Running a summer camp can be such a fun experience, and it’s a great way to help kids learn new skills while improving their ability to socialize and work as part of a team. Fortunately, figuring out how to open your own successful summer camp doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might initially expect, as this handy guide contains some of the most effective steps that you can follow to turn your business dreams into a reality today. So, what are you waiting for? Read on to discover more!
Choosing Your Summer Camp Niche
The very first step that you need to take when you want to build your own successful summer camp business is to choose your niche. Gone are the days of summer camps being exclusively outdoors-based, as now you can host all kinds of camps from technology to arts and crafts. It’s totally up to you what kind of summer camp niche you choose for your business, but it’s vital that you can identify a popular concept that is sure to attract enough interest. Don’t make the mistake of choosing something that’s a little too niche, like stamp collecting or beekeeping, as it’s unlikely your summer camp will garner any kind of interest whatsoever. Take some time to perform some research into which kinds of summer camps are already in existence in your local area, as you might be able to find a pretty obvious gap in the market that could make for the ideal opportunity! It’s important to recognize that choosing your niche will have an influence on nearly every aspect of your summer camp business, so take some time to think your decision through before you settle on a final concept.
Finding The Perfect Location
Once you’ve been able to identify the ideal niche, it’s time to find the perfect location for your summer camp. The main purpose behind your summer camp will impact on the type of location that you need to identify, as an outdoors camp will require a totally different spot to an indoor sports camp. So, take some time to weigh up your needs and requirements, making a list of a few key features that your location has to have in order to fulfill its purpose. Your list might include things like land size, accessibility with regards to transport routes, amenities and more – look online for more inspiration if you’re a little stuck on what you need to look out for. Once you have a few potential contenders, always take the opportunity to visit them in person rather than simply judging based on photos you see online. This way, you can get a real feel for the place, as well as spotting any inconsistencies with photographs or even hidden issues that may have been removed from view online. Don’t be afraid to bring a surveyor with you to view a property, as their expertise can be extremely beneficial. It’s also recommended that you can seek expert support when viewing land too, as inviting an architect along will help give you an idea of how much it’s going to cost to build the set up you desire.
Hiring The Most Reputable Staff
When you have your summer camp property set up and ready to go, you need to spend some time hiring reputable staff that can support you in your quest for summer camp success. You’ll never be able to run your camp business on your own as there are far too many different responsibilities that need to be covered, raising the need for a complex team of people. If you want to run a self contained summer camp, then you’re going to need to hire a few extra staff members to ensure you can cover every base. Think cooks, cleaners, potentially some kind of security staff, and maybe even a medical assistant to help tackle any cuts and bruises. The rest of your team will depend on the type of summer camp you have chosen to build, but you’re going to need a number of camp leaders that spearhead your summer camp experience. These people need to have a proven track record of working with children in the past, and you need to ensure you check these references to ensure they’re 100% truthful. You need to perform a thorough background check on every person you employ, making sure they have no criminal history and feature on no risk lists whatsoever. It’s also going to be beneficial if they have some kind of qualification that relates to teaching or caring for children, as this will act as further proof that they have what it takes to provide your summer camp attendees with the best overall experience. Summer camp staff need to be fun, supportive, knowledgeable and energetic – keeping up with a bunch of kids isn’t an easy task!
Building A Brilliant Website
Every business needs its own website, as it’s the ideal way to give new customers more information about what you actually do. You can use your website to sell your business, as you can create dedicated pages for the unique activities and other selling points that your summer camp boasts. There are a few key features that make up a good business website, starting off with an attractive yet functional aesthetic. You need to strike a good balance between creating a sun and exciting theme, while still remaining professional and clear. Going overboard with lots of different colors might be tempting so that you can grab a child’s attention, but this will look messy and unprofessional for their parents (whose opinion matters most). You also need to take the right steps to ensure the information you present is as responsive and accessible as possible, utilizing a clear, dark font against a light background with the option to increase text size to suit.
Marketing Your New Summer Camp
Spreading the word about your summer camp should be your final priority before you swing open your doors ready to welcome your first campers, as you need to make sure you’ve been able to drum up enough attention to get full attendance. Fortunately there are so many different ways for you to market and advertise your summer camp, starting off with social media. Social media platforms attract both kids and their parents, and it’s so easy to build a commercial profile for your summer camp business that you can use to spark their interest. It takes just a few simple clicks to set up, and you can utilize a whole host of tools and features to help put your summer camp on the map. Make sure that you link your social media posts directly to your website, otherwise this traffic will essentially be useless and less to very few bookings. Another excellent option that you can explore to help market your new business is leafleting. This is a particularly effective option if you know that there are lots of families nearby, as they’ll open up your leaflet with their morning post and likely be intrigued by its contents. You can give details about your summer camp and provide ways to get in touch! No matter what kind of marketing you choose, always make sure that you use a professional tone and attractive aesthetics, while maintaining an approachable, friendly feel.
Accepting Your First Bookings
Are you ready to accept your first bookings? Because it’s time to welcome your guests to your new summer camp! Figuring out how to book your guests into your summer camp can often seem like one of the trickiest aspects of your venture, especially if you’re not particularly technologically inclined. However, there are lots of different options like the Summer Day Camp App that you can make the most of to maximize your booking process and subsequently begin with your best foot forward! Lagging software, lost bookings and missing features can all discourage a parent from continuing with a booking when they encounter poor quality software, so don’t make the mistake of trying to patch an app together yourself if you don’t have the right skills for the job. It would be such a shame to fall at the last hurdle! When you accept your bookings, you need to make sure you gather as much information from parents as you can to cover all bases in the event of an emergency. You’ll need their contact details, as well as any allergies or medical needs their child has.
Final Thoughts
You’ll be so proud of what you have achieved when you throw open the doors to your summer camp business, so there’s truly no time like the present to get started. These brilliant tips and ideas will help to point you in the right direction towards ultimate success – begin by choosing your niche, then find the right location or property, hire reputable staff, build a brilliant website and start marketing your new company to the masses. Don’t forget to utilize the smoothest, most efficient booking software, too!