Seasonal businesses face special employment challenges.

When a company is only busy in the summer, yet has some great employees, there are always concerns about whether those employees will return from season to season.

That's the reason Jean Stevenson and her partner decided to open Bottled Marketing Solutions: to keep their lawn crews busy in the off-season.

"We had good people and we wanted to give them a full-time job," Stevenson said. "So we decided to start this little, fun businesses."

Stevenson designs labels for small businesses to be placed on bottles of spring water. Companies use their name and/or logo, and pass the bottled water out to promote their businesses.

Uses vary from local chambers distributing the water at golf outings they sponsor to real estate agents offering the refreshments at open houses to restaurants printing a coupon on the bottle.

"This product isn't available to small companies," Stevenson said. "When it comes to bottle water, usually a businesses is required to buy large quantities. But our average customer orders between 10 and 15 cases. This lends itself to a local market."

Water was a natural fit for the company, according to Stevenson.

"Water is so good for you, its appeal is just universal," she said. "When we thought about different products, this just was the best."

Now Bottled Marketing Solutions faces the challenge of getting the word out about their company.

"The best way is for people to use and see the product," Steven said. "I'm excited about the business. It's local and we are keeping our good employees working year round."