9 to 5, 261 days per year is not the only possible work schedule. We chatted to Cille Fabert (Dolphin Seafaris), Helene Judge and Jeanine van Kradenburg (Kāpiti Food Fair) and Monica and Paul Julian (Julians Berry Farm) about the benefits and challenges of running a seasonal business.
HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN A SUMMER PERSON?
Cille: I am fairly active and definitely a summer person. I became a diving instructor in my early 30s, which allowed me to travel and teach in warm climates like the Caribbean and Indian Ocean. I have always had an interest in marine life but made the decision in my 20s to get a degree in Business and Marketing.
Helene: We’re what you can call ‘quintessential Kiwis’ – love camping trips with no power and internet, swimming, lazing around, reading, walking, talking, relaxing with good friends, family and food, and a wine or two.
Monica: Paul’s family has always been very active. As a kid, he used to participate in all kinds of outdoor sports. Nowadays we spend summer days cycling and exploring New Zealand cycle trails.
HOW WAS THE IDEA OF YOUR BUSINESS BORN?
Cille: I bought Dolphin Seafaris in October 2019 after managing the company for a season. I loved the operation and environment and saw that there was room for improvements and expansion.
Helene: Kāpiti Food Fair was created by Jeanine van Kradenburg and Tony Ghan in 2008 and I joined the team in 2010. Nowadays it’s one of the biggest community events in the Wellington region attracting 250 vendors and over 22,000 visitors. It’s a full-day event with a licenced bar, two stages, a kids’ zone, buskers and much more.
Monica: It’s a family business, founded by Paul’s parents, Joan and David Julian, in 1975. It used to be a small berry farm on a side road. Paul and David often discussed how wonderful it would be to move to the main road. One day the land in a perfect location came on sale and Paul jumped at the opportunity. Originally, we were only planning to copy what his parents had been doing all these years. But four weeks after the re-opening, we introduced an ice cream machine. Visitors went nuts! So, another month later we had to buy a second one. Then a coffee machine. Then a bigger one. Then came muffins. Followed by sandwiches. Followed by a full-on café. 18 years later and here we are, still growing and improving!
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF HAVING A SEASONAL BUSINESS?
Cille: The dolphin charters are pretty much run, skippered and managed by one person, which can be quite full-on for those six months of the high season. And a break is needed to avoid burn-out! Our business is also very weather dependant and rainy or windy days make it difficult or impossible to operate.
Helene: It gets very intense 3-4 months before the fair. Jeanine and I are active owners and are involved in pretty much everything – planning, sponsorships, contracts, working with volunteers, finding trusts for our donations and improving the sustainability of the event.
Monica: Finding staff every summer is probably the main challenge. We employ over 100 people at peak. Most of them are school kids or backpackers, so we have to train them first. We enjoy working with backpackers, though. They’re usually older and have great work ethic, so they’re amazing role models for our kids, who love making friends from all over the world and listening to their stories while they work.
HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR WINTERS?
Cille: The company normally operated from November to May, as there are generally fewer tourists in the Bay in winter and the previous owner used to spend these months in Canada. After the lockdown this year, though, I decided to run what we called ‘Bubble Tours’ with limited numbers of passengers. Surprisingly, the pods of dolphins we encountered were even larger in number and much more interactive than in summer! We also have whales migrating through the Bay during the winter months which gave an added bonus to our tours. So, I’m actually planning on expanding the schedule of our tours now.
Helene: We think, scheme, collaborate and work on the fair. I’m often referred to as a ‘Kāpiti Food Fair lady’, as it’s my responsibility to represent and promote the event all year round. Jeanine had run her own business PartyPerfect Catering alongside organising the fair up until late last year. She sold it to work towards renewing her practicing certificate so she could begin nursing again at Waikanae Health.
Monica: From February to April we, and our seven full-time employees, try to spend time away from the farm, to have proper holidays. The rest of the winter is spent planting berries and doing little renovations around the farm. There are always loads of background tasks but we keep our hoursflexible, hardly ever working over six hours a day. That balances out the busy seven-day work weeks of summer.
WILL THE ABSENCE OF INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS AFFECT YOUR BUSINESS A LOT THIS YEAR?
Cille: International tourists usually book their tours months in advance. This time last year, I would have already had plenty of bookings for the upcoming season. This year we are seeing more last-minute bookings. Kiwis are generally looking at the weather to see where and what they will doat the weekend. We will have to be much more flexible and accommodating. We’ll have to try harder, think outside the box and be more proactive to get close to the amount of bookings we had last season. I don’t see this as a negative; it’s a learning curve and makes you look at other avenues to expand into. In a way, COVID-19 made the winter tours a reality and I will continue with them next winter!
Helene: We rely mostly on Kiwis, who, after a difficult year, will want to kick-back with their family and friends and enjoy the summer. We know events play an important part in the country’s economic recovery and we look forward
to being a part of that! We have applied for the Domestic Events Fund, which was created by the Government to support events that have social, cultural or economic significance and, without the support, would either go under or be significantly scaled back. We are the only Kāpiti event to be recognised by the Fund, so we feel humbled but also under pressure to perform well. An outcome of the Domestic Events Fund is a special entertainment partnership with COASTELLA, a boutique music festival. This year, we’ll have more room for visitors to relax under the sun and enjoy the grooves of performing artists.
Monica: It will mostly affect the employment process, as there won’t be many backpackers this year. In previous years we used to have way more applications than positions. We’re a little bit nervous about this season but also hopeful. We’ve been experiencing busier weekends than we used to so there shouldn’t be a big difference in the number of visitors. Take Labour Weekend, for example – the best in the history of the farm! After the lockdown, we predicted 10-30% reduction in profits for this season but it looks like there won’t be any drop at all. Our theory is that international tourists mostly travel to Auckland or Rotorua, while Kiwis prefer to explore smaller local attractions.