For businesses like Kegs on Legs, this means the last ten weeks of the year involve riding a giant wave of functions, including the odd “rogue guest”.

The $1.5 million company does everything from pop up cocktails for corporates to weddings and individual keg runs for private clients, but McWilliam says this time of year is often about stepping up at the last minute when clients are left stranded, particularly if other providers have had to cancel bookings.

Recently the business did a 600-strong gala dinner for an alcohol brand with one week’s notice, after the company’s bar booking fell through.

McWilliam says she’s always surprised by how late companies leave it to organise drinks for events, especially this time of year - but Kegs on Legs is more than happy to swoop in to help out.

“There are challenges around this time of year when it comes to trying to stay nimble, so that we can take on those last minute clients,” McWilliam says.

“But we love it: we don’t like to say no, and we like to save the day.”

While it's fun and games for festive partygoers, this time of year means detailed logistical planning, McWilliam says - and warnings to clients about good behaviour.

"We have robust procedures if our guests get untidy. There’s a lot of training that goes into how staff handle these scenarios," she says.

Grazing

Australians are also expected to spend $20 billion on food throughout the festive season and it’s a trend entrepreneur Bianca Cashman is hoping to spin into a full time gig.

The founder of Sydney business Eat Graze Love spends her days with crowds around her as she builds artful table arrangements of cheese, fruit and snacks.

“I’ve had a crowd of around 20 people watching once … but I’m happy to chat, and find out a little bit about them,” Cashman says.

Cashman and her husband used to be in the dog food game with “Lite n Easy for dogs” business Doggy Bag, but after selling that operation she launched a weekend side hustle creating snack tables for functions.

The rush of the festive season has inspired her to go full time in the business from 2019, turning a company turning over $40,000 into a larger proposition.

“My only worry is that this time of year is so busy. To go and move the business full time and for me to have a sustainable business, is that going to carry on into next year?” Cashman asks.

But she has at least one event to cater every weekend day between now and Christmas, and multiple functions throughout each week.

It’s a sign punters are hungry for snacks this time of year, she says.

“To be honest, I’ve grown the business really organically - I haven’t done any advertising.”

Looking the part

This time of year also means showing up to everything from work Christmas dinner to Nan’s lunch, and in a social media age companies are banking on the fact you can’t be caught in the same outfit twice.

Co-founder of clothing rental business GlamCorner, Dean Jones, says everyone now has to head to multiple corporate functions each year, and the business is struggling to stock enough outfits to rent out.

The company turned over more than $10 million last year and Jones says the company is on the path to the "tens of millions".

Alongside the rush of racing season, festive functions and new years' bookings, there's also an unlikely rush of activity at this time of year: office wear.

"As we've expanded into corporate workwear, we've found our customer has been more than happy to rent that part of her wardrobe too."

The startup says it's clear its customers have incredibly active social lives, and are increasingly renting new office outfits during peak times as they transition from desks to corporate functions.

The rush is "from November, right through to New Years' Day," Jones says.

“There’s a huge amount of pressure on our typical customer to keep her wardrobe, but the big issue is sustainable fashion.”

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