5 Business ideas for a 7 days week holiday period

Here are 5 seasonal, school-holiday business ideas you can run in Singapore over a 1-week (school-holiday) window in Nov–Dec 2025. I’ve included (for each idea): a one-week operating plan, how you make money, a line-by-line estimated operating expense and revenue for that week (SGD), and quick tips to increase profit. I cite MOE school-holiday dates and typical venue rates used in the cost estimates. Ministry of Education+2Tagvenue+2

1) Holiday STEAM / Robotics Mini-Camp (kids 7–12)

Why it works: parents look for structured, educational activities during long end-of-year holidays; STEAM/robotics sells well as “useful + fun.”

1-week format (Mon–Fri)
Daily 4–6 hours: warm-up + theory (30–45m), hands-on project (2–3h), showcase/demo & pickup (30–60m). Final day demo for parents.

How you make money

• Charge per child (example: S$300 for the 5-day week).

• Upsells: extra kit to take home (S$35), recorded tutorial bundle (S$20), sibling discount structure.

Assumptions for 1 week

• Capacity: 20 kids

• Price: S$300 / child

Revenue (1 week)

• Course fees: 20 × 300 = S$6,000

• Kit upsell (assume 6/20 buy at S$35): 6 × 35 = S$210

• Total revenue ≈ S$6,210

Operating expenses (1 week)

• Venue rental: S$120/day × 5 = S$600. (classroom/day rates vary; small classroom rates from about S$30–120/hr or S$120/day are common — I used a conservative daily figure). Tagvenue+1

• Lead instructor: S$40/hr × 6 hr/day × 5 days = S$1,200

• Assistant instructor: S$25/hr × 6 × 5 = S$750

• Kits/materials (robot kit + consumables): S$25 × 20 = S$500

• Insurance & permits (public liability, short-term): S$150

• Marketing (FB ads, parents groups, flyers): S$250

• Snacks/consumables: S$100

• Misc (printing, admin): S$100

Total expenses ≈ S$3,650
Estimated profit ≈ S$2,560 (≈ 41% margin)

Quick tips: partner with a community centre or school to reduce venue costs; offer early-bird family bundle; record a short highlight reel to use next season.

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2) Festive Pop-up Gift Stall (handmade / curated gifts) at a weekend market or mall pop-up

Why it works: high footfall during Nov–Dec; shoppers want giftable, local, artisanal items.

1-week format
Operate over a 7-day span or busiest 3–4 weekend/peak days within that week (but I'll calculate for a full 7-day pop-up).

How you make money

• Buy or make small gift items (candles, gift sets, stationery, upcycled goods) and sell at 2.5x–4x cost.

• Offer gift-wrapping service (S$3–8). Preorder for corporate gifts.

Assumptions for 1 week

• Stall fee / mall space: S$200–1,500/day depending on location; use a modest pop-up booth at S$400/day × 7 = S$2,800 for central/weekday+weekend mix. (Rates vary widely; smaller community markets are cheaper.) Wise

• Inventory cost (initial purchase or materials): S$1,200

• Average markup: 150% (sell price ≈ 2.5× cost)

Revenue (1 week)

• Sales: assume inventory turnover sells 80% in week: sold cost = 1,200 × 0.8 = S$960 → revenue ≈ 2.5 × 960 = S$2,400

• Gift-wrapping upsell (assume 80 packs × S$5) = S$400

• Additional walk-in impulse buys / restock margin: S$200

• Total revenue ≈ S$3,000

Operating expenses (1 week)

• Stall rental: S$2,800

• Inventory cost used: S$960 (sold portion)

• Staffing (1 person for 8 hrs/day at S$18/hr × 7 = S$1,008) or owner-run reduce cost

• Marketing & signage: S$150

• Permits/market fees + packaging: S$150

Total expenses ≈ S$5,068
Estimated profit ≈ -S$2,068 (loss) under these conservative assumptions

Reality check & how to make it profitable: pick cheaper market stalls (~S$100–300/day) or short bursts at high footfall weekends rather than paying for 7 prime days; source cheaper wholesale inventory or sell higher-margin items; pre-sell via Instagram and offer click-and-collect to guarantee sales before paying for expensive mall space.

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3) Family Christmas / Festive Photoshoot Pop-up (mini sessions)

Why it works: parents want seasonal family photos for cards and keepsakes.

1-week format
Run 1-week pop-up with 30–40 mini sessions (20–30 min each) across 5–6 days (evenings & weekends included).

How you make money

• Charge S$80–150 per mini session (includes 5–8 edited digital images).

• Sell print packages, photo cards, props rental.

Assumptions for 1 week

• Sessions: 30 sessions × S$120 = S$3,600 base revenue

• Upsells: prints/cards (avg S$30 per booking, assume 40% purchase rate): 30 × 0.4 × 30 = S$360

Revenue ≈ S$3,960

Operating expenses (1 week)

• Venue (studio / pop-up space): S$80/hr × 6 hr/day × 6 days = S$2,880 (or cheaper if you use an outdoor public space with permit) Tagvenue

• Photographer pay (or owner): S$80/hr × 6 × 6 = S$2,880 (if outsourced; if you are the photographer, saving here)

• Assistant / makeup/styling (optional): S$300

• Props & backdrop rental: S$200

• Editing time (outsourced): S$20/session × 30 = S$600

• Marketing (FB ads/parents groups): S$150

Total expenses ≈ S$7,010
Estimated profit ≈ -S$3,050 (if outsourcing photographer and renting premium venue)

How to hit profit: reduce venue cost dramatically (book community centre room at S$120/day or shoot in public festive locations with permit), do own shooting & editing, or raise session price to S$150–200 for premium result. Many profitable pop-ups succeed by owner-operated model with minimal rental.

