Image by Freepik
Halloween is one of the most money-making events of any year because businesses view it as a chance to thrive with customers looking for chills, great costumes, and memorable experiences. Thus, African American entrepreneurs can capitalize on culturally relevant ideas as they bring business ideas to life.
Here are some profitable Halloween business ideas to consider for 2024.
- Cultural-Themed Halloween Costumes
Let’s celebrate identity with Halloween costumes representing African American heritage and cultural icons, catering to ever-growing demands for unique, personalized designs. How about making historical personalities of African American works from African folktales or current pop culture heroes in the style of superheroes from Black Panther or Martin Luther King Jr.?
Business Tip: Set up an online store or partner with local Halloween shops. Ensure inclusivity by offering plus-size options and various customizations.
- African-Inspired Decorations and Haunted Houses
A new twist on the standard haunted house theme can be given by using African and African American folklore: themes of Anansi the Spider or Mami Wata will make concepts unique and entertaining for broad audiences.
Business Tip: If creating a full haunted house seems daunting, consider offering consultation or decoration services for existing venues. Market these as “culturally unique haunted experiences” to draw crowds seeking something new.
- Pop-Up Halloween Stores
Consider launching a pop-up store that sells a mix of costumes, decorations, and Halloween-themed merchandise. You can stock products that speak to African American communities, such as clothing lines featuring Black pride, themed party supplies, or hair accessories that cater to all hair types.
Business Tip: Take advantage of local festivals, farmers’ markets, or community centers to set up your store and build buzz around your offerings.
- Halloween Makeup and Hair Styling
Many Halloween revelers look for professional-grade makeup and hair styling services to complete their costumes. Offering specialized makeup, face painting, or hair styling services geared towards Black skin tones and hair types would fill a gap in a market often dominated by generic products.
Business Tip: Set up pop-up makeup stations at local events or offer house-call services. Promote your services early through social media, and collaborate with local influencers for greater reach.
Image by Freepik
- Customized Trick-or-Treat Bags
Everyone loves a personalized touch, and customized trick-or-treat bags could be a big hit. Offer bags with fun African American themes, Afrocentric art, or even kids’ names printed on them.
Business Tip: Sell your products through Etsy or pop-up shops that you have organized in the community. Provide customization so that parents can have a unique item for their child to carry while trick-or-treating.
- Halloween Party Planning Services
Market yourself as a party planner. You could specialize in being a family-friendly party planner or on adult-only parties. The fact that you can add a cultural twist, maybe with music, themes, and activities based on African American history, can make the party very unique.
Business Tip: Market your services through local churches, community centers, and social media, with packages for corporate parties, school events, or private homes.
- Halloween-Themed Photography Sessions
One of the highly profitable openings is offering Halloween photography sessions to families or groups in their costumes. Develop a spooky backdrop, including package deals, and possibly partner with local costume shops for mutual discount services.
Business Tip: Use social media and local advertising to promote your services. Doing the early bird special can help you pre-book clients and use this time to focus on delivering that high-quality, memorable experience.
Photo by Matt Hill
- Pet Costume Business
Pet owners are increasingly dressing their furry friends for Halloween. Creating unique and culturally inspired pet costumes that cater to African American customers can be a fun and profitable business.
Business Tip: Use Instagram to feature pets in custom costumes, partner with a local pet store or shelter, and host Halloween pet parades to gain more visibility.
- Creepy Cocktail Mixology Classes
Halloween-themed mixology classes – Offer a unique experience for adults looking to elevate their Halloween parties. Teach patrons how to make cultural spooky cocktails using ingredients or themes related to African American heritage.
Business Tip: Partner with local bars or host virtual classes to maximize reach. Halloween-themed cocktails are in high demand, and unique twists can set you apart.
- Online Halloween Content Creation
Whether it is through YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok, perhaps making content surrounding Halloween and its likeness to African American culture through making-up tutorials, costume ideas, or even scary-story-telling can make one reach a giant target and create revenue in the face of ads, sponsorships, and merchandise.
Business Tip: With what’s going viral, spend time around influencers and expand. Halloween is a season about all things visual, so get yourself in an area where you stand out from the crowd.
Thus, blending creativity with culture can make these Halloween business ideas profitable and fill an exclusive niche tailored specifically for the African American community.
Anand Subramanian is a freelance photographer and content writer based out of Tamil Nadu, India. Having a background in Engineering always made him curious about life on the other side of the spectrum. He leapt forward towards the Photography life and never looked back. Specializing in Documentary and Portrait photography gave him an up-close and personal view into the complexities of human beings and those experiences helped him branch out from visual to words. Today he is mentoring passionate photographers and writing about the different dimensions of the art world.
