Summertime, and the livin’ is far from easy for small-business owners who experience a seasonal surge in demand. Being faced with a significant increase in sales is a nice problem to have, as long you prepare and can rise to the challenge. Attracting more customers or selling more to your existing punters isn’t something you can take for granted, even if your products or services are more popular in summer.
Sustainable summers
Douglas Robertson-Ritchie started Crabbieshack in 2013 and has been selling such mouthwatering delights as soft-shell crab burgers, with a salad of Nori seaweed, apple, white cabbage and spring onion, Sriracha mayonnaise and fries, ever since.
On Thursdays the Folkestone-based, award-winning mobile food vendor sells at street food festival Kerb in London, which is close to Billingsgate Market. It’s also here that Robertson-Ritchie buys fresh crab and lobster. Summer is an important time for business, which can be quiet in the cooler months. “Business doesn’t really take off until April, and my busy period lasts until September. Winter is a struggle, which is why summer takings must help to sustain my business throughout the year.”
This summer Crabbieshack will also sell at festivals such as Glastonbury (“that’s the best – although it was very wet this year”), Henley Regatta and Wilderness. The extra travel makes Robertson-Ritchie’s day even more arduous. “I get up at 5am; drive to Billingsgate; then pick up from other suppliers; and drive to where I can be working until midnight. Then I have to drive back to Folkestone and do it all again the next day. But I’m not complaining,” he smiles. “I love my job. It involves food, travel, working outdoors and meeting people…. And having lots of sales to deal with is a far nicer problem than having too few sales.”
Robertson-Ritchie says sound planning and preparation is essential, especially when you’re a mobile business. “Even when I’m busy working on site, other admin tasks don’t stop,” he adds. “My wife helps with social media marketing, especially on Instagram and Twitter. You must let people know where you’ll be and why they should come and find you.”
Once you’re at an event and your customers know where to find you, it’s imperative that they’re able to pay for your goods or service. And Robertson-Ritchie says the increase of such events in the summer can lead to cash flow challenges. “You need enough cash to cover your increased outgoings. And the more you sell, the bigger the cash flow challenge. You must also remember to take along enough change for customers, which is why I love card payments so much – they make life much easier. Many customers prefer to pay by card these days.”
A 2016 survey by Barclaycard, involving more than 2000 consumers, found that 76% of respondents said being able to pay via credit or debit card was important, rather than worrying about carrying cash. If they can’t, there’s a real chance you could lose their custom. Think about ways to minimise waiting time too, particularly if it’s a popular event: “People today expect an effortless way to pay – one that cuts queue times,” says Sharon Manikon, director of payment solutions for Barclaycard. “For many, contactless is the solution.”
Making the most of seasonal events
Many small businesses will have welcomed the additional boost to their sales that the Euro 2016 tournament brought. One of them is The Tollgate Inn, a popular country pub and restaurant that dates back to the 16th century, which stands in the Wiltshire village of Holt, seven miles outside Bath.
Recently married couple, Mark and Laura Hodges, have been running the Tollgate since 2012. “Trade is reasonably steady throughout the year, but our monthly sales increase by about 25% during the summer,” says Mark. “Previously, I owned another pub and sporting events, especially football, make a massive difference to sales.” The Tollgate’s award-winning dining room also gets much busier during the summer, but the Hodges have been running a special pint and burger promotion in the bar during the Euros.
“On Friday evenings in July we’re also holding a barbecue and live music promotion,” he continues. “The previous three years we’ve done it and it’s worked very well. The summer can provide the perfect opportunity to do things you can’t do during the rest of the year – weather permitting.”
The Tollgate reaches out to customers via its Facebook page, but more traditional methods are also used to attract passing trade. “Display boards outside let passers-by know about special promotions and events. We also do postcard drops in the village.”
Barclaycard research found that 20% of consumers feel less thrifty during the summer, and 28% will spend more on leisure activities than any other time of the year, so it’s the ideal time to launch promotional offers to encourage spending around events or the warm weather.
A key concern is making sure Hodges has enough staff to cope with increased demand. He strongly believes in maintaining quality, no matter how frantic business gets during the summer. “Every customer should still get the same high level of service and quality – consistency is crucial. If our food or service fell short because we overbooked, people wouldn’t come back. Of course you have to try to make hay while the sun shines – but not if your customer experience suffers as a result,” he says.
Recipe for success
West London-based Olly Hiscocks is a self-confessed olive fanatic. On a mission to “give the olive market the shake-up it needed, to add colour, character as well as fresh and flavoursome innovation”, in the summer of 2014 he started Olly’s Olives. He sells his boxed marinated olives online and through numerous retailers.
“I sold twice as many olives during the first two weeks of June compared to the whole of February,” Hiscocks says. “People enjoy olives throughout the year in the UK, but my sales increase significantly during the summer.”
Proper planning is essential if you are going to be able to meet increased summer demand, he advises. “We have a great olive supplier who is well aware of the increase in demand for olives in summer. However, you also have to consider other things, such as pots, packaging and extra hands to help prepare your products.”
“Some retailers insist on two month’s credit, which means you must wait 60 days or more for payment, after having paid your suppliers. Buying in greater volume makes this problem worse, because you’re paying more out and having to wait for money to cover this and your other expenses.”
But Hiscocks believes in consistently working hard, so that when summer comes round you’re well placed to maximise sales. “Get out there in the sun – make the most of the weather to tell people about your business,” he enthuses. “Food businesses and others can attend summer events and markets to attract new customers.”
“Recently I purchased an old-school ice cream bike, which I’m giving an Olly’s Olives makeover,” he reveals. “I’ll be using it to go around London to give out free samples. I’ll also be meeting potential new stockists. And to sell more online, I’ve run social media campaigns to coincide with Euro 2016, Wimbledon and the Rio Games. You have to make the most of such opportunities,” he says.
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Please note that the views expressed in this article are personal opinions. Barclaycard cannot accept any responsibility or liability for reliance by any person on this article or any of the information set out in it.
