Ah, the smell of the s’mores, the chirping of the crickets, and the itch of the chiggers… it all brings back fond memories of summer camp for many parents. They want to pass that experience down to their kids.
It’s up to you to provide that experience by ensuring your camp meets and exceeds parental expectations while running a smooth operation, generating revenue, and bandaging skinned knees.
Here are some tips to help you through this summer’s crop of campers and make ready for next year.
Marketing
The first step to a great summer camp is getting the word out about yours.
- Create and maintain an attractive website that is easy to navigate and tells parents everything they want to know about the camp experience you offer.
- Online registration, enrollment, and tuition payment are a big hit with today’s on-the-go parents.
- Use lots of pictures from past camps to illustrate the fun to be had.
- Use social media to promote your website and business. Keep your Facebook and Twitter feed updated to maintain awareness.
If you need ideas about what helps sell a camp, spy on your competitors as well as camps unrelated to yours to see how they generate interest and leads.
You can also ask kids and parents from camps past what they liked about your camp, what you could do to make it better, and what made your camp unique.
Staffing and operations
Who are the kids going to remember?
- That really cool CIT who knows the latest smartphone app
- The wise camp counselor who keeps everything moving forward
- The archery guru who teaches more than target practice
- The Ga-ga ball specialist (it’s a thing)
You need a staff filled with friendly people who can work as a team each camp session with the age range of kids you expect at your camp. Provide first aid training and refreshers throughout the summer and make sure each staffer knows you appreciate the hard work.
If there are any staff problems, address them immediately; you want happy campers who remember the fun. There may be cultural differences between campers and the counselors. Talk to your counselors before camp begins about handling that aspect of camp relations.
Maintenance
First impressions count. Make sure camp is presentable from the beginning.
- Check cabins for maintenance issues, especially if you provide air conditioning.
- Make sure the restrooms are clean and operational at all times.
- Provide meals the kids will eat (you can disguise that it’s good for them, too). Be sure to have ingredients on hand for restricted diets and picky eaters.
- Ensure all equipment is clean and in working order. Safety check ropes, lines, bridges, pools, and lake equipment.
Put plenty of waste containers and recycle bins throughout the camp. Empty them daily at a minimum to keep critters and pests away.
Before and after each camp session, inventory your emergency supplies and first aid kits. Keep them stocked and have solar back-ups for battery and plug-in power sources.
Proper maintenance can save you on capital expenditures. A well-maintained cabin or lodge will not require premature replacement.
Expenses - operating and capital
You have two categories of expenses — operating and capital.
- Operating expenses are the funds used to provide services during the current term. Salaries are operating expenses.
- Capital expenses (expenditures) are the funds used for projects lasting more than a year. A new building is a capital expense.
Cashflow is the balance between revenue and expenses, just like a budget at home. Saving money on necessary items is preferred but don’t be a miser. Make your revenue count by investing in good people and quality equipment.
Track and analyze your spending throughout the year with software that provides reports, invoices, easily accessed transaction records, and other features that help you make the best business decisions for your camp.
After personnel, food is the next largest expense at residence camps. You need to understand the interrelationship between material costs and preparation costs.
An accomplished chef can save on food costs.
- Creating good meals from seasonal produce and handy ingredients.
- Reducing waste during preparation and post-meal.
- Does not require a food service to shore up meal production.
You can save on capital expenditures by requesting bids for large projects such as constructing a new building or upgrading the environmental systems.
Differentiate
Specialty camps have proliferated in the past few decades. Instead of the one-size-fits-all outdoor camp limited to hiking, sleeping in cabins, and swimming, many parents opt to camps that cater to specific activities or special needs.
No camp can do everything well. Decide what type of camp you will offer and play to your strengths. Create a unique experience that you can use for future marketing and add complementary activities that fit into that niche.
If you offer a baseball camp for preteen boys, reflect that specialty in the activities you offer, staff you hire, and the look of your camp and website. The expectation is for quality instruction in the sport of choice.
Think about traditions you can build that are unique to your camp. If you have a specific set of values you want to instill, spell them out and make sure you follow them. There is a lot of competition out there for camping. Make sure you stand out. Enhance existing programs and replace those activities that do not fit your branding or the interests of your campers.
Provide the best possible customer service
The biggest complaint people have about any provider is lack of appropriate communication and action. Too often, a provider makes a mistake and, instead of owning up to it (like you would tell your campers to do), they delay action and communication.
- Set all expectations and be clear about what your camp does and what lies outside your responsibility.
- If you make a mistake, apologize immediately and include how you will make it right.
- Follow through on all promises, including an apology and explanation if you cannot keep one.
- Be completely transparent about all related costs and supply requirements.
Never assume every parent knows what is needed or that every child will come to camp prepared.
Running a great summer camp is a lot of work, but there are ways to reduce the administrative load.
Using software developed especially for childcare management, including camp management, can eliminate data entry tasks, reduce errors, and provide information for business decisions big and small. EZChildTrack childcare management software provides the means for online registration, enrollment, and tuition payment.
It offers a parent portal for parents to see what their kids are up to, pay tuition online, and provide documentation. You get a meal tracker, attendance tracker, and staff-time tracker as well as calendar-based scheduling.
Check out EZChildTrack summer camp software to save time and money better spent on your camp.
