processing, and after-sales service. At the same time, I pay attention to collecting customer data and product feedback to prepare for the next steps.
November–December: Not sitting still, I maintain light activities such as sharing behind-the-scenes, baking recipes, traditional stories, creating emotional attachment with customers.
January–May: In the “off-season” months, I invest in developing new products, organizing mini games, customer surveys, refreshing the brand identity, and building a human resources plan, training the team to prepare for the next season.
Big Lesson: Building a Brand and an Operational System
I also realized that maintaining a consistent brand throughout the year is a prerequisite for customers to remember me. There is no longer a situation of “disappearing after the harvest season”, but instead, fanpages and websites always have valuable content, not only about sales but also about culture, lifestyle, and experiences related to the product.
At the same time, I built a systematic operating system: processes, checklists, sample files, customer management tools (CRM), helping the team operate more effectively, avoid dependence on individuals and maintain stability through each season.
Accumulate profits and reinvest for the future
One thing I learned is that you cannot use all of your seasonal profits for personal expenses or emotional investments. I always set aside a portion of my profits to reinvest in product upgrades, packaging, team training and marketing.
This helps each business season not just be a flash in the pan but a stepping stone for the brand to develop, retain customers and grow steadily.
And you need to…
If you are a seasonal business owner and feel stuck, I want you to know that you are not alone. The most important thing is not to “run really fast” in the season, but to have a clear direction, a plan to maintain and develop the brand all year round, build an operating system and invest for the long term.
Don’t let each season go by like a cycle without progress. Think about your brand’s journey, not just for a few months, but for the whole year, and many years to come.
For me, when I do this, things start to change in a positive direction, and I believe you will find a solid direction for your business too.
