Summer’s Great, But What About Winter?

Managing Cash Flow When Your Income is Seasonal (aka the Outdoor Biz Curse)

Running an outdoor business is awesome. Sunny days, happy customers, money flowing in while the lake’s full or the trails are busy.

But then winter shows up like an uninvited guest... and the income slows to a trickle (or a frozen halt). Welcome to the seasonal business curse.

The good news? With the right cash flow plan, you can make it through the off-season without stress—or selling off your best kayak.

1. Face the Seasonal Reality (Don’t Ignore It)

First step: admit you’re seasonal.

Too many outdoor business owners plan like they’ll make summer money all year long...and get shocked in January when the bank account dips.

Your cash flow plan has to match the reality: busy months feed the quiet ones. Like a squirrel saving nuts for winter, your summer profits must cover your whole year—not just June through September.

2. Know Your Fixed Costs Cold

Whether you’re renting kayaks or leading hikes, some bills don’t care what season it is:

✔ Storage fees

✔ Insurance premiums

✔ Loan payments

✔ Website & software costs

List these “must-pay” expenses. These are the baseline numbers you must plan to cover—even if the snow is falling and no one's booking tours.

3. Build a Simple, Seasonal Budget

Here’s the truth: your busy season has to cover more than just itself.

Let’s say you have 6 strong income months and 6 slow ones. The money you make in those 6 needs to stretch across all 12. Divide your planned yearly expenses by 12 to get a "monthly survival number"—and check if summer’s income will really carry the weight.

💡 Pro Tip: Open a separate savings account labeled “Winter Fund” and move a percentage of each summer deposit there. Make it untouchable until off-season hits.

4. Don’t Forget About Off-Season Opportunities

Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean all income has to stop.

Can you:

✔ Sell gear or branded merchandise online?

✔ Offer winter tours, indoor classes, or safety workshops?

✔ Do off-season equipment repairs or rentals?

✔ Sell early bird gift cards for next season?

Even small winter revenue can make a big difference.

5. Watch the Burn Rate

When income slows, you have to keep a close eye on spending. Cut or pause:

✔ Unused software subscriptions

✔ Marketing campaigns that won’t drive off-season sales

✔ Non-essential supplies or equipment orders

Lean and mean is the name of the winter game.

6. Forecast Like Your Business Depends On It (Because It Does)

A simple cash flow forecast—even in Excel or Google Sheets—can show when you’ll run short, and how much summer profit to set aside.

No need for fancy software (unless you like that)—just map out:

✔ Expected income per month

✔ Fixed costs

✔ Optional expenses

...and see how the winter shakes out before you get there.

The Bottom Line: Summer Doesn’t Last Forever

But your business can.

✔ Plan for 12 months, not 6.

✔ Save from your strong months to carry the weak ones.

✔ Get creative in the off-season.

✔ Watch spending like a hawk when income slows.

Do this, and winter won’t feel so cold—or stressful.

Need help building a simple seasonal cash flow plan? I help outdoor businesses like yours smooth out the bumps and stay profitable all year. Let’s chat before next winter sneaks up.