I've borrowed these from the American Hotel and Lodging Association, but I think they apply pretty well to the camp and conference industry as well.
1) Stay on top of local and national legislation. With many states and counties taking an increasingly hands on approach with camps and conferences, it pays to stay in touch. Like a lot of businesses and ministries, many states are experiencing budget crunches and they are looking for ways to increase their revenue. There are camps who are struggling right now with state and local mandates that they don't know how they're going to afford. Don't stick your head in the sand. Pay attention.
2) Know where your competition stands. This is a marketing principle that makes sense financially. Know those things that distiguish you from the other camps on your road or in your area. Think like a camper mom or a pastor. If they are looking at your camp, what other camps are they looking at? What kind of price differences and facility differences are they weighing before making their decision. Be a student of the camping landscape around you.
3) Pay attention to the latest trends and innovations. Your camp might be located off the beaten path and be a beautiful place "set apart." But you can't afford to hide in the woods. The folks who are paying for your programs and services will tell you what they like and what they don't like with their dollars. Pay attention. What's important to groups today? What are moms looking for in Christian camp? There's a very good chance the answer is very different today than it was 20 years ago.
4) Be prepared for an emergency. How's your "rainy day" fund? Have you been diligent to set money back so you'd be okay when times get tough? Take a new look at your budget and begin to set an amount back to help you through the times when camper days are down or the most recent fund raising project isn't what it should be.
5) Cut costs by knowing your ROI on every purchase. It's easy to be tempted to keep up with the Joneses. Purchasing new things just because the camp down the road is buying them too is a foolish strategy. Take a hard look before you buy. How will that purchase affect the bottom line? Will it be an investment that will actually increase revenue (ropes course) or will it be a drain on the budget (used pickup truck).
That's enough for one day. I'll cover the rest tomorrow.
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