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4) Festive Baking & Cookie-Decorating Week (kids & families)

Why it works: family activity, giftable goods, high perceived value.

1-week format
5 days, 3 hours/day sessions for small groups (8–12 kids per session). Include take-home box of cookies.

How you make money

• Charge S$70–120 per child for the week (or S$30 per single 2-hour session). For week pricing example: S$120/week.

Assumptions for 1 week

• Capacity: 2 sessions/day × 10 kids = 20 kids total

• Price: S$120 × 20 = S$2,400

• Upsells: custom cookie gift boxes S$20 each (assume 5 buyers) = S$100

Revenue ≈ S$2,500

Operating expenses (1 week)

• Venue with kitchen / rentable demo kitchen: S$200–400/day × 5 = S$1,500 (estimate)

• Head baker instructor: S$45/hr × 3 hr/session × 2 sessions/day × 5 = S$1,350

• Assistant: S$25/hr × same hours = S$750

• Ingredients & packaging: S$12/child × 20 = S$240

• Equipment rental & cleaning fee: S$150

• Marketing & permits: S$150

Total expenses ≈ S$4,140
Estimated profit ≈ -S$1,640

How to make it profitable: increase price (S$160–250/week for baked goods + takeaways), reduce venue cost by using your own kitchen (if allowed), or run fewer days but more intensive weekend sessions.

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5) Exam-Skill Crash Course / Enrichment “Holiday Boost” (e.g., English composition, Math problem solving) — 1-week intensive

Why it works: parents want productive holiday options that help grades; short intensives are attractive before next term.

1-week format
Mon–Fri, 2–3 hrs/day targeted skills, small class size (10–15).

How you make money

• Charge S$200–350 per student for the week depending on subject and instructor level. Offer sibling discounts and one-to-one add-ons.

Assumptions for 1 week

• Capacity: 15 students

• Price: S$250 / student → revenue = S$3,750

• Supplementary materials sold (worksheets/online access): assume +S$150 total

Revenue ≈ S$3,900

Operating expenses (1 week)

• Venue rental: S$120/day × 5 = S$600

• Instructor(s): S$60/hr × 3 hr/day × 5 = S$900

• Materials & printing: S$8/student × 15 = S$120

• Admin/booking fees/insurance: S$150

• Marketing (parents groups, tuition platforms): S$200

Total expenses ≈ S$1,970
Estimated profit ≈ S$1,930 (≈ 49% margin)

Why this one tends to be reliable: low materials cost, higher perceived value, can be run in shared classrooms or tuition centres at reasonable rates. Promote via parent WhatsApp groups, school contacts, tuition matching platforms.

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Quick comparative summary (1-week, rough)

Idea	Revenue (est)	Expenses (est)	Profit (est)
STEAM/Robotics camp (20 kids)	S$6,210	S$3,650	S$2,560
Pop-up gift stall (7 days)	S$3,000	S$5,068	-S$2,068 (needs optimization)
Photoshoot pop-up (30 sessions)	S$3,960	S$7,010	-S$3,050 (needs owner-operated model)
Baking workshop (20 kids)	S$2,500	S$4,140	-S$1,640 (raise price/reduce venue)
Holiday tuition boost (15 students)	S$3,900	S$1,970	S$1,930

(Estimates conservative; venue rental figures referenced from classroom/meeting room listings and vary widely by location and day-part — low-cost community centres, HDB void deck pop-ups, or school partnerships reduce those line items strongly).) Tagvenue+1

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Practical next steps (fast checklist so you can launch this week)

1. Decide product & capacity (pick 1 or 2 ideas to pilot).

2. Book venue now (community centre / church hall / co-working classroom are cheapest; prime mall space is expensive). Use platforms like TagVenue/Venuerific for quick availability and price checking. Tagvenue+1

3. Recruit staff / instructors (local teaching tutors, hobbyists, photographers). Pay hourly and sign short contracts.

4. Create 1-page sign-up + WhatsApp group; promote heavily in parent FB groups, school parent committees, Kiasu tuition pages.

5. Collect deposits (50% deposit to secure booking) — reduces no-show risk.

6. Prepare materials & safety checklist (insurance, emergency contacts, dietary labels for food activities).

7. Deliver & upsell (kits, prints, add-on 1:1 sessions).

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Notes & citations

• MOE term/holiday dates (Term 4 / End-of-Year school holiday for 2025: 22 Nov – 31 Dec 2025) — use this window to plan. Ministry of Education+1

• Typical small classroom / meeting room daily rates and hourly meeting room ranges used to estimate venue expense. Examples from venue listing platforms are referenced.