<b>The seasonal site that paid for itself in 60 days and then went silent</b>

<b>The seasonal site that paid for itself in 60 days and then went silent</b>

Month 1 (September): I built a site about Halloween costumes and decor. I knew it was seasonal. I told myself I was smart about it.

October: it exploded. 90k visits in three weeks, $3,400 in commissions. I felt like a genius and started planning to do this full-time.

November: traffic fell off a cliff. 90k to 4k. December: 1,800 visits, $30. The 'full-time' fantasy met reality. I'd built a business that's awake six weeks a year.

Year 2 strategy: I kept the Halloween core but bolted on adjacent always-on content, party games, costume ideas for kids' birthdays, generic 'group costume' pages that get clicks in spring for theme parties.

Year 2 October: the seasonal spike hit $4,100, but now the off-season floor was 12k/mo instead of 1,800.

The setback: I burned year one treating a six-week business like a 12-month one, and my cash flow was a nightmare.

The takeaway: seasonal niches make great money and terrible monthly income. If you build one, build the off-season scaffolding before the spike fades, or you're a fireworks show, not a business.