Seasonal strategies

On hot summer days Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream is bustling with customers eager for cold treats.

But in blustery December, it's a little tougher to coax folks through the door. So two years ago Ben Larson, owner of Ben & Jerry's franchises in Reno and Sparks, tried something new - holiday pies. He and his wife, Teresa Moiola, created the recipes using flavors of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Sales took off, and this year pie revenue is up 200 percent over last season. Spurred by that success, Larson is now launching a holiday gift box program, featuring ice cream gift certificates, T-shirts, hot-fudge sauce and other products.

Whether selling ice cream in blizzards or Christmas ornaments in February, seasonal businesses must be creative and savvy to make a go of it year round.

A key strategy is diversification. The 40-year-old Moana Nursery, for instance, has added several businesses in the last two decades to boost revenue in the off-season. Its florist and indoor greenhouse bring in customers year-round, with revenue peaking in January and February when the nursery plant business is at its slowest, says owner Bruce Gescheider.

Ten years ago after the nursery let the Boy Scouts use its parking lot to sell Christmas trees for a fund-raiser, the business started a highly successful tradition of carrying unique Christmas ornaments and decor in its gift shop. Five years ago, it started Moana Bright Lights, a service that puts up, takes down and stores Christmas lights for homeowners and businesses. Moana Nursery's landscaping business also helps balance the year out, with high demand in winter for snow removal and rock work.

Bobo's Mogul Mouse Ski & Patio started as a ski shop in 1968. Owner Robert "Bobo" Sheehan, an Olympic ski team coach, tried adding other sports equipment through the years to bring in business in the summers, but nothing stuck. Then 17 years ago, Bobo's moved from Wells Avenue to its current location and acquired a patio furniture business. Now the business, owned by Bobo's son Steve Sheehan and Mary Weneta, makes an almost seamless transition twice a year between ski equipment and patio furniture.

During the winter, the store receives patio furniture inventory at its warehouse. Then in the first or second week of April, it begins the transition to summer.

"We do the full transition in a matter of about a week," says marketing director Lynette LaCert. "It's really smooth."

The store holds its annual end-of-season patio furniture sale over Labor Day weekend and starts moving in the ski equipment the next week.

Although it came second, the patio furniture is the business's bread and butter, LaCert says. Reno is a strong market for outdoor furniture, and the business requires half the staff of the ski business. Bobo's ramps up to 50 workers in the winter, but LaCert says, the business hasn't had any trouble finding good employees who love to ski and share their knowledge with customers.

Financial and management savvy are other keys to success. Moana Nursery does staff training and has its employees take their vacations during the off-season.

Larson's Ben & Jerry's franchises hold summer profits in reserve and maintain less inventory in the winter. This allows the stores to use smaller freezers and shut off the big freezers to save money. "It's a matter of managing all the little details," Larson says.

Good customer service and a strong local following have helped Forever Christmas in Virginia City stay in business the last 19 years. The business' busiest time isn't in December, but rather in the summer tourist season. The shop carries a large inventory of unique ornaments, some handcrafted by the staff. The slowest months are in the winter after Christmas. Owner Merla Drake says she simply tightens the belt during the slow times but she never lays anyone off.

"If they help me make money in the summer, they're going to be here in the lean times, too," Drake says.

Finally, some businesses whose industries are seasonal manage to buck the trend and stay busy all year long. Tropical Penguin Scuba in Reno is one. The business teaches scuba diving throughout the year, and its equipment sales stay relatively steady. Owner Kevin Schwartz says when it gets cold here, residents come to the store to prepare for travel to warm locales.

"Our industry as a whole always becomes slower in the winter, but for us it's a busy time of year," he says.