12 Profitable Business Ideas for the Christmas Season

Regardless of the pandemic, Filipinos will celebrate Christmas in whatever way they can. We are looking for a more festive Christmas this year than last year’s. The government has eased pandemic restrictions.

With this situation, the opportunity to make extra money this Christmas season is there. You only need to imagine the need that you believe you can fill. 

Here are 12 profitable business ideas this Christmas season.

1.  Christmas Delicacies and Food Products

Filipino Christmas celebration is never complete without food. And we have some specialties. 

So, if you have the talent for cooking, put it into use in cooking them. However, if you do not have the skill, partner with someone.

Our number one favorite is lechon. Filipinos consider lechón as the “Star ng Noche Buena” (Star of the Christmas Eve celebration). Depending on your customers, you sell whole or by the kilo.

You can also sell the smaller sibling of the lechon, the lechon belly. Considering that Filipinos are scrimping on their money, the lechon belly is suitable. You might get more customers to buy the lechon belly. It is smaller and affordable.

Then, you can offer any of the Noche Buena staples like ham, macaroni salad, spaghetti, embutido, leche flan, Arroz a la Valenciana, fruit salad, morcon, bibingka, or puto bumbong. It is also a good idea to offer something you are unfamiliar with.

2. Catering Service

If you dream of starting a catering food business, Christmas is a good season to start. The Christmas season is full of parties and gatherings that need food. Companies and organizations have their Christmas parties. Families celebrate the Noche Buena and Media Noche (New Year’s Eve).

Provide your customers with different food packages or sets. The list of food packages helps them in their selection.

Just remember that the catering business is demanding. It needs time, strength, and charisma, but it is lucrative.

3. Party Organizer

Towards the end of the year, companies are especially busy wrapping up the year and preparing for the new year. But they want to have a Christmas party, too. Some companies and organizations need people who can plan and organize their Christmas parties. 

If you have some experience organizing events, then make your services available. Let them know you are up for the job. 

For the planning phase, it is best to get the following information beforehand:

• Theme (if they have)
• Time and date
• Venue
• Number of guests
• Food and beverage preferences
• Decoration
• Emcee/s
• Entertainers
• Lights and sound

4.  Party Entertainer

At some parties, they need a party entertainer. If there are children, they need someone who can hold their attention. Children love to watch someone who can do some magic tricks, juggle and lead them to some fun games. Adults love listening to music and perhaps dancing.

Inviting a singer would be appropriate. Or maybe, have a band who can sing and play danceable music.

So, if you have the talent in entertainment, advertise that you are available for their parties.

5. Holiday Shopper

During the Christmas season, people need to shop for several purposes. But they can be busy, or they do not want to expose themselves to the COVID virus. Therefore, they need some help shopping. That is where the work of the holiday shopper comes in.

But to be efficient, you must know where to buy the best, the cheapest and other things. Familiarize yourself with the location and the price of stores. Announce to people that you can do the shopping for them.

Your work will not only be buying but also giving them advice. If you do not find the item elsewhere, suggest buying from e-stores and online shopping for them.

6. Gift Wrapping and Delivery Service

Christmas is a time of giving. However, when you give gifts, it is best to wrap them. The problem is that not all people are good at wrapping presents. Some items are a challenge to cover because of their form or size. If you have the experience, consider the gift wrapping service.

To make it more enticing for your customers to come to you, offer delivery service. Tell them that you can bring the gift or gifts back to them or straight to the intended recipient.

7. Gift Basket Making

Some gift items look more appealing in a basket than in a box. A gift in a box is good when you want some elements of surprise. If that is not the case, a gift basket is an excellent option.

Making gift baskets does not require special training. What it needs is a good eye for arranging items in a basket. It demands creativity to make the basket look appealing.

If you go into this business, offer regular or customized baskets. In the traditional basket, you choose the items yourself. In the personalized basket, the customer lists the items in the basket. Customized basket prices are higher than the regular ones because of the time and effort invested in looking for these items.

The most common gift basket during Christmas is the food gift basket. However, you can give your customers several choices. Offer coffee lovers gift baskets, fruit gift baskets, fruit and snacks gift baskets, chocolate gift baskets, etc.

The most profitable is corporate gift baskets. Companies can give these to their employees this Christmas. The number of orders makes this lucrative.

8. Pet Boarding

Having pets is a rave. People take care of dogs, cats, and other animals as pets.

This Christmas season, there will be people with pets who will travel. Many of them cannot bring their pets with them. If you are a pet lover, you can take advantage of this.  Offer pet boarding service to these people. You take care of their pets while they are away.

9. Cakes and Pastries

Cakes and pastries are in demand during Christmas. Some are Christmas Noche Buena and Media Noche staples, while some are popular as gifts.

If you have the gift of baking, making cakes and pastries is profitable during the Christmas season.

Cakes popular this season are fruit cakes, chocolate cakes, cassava cakes, macaroons, and different cupcakes. For bar cookies, brownies come to mind. Among the pies, buko pie is the most popular.

10. Fruit Stand

Fruits are popular during the holiday season. But they are much more in demand during the Media Noche (New Year’s Eve celebration). It has become a Filipino tradition to serve 12 fruits, believing that they bring good fortune to the coming year. The 12 fruits represent 12 months in a year.

There are two versions of this belief. First, you need 12 round fruits of the same kind. If it is grapes, you need 12 of its fruit. Second, you must have 12 various fruits and not necessarily round.
The difference goes back to influence. In the Hispanic tradition, they believed 12 round fruits of the same kind. In the Chinese tradition, they thought there should be 12 varied fruits.

Most Filipinos follow the Chinese tradition. This tradition is good for the fruit stand business. If you want to go into this business this Christmas season, be sure to stock your stand with the following fruits:

• Apple
• Grapes 
• Orange
• Pineapple
• Watermelon
• Peach.
• Mango
• Pomelo
• Papaya
• Banana
• Pomegranate
• Lemon

There is even a version that calls for 13 fruits. If 12 fruits are already attractive, this version makes the fruit stand more beautiful.

11. Drinks business

Drinks must go with the food. Food must have “pangtulak.” This means that you can do a business out of beverages. You can offer traditional drinks like soft drinks and alcoholic drinks. Take their orders and deliver them.

However, it is also an excellent idea to offer something different. Pitch them mocktails or mock cocktails. Any of the following are great options: Ginger Calamansi Cooler, Virgin Salcedo Ave, Four Berry Iced Tea, Pineapple, Mint, and Cucumber Cooler, and Watermelon-Ginger Cooler.

You can prepare mocktails beforehand and deliver them. Or, like a bartender, mix mocktails before them.

12. Sound system/video rental

Filipinos love to sing during the Christmas season. Also, some families and groups hold Christmas parties with programs. They might need a sound system. If you have a good plan, rent it out.

If you do not have one, invest in buying the basic components. It does not have to be expensive. What is important is that it gives a decent sound.

Key Takeaways

The Christmas season is a time for celebrations and parties. Some return to their hometown to spend Christmas with their families. Out of this situation comes opportunities for profitable ventures. 

To have a business this holiday season, you have to watch for two things. One is the need to be filled up by someone. Two is to look at yourself - your talents, skills, and passion. The 12 profitable business ideas for the Christmas season listed above are needed this Christmas season. Review each one and match them with your capabilities.

The list of business ideas is not exhaustive, but they could spark some ideas that you can work on.

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