Generating Seasonal Profits Via Franchising
Franchise businesses can be classified based on various parameters. Season or the period when the profits in a particular franchise business reaches its peak time is called the Seasonal franchising. However, that does not mean that the business will generate profits only during particular period. Seasonal franchise businesses are best suited for entrepreneurs who can spare few months during the year to experience entrepreneurship. Through this article an effort has been made to identify which are the most popular seasonal franchise opportunities from Indian perspective.
Seasonal franchises businesses
As it is well known franchising is broadly classified into product and service franchises. Service franchising includes the various businesses that offer services to its customers like F&B, health and beauty, education, fitness franchises etc. Product franchise businesses on the other hand would mainly include apparel, consumer durables, etc. Explore these services based seasonal franchise opportunities in India
Ice-cream franchises: During summer season (mainly March to June) the most profitable seasonal franchise opportunity is considered to be Ice creams. Very few can resist a bite of this mouth watering delicacy. Ice-cream franchise witnesses tremendous growth during summer months. According to official spokesperson, Hindustan Unilever (Kwality walls’s), “Summers are the months that see the highest consumption of Ice creams. One is due to the obvious factor – the high temperatures in India. However, it is also important to note that summers as well as other holiday seasons see a spurt in sales due to high propensity for consumers to visit malls and shopping centers for regular shopping.” It is basically in the summer months that people prefer eating a lot of ice-creams. Therefore it can be under the category of seasonal franchises. The most prominent ice cream franchise players are Amul, Kwality Walls, Baskin Robbins, MimiMelts, Vadilal’s etc.
Dry-cleaning industry: Another industry is the dry-cleaning industry. This industry generates more profits in winters as compared to summer months. In winters there is more need of sending clothes like sweaters, coats, jackets as well as blankets etc for dry-cleaning as they cannot be washed at home. The dry-cleaning industry also sees more profits at wedding seasons, when lots of expensive clothes have to be cleaned. Rajeev Sekhri, Vice President, White Tigers Laundry Services shared, “The laundry and dry cleaning is a service based concept. Moreover dry cleaning is a seasonal business that faces lean period in summers and high profits in winter months.” Some of the prominent players in Dry-cleaning franchising are White Tigers, Wardrobe, Four Seasons Dry Cleaning Pvt. Ltd.
Hotel and travel industry: Hospitality and travel industry is another seasonal franchise business. The peak period for such businesses is during summer vacation and Christmas and New Year eve. People plan there holidays and travelling during this time. However, travelling services are utilised all through-out the year but holidays is the peak time. The most significant players players in hospitality franchise domain are Choice Hotels, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Claridges Hotels and Resorts etc while Arzoo.com, Makemytrip.com, Go World holidays, Ease My Trip etc come under travel franchises.
Financial service industry: Financial services are also seasonal businesses. As informed by CS Chaudhary, Director, CFS Financial Services, “We have more of work during the months of October to December as financial activities take place during Diwali and Christmas and also people make financial investments during this time. Moreover the foreign financial investors close their books during the month of December. We also see more work in end of February after the budget is released.” Sykes &Ray Equities, ICICI Securities, CFS Financial Services, SKI Capital Services Ltd, Kotak Securities etc are some of the prominent players in this sector.
So if you aspire to fulfill your dream of entrepreneurship but do not have enough time and do not have any intentions of quitting your current job then seasonal franchise businesses are best suited to you. These businesses can make profits throughout the year but peak point of profits is guaranteed during certain months in a year. Therefore owning a franchise of a seasonal business is a profitable venture for all aspiring entrepreneurs, especially for women entrepreneurs also.
