

Valentine's Day And Beyond: Six-Figure Seasonal Business Ideas You Can Start Today
When you think of a seasonal business, you might picture those random Christmas mugs sold on Amazon and or those Valentine’s Day baskets with Victoria's Secret lotions in them that your favorite side-hustling auntie sells at work every year. But don’t sleep on these kinds of businesses. Whether it’s landscaping, holiday-themed, or a bed-and-breakfast, savvy entrepreneurs who offer amazing, unique, and convenient services and products can bank hundreds of thousands, if not millions, in profits.
And with Valentine’s Day around the corner, now is your chance to consider tapping into a prime opportunity to not only build a flexible side hustle but, if you’re really passionate and skilled, a successful seasonal business that can sustain itself year-round. Here are five options to consider:
1. Holiday-Themed Sweets And Treats:
Sales for these sorts of products (candies, cookies, and other dessert snacks) are expected to grow from $36.9 billion to $44.9 billion by 2026. (Let that marinate for a second). It’s obvious that people love a good sweet treat, and if you can offer your own recipe, your own way of decorating or packaging, or healthy options (that actually taste good), even better.
2. Celebration Party Planning:
This includes birthdays and anniversaries, and you can do so many different things in this realm other than actually planning the party. Services like location scouting, venue management, party favors, and party decor creation (or rentals) are all great ways to be part of this lucrative industry. Also, you don’t have to limit yourself or your business to small groups, family members, or micro organizations. You can organize large-scale parties for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, the Fourth of July, and more. (Think about the last time you went to a New Year’s Eve party and paid $250 for a VIP ticket.) As the organizer and backing company, you could make six to seven figures in profit.
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3. Food Truck:
You might think this isn’t a seasonal business but just remember: This involves working from a vehicle outdoors. (Also, many food truck owners who live and work in places other than popular dining meccas like Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago can only enjoy a consistent stream of customers during a limited time each year.) Even then, it’s still possible to make more than $100,000 a year with this venture (and even more if you’re in the aforementioned food truck sweet spots). Again, offering something unique, quality, culture-centered, or with a spin to it (Hello: Vegan oxtails, anyone?) is key.
4. Watersports Adventures or Tours:
This one is perfect for those who might want to live or travel abroad full-time or who just love nature and connecting with people. You can offer parasailing, jet skiing, hiking, bar crawls, and other interactive activities for tourists or locals. This is also something you could start on a site like Airbnb with little overhead costs, depending on the extent of the adventures you’re getting into. This industry brings in $124.5 billion each year.
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5. Niche Farmer’s Market:
If you have a green thumb or are into specialty foods, this might be perfect for you. And you don’t have to have a huge farm to do this. You could specialize in offering diverse types of one produce (such as mushrooms, which can be grown right in your backyard, in a home-based grow room, or on rented farmland), gourmet jarred goods (like preserves or pickles), exotic plants, or organic tea mixes in order to stand out and build a unique customer base. Not only would you be serving your community and helping to combat problems associated with food deserts, but you could also be part of an industry raking in at least $2.9 billion.
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This post is in partnership with BET+.
Kingdom Business is back for its second season, with even more sermons, songs, and serpents. The series picks up where it left off, with actress Serayah as Rbel caught between the stripper pole and the pulpit. With the first lady of the church working desperately against her, Rbel must find a way to live her dreams and honor her friend while figuring out her faith in the process.
Season one served a collection plate of rivalry, deceit, and revenge –– among many other tribulations. Between the 28-year-old’s acting, conviction, and harmonious voice, here are a few reasons why season two of Kingdom Business is a must-watch.
If the Spirit Doesn’t Move You, Serayah’s Singing Voice Will
Rbel, formally known as Rebecca Belle, is a stripper whose life forcibly takes a turn after suffering a tragedy. Through her quest to find the truth, Rbel finds herself at odds with the head of a local church, First Kingdom’s Denita Jordan, played by the legendary Yolanda Adams. Rbel unknowingly emerges as what a faithful Christian embodies: a perfectly imperfect human who works every day to try their best while leaning on God. Although struggling with her faith, each ballad sung by Rbel can be felt, as the lyrics relate to personal struggles we all endure in different ways. Gospel songs hit differently when your life is in shambles, and chile, Serayah is singing new life into folks.
Serayah is a Formidable Opponent to The Yolanda Adams
As one of the best-selling gospel artists of all time, it’s no easy task to take on the role of a person on the opposing side of greatness. Serayah’s Rbel does an excellent job meeting Jordan at her level while shining through her solos. Throughout season one, Rbel emerges as a top streaming artist, an accomplishment that begets something of a holy war.
Serayah’s Acting Range is Engaging
As a former stripper trying to make a name for herself in the gospel industry, you can imagine the struggles that could come with it. Rbel goes through a range of emotions, all understandable and relatable. Despite several crises of faith, Serayah ensures Rbel delivers a humbling performance that makes the audience root for her redemption.
The Kingdom Business Soundtrack is Everything
Streaming now on Spotify, Tidal, and Apple Music, the Kingdom Business: Season 1 soundtrack is one you’d want to add to your playlist for high and low times. Aside from four soul-soothing songs from Serayah, the soundtrack also features singles from co-star/Hamilton’s Chaundre-Hall Broomfield, gospel artist Chandler Moore, and legend Yolanda Adams.
