I visited a coastal town that was put on the map by surfers. Surfing legend Bruce Brown was in search of filming the perfect wave when he came across Jeffreys Bay’s super tubes and Cape St Francis waves which were later renamed Bruce’s beauties in honour of him. The film Endless Summer romanticised surfing but also put Jeffries Bay and St Francis Bay on the international surfing map.
But the real development of Jeffreys Bay from a tiny coastal town with a few cottages and into a sprawling seaside resort was left to property developers. Large and small shopping malls are found in the suburb that sprawls from the coastline several kilometres back where houses upon houses have been built to get a part of the Jeffries Bay action.
Down in Da Gama Street where the retail action takes place the business is slow for the retail stores in winter. This is where the surf clothing shops, surf board and surfing stores and fish restaurants are located.
Yet, a coastal town like this relies on seasonal sales. The manager at one of the surf clothing factory shops told me that the best season is in summer and during the winter school holidays. You can visibly see the slowness of sales in this famous surfing town as surf clothing shops have a trickle of customers and in the restaurants it’s even less.
Some businesses have found the answer to managing the fluctuation in their sales because of seasonal business. I wouldn’t necessarily say that the best flourish during the off-peak periods but they remain robust and healthy, able to ride through the rough.
When you know how to deal with seasonal fluctuations in your sales, you stand a much better chance of long-run small business success. You are able to keep building your business and most importantly remain in the town where you love to work and live. Let’s face it, many of the small businesses in this seaside town of Jeffreys Bay are owned and staffed by people who love the seaside. They have a strong vested interest in making things work so that they don’t have to return to the big cities which offer a different lifestyle.
Those businesses that have found the secret to dealing with fluctuations in seasonal sales will tell you that the answer is simple: it requires creative imagination, discipline and planning. These are the keys that that help unlock the path towards a more even sales and cash flow.
I have six ways on how to smooth your sales and cash flow during off peak periods that I like to share with you. You won’t find these methods anywhere else. To get them all you need to do is to subscribe to Idea Accelerator. When you do, you will find tips, information, tools and tactics like these in my weekly email that goes out to subscribers only.
If you want these tactical, hands-on ideas to help your small business, then shake your surf booty and cruise on over to the subscribe panel on this page and I’ll send you the goodies.