Serayah’s Rbel Makes You Root For Her
With First Kingdom beginning to crumble under the pressure of lies, infidelity, and deception, Rbel’s window to take that top spot seems wide open; however, the end of season one showed us the Spirit had other plans. Whether you believe or not, Serayah’s Rbel makes you want to see her win. Who doesn’t love a good underdog with a laid 22” bust down? Whether she seeks Him or not, God is proving to be on Rbel’s side. But is it enough to turn everything around for her? Will Rbel lean on faith or fear?
With secrets coming to light, success within reach, and the devastating conclusion of season one, you don’t want to miss season two––especially with more guest collaborations. Kingdom Business returns to BET+ on Nov 2.
BET+ Original | Kingdom Business | S2 Official Traileryoutu.be
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We’ve all been seeing tons of travel content from Ghana light up our social media feeds lately. Ghana’s popularity has exploded among Black travelers, kicked off by 2019’s "Year of Return" and sustained by Detty December, a month-long celebration that draws crowds of partygoers to the capital of Accra. For first-time visitors to Africa, Ghana’s relative stability, natural attractions, and nightlife make it a perfect introduction to the continent.
I visited Ghana recently, spending two weeks exploring Accra, Kumasi, and Tamale, home to Mole National Park, the country's largest natural game reserve located in the northern part of the country.
Though you won't see lions, giraffes, or zebras at Mole National Park, you'll get up close with elephants, baboons, monkeys, and antelope in what I call a great "starter safari."
If you’re planning a visit to Ghana soon, here’s how to add a safari to your trip.
But First, Some Paperwork.
Before considering a trip to Ghana, be aware that U.S. citizens need a visa to enter the country. The costs depend on whether you need a single-entry or multiple-entry visa. You can complete the application online, and regular processing times are 15 to 20 days while the expedited service is seven business days, so apply early.
Travelers to Ghana will also need to get a yellow fever vaccine, which can be administered at a local health clinic.
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How To Get To Mole National Park
Most travelers from the U.S. will fly into Ghana’s capital city, Accra, which is where I landed after a connecting flight from New York where I had met up with my friends. Once we landed in Accra, we met our tour guide from Uprise Travel and spent the night at Roots Hotel which had a trendy rooftop lounge with a bird’s eye view of the city.
The next morning, after a breakfast of coffee and fresh fruit, we headed back to the airport for a quick one-hour flight to Ghana’s northern city of Tamale. From Tamale, we met another tour guide from Uprise Travel who drove us two hours to Mole National Park. If you don’t want to fly to Tamale, it is about a 10-hour drive from Accra, which can be arranged by booking a private driver or by taking a bus.
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Where To Stay
Mole National Park is the largest game reserve in Ghana, and there are only two options for staying at the park. The first, Mole Motel, is a no-frills motel with clean rooms, a large swimming pool, and impressive views of the park. My friends and I chose the second option, Zaina Lodge which is a luxury safari camp, and if you’re used to certain conveniences, I would recommend staying here.
Zaina Lodge has a gorgeous dining area that overlooks the savanna, pool loungers that surround an infinity pool, and cabins with outdoor showers, high-end linens, and private balconies. The food during our stay included a mix of Western and African dishes; there was oatmeal, bacon, and toast for breakfast along with dinners of goat pepper soup, fufu, and jollof rice.
What To Expect
We stayed at Zaina Lodge for three days, which gave us time to lay out by the pool, go on a pre-dawn walking safari, and enjoy a canoe safari where we spotted rare birds and visited a local village. The highlight of our stay though was the early morning safari. We rose before the sun and traveled deep into the wildlife park in a safari jeep. Treading quietly, we followed the park rangers to the elephant tracks etched in mud, and with bated breath, we watched as a herd of elephants slowly emerged from the leafy jungle, walking just steps from us.
Even if you decide to not take a jeep safari, staying in Mole National Park means you need to be pretty comfortable getting up close with animals because here they have free reign on the property.
Monkeys would often hang out by the pool and warthogs would gather in groups outside of our cabins. The larger animals like the elephants, antelope, and baboons stayed further from the lodge grounds, though we were cautioned that the baboons could smell our food and we were discouraged from taking anything from the dining area.
The lodge’s remote location meant that we sometimes lost power at night (which can be daunting sleeping in a cabin surrounded by wild animals), but the presence of armed park rangers also helped us feel safer. Being in the park was also quite peaceful. During our stay, we talked to a few other travelers—a Ghanaian family from London and medical students volunteering in the area— but for the most part, our visit was quiet compared to the bustling city life we left behind in Accra.
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Final Tips
Visiting Mole National Park deepened my experience in Ghana, and after my stay, I would recommend the safari for experienced or adventure travelers. There were times when we didn’t have any phone reception or electricity, and for some travelers, the experience might be a bit too far out of their comfort zone.
There’s also a bit of planning involved in getting to Mole National Park, and I highly recommend using a Ghanaian tour company like Uprise Travel who booked our flights and lodging and arranged for a driver to pick us up from the airport in Tamale and transport us to Zaina Lodge.
Three days were just the right amount of time to visit the safari park though you could easily extend your stay to a week or longer. If you already have plans to visit Accra, a visit to Mole National Park is a great way to experience your first safari.
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Featured image courtesy of Mariette Williams