Budget and Pricing of Camp - CampHacker #95

Living, Breathing, Budgets & Camp Pricing

Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Stitcher

Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Stitcher

Open Excel, dig out your calculators, and put your number-crunching hats on!

Let's get real here. Budgeting definitely isn't one the glamorous parts of Camp Directing. Besides cleaning out a septic tank, it may be the least glamorous. Even so, your budget may in fact be the most important thing your camp can invest time into this fall and winter.

Your camp's budget is the foundation for both your short and long-term plans for the coming year. As well, you, as one of the most "on-the-ground" people at camp need to be involved in creating, understanding, and keeping the budget updated. A detailed, updated budget will allow you to make informed decisions on where your money is going to go and how much you need to bring in. With the budget's information under your belt, you can make well informed decisions on things like your camp's pricing!

On this episode of the CampHacker Podcast, the "Business Brain Trust" (aka - Travis, Joe, Johnathon Lee and Sarah Kurtz McKinnon), have re-assembled to talk all about their best budgeting practices and how the budget can paint clearer pictures when it comes to looking at your camp's pricing. As well, tune in to hear about the host's philosophies when it comes to setting your camp's fees to reflect a professional, competitive business.

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

Travis: Twenty Ads that Shook The World - James Twitchell 

Johnathon: Dewalt Drill/Driver 

Sarah: TurboScan App -  iOS II Android

Joe: Levenger Pocket Briefcase

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Bonus Content! - Because people who read our blog posts are the best.

CampHacker's Life Cycle Plan - Free spreadsheet to help you create some capital plan for buildings on your site.

The Tool of the Week Show - CampHacker #94

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

Do not adjust you're monitor! The Tool of the Week heading is in the right place of this blog post.

That's right, it's a Tool of the Week EPISODE! This one is for all of the masters of chrome extensions, the efficiency junkies, the royalty of DIY online design and for those people who's last panel on their phone is full of apps from listening to the Tool of the Week section on our show.

With doing literally no research to back this statement up, the following list has got to be the world's biggest list of computer, web-based and phone apps curated by camp people, for camp people.

Tune in to hear Travis, Dan, Gab and Joe's short explanation on each of these apps and how they make their Camp Pro lives a little less crazy.

Oh, and don't forget to make sure you're wifi is turned on before you start your downloading!

Computer:

Phone Apps

What apps save your bacon every day? Let us know in the comments below!

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(Thank you!)

The Conversations You Have With Yourself - CampHacker #93

When You're the Only One by the Campfire

CampHacker podcast producer Matt here.

Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Stitcher

Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Stitcher

One of my favourite parts about working in the camp office during the summer is being able to bounce my ideas off of my co-director or whoever happens to be in the office. If there isn't anyone in the office, I'll often pull in a counsellor or staff member on their break to bounce a new programming idea off of. Needless to say, I'm a big bouncer-idea-off'er. Now that it's October, the office walls and empty desk chairs aren't as receptive to my ideas, no matter how excited I am about them. I'm forced to resort to talking to myself a little more.

Even when it's not the off season, a Camp Director's inner monologue can be their best friend, or their arch nemesis. Hashing things out with your brain can spark new ideas but can also slow you down with your own insecurities or doubts. We preach that mental health is something that we need to nurture in our staff and campers, but how kind are we being when we speak to ourselves?

On this episode of the podcast, the fantastic (camping) four are re-united to share not only what goes on in their director heads, but what they do to keep that voice regulated and pushing them forward. This episode was just what I needed to hear at this time of year so I hope that it's the same for you. If you get anything from this episode, hear Travis, Joe, Dan and Gab say, you're not alone in this!

What do you do to keep your inner monologue in check? Let us know in the comments below!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

Travis -  Richard P. Feynman,  Surely You’re Joking, Mr Feynman

Joe - Kijiji.ca

Gabz - Tyme iOS app 

Dan - Wooden book

 

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The Business of Camp - CampHacker #92

One of the biggest parts of camp that your staff don’t get to see. 

    Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Stitcher

    Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Stitcher

Finance, capital planning, budgeting, donor relations, business strategy – and remember, we’re not on the 123rd floor on Wall St! This is camp! 

All of the things that we know and love about camp – campfires, singing songs, high-ropes, canoeing on a lake are all incredible, but they all won’t exist in a camp that is mismanaged from a business standpoint. For most full-time Camp Directors, this big-picture thinking about camp as a business is absolutely critical to create a sustainable and thriving place that will be around for future generations of campers.  

As you may have heard Travis say, “Money moves the mission”.  

We’re all here for the campers. It’s why we do what we do, but being a business-minded director doesn’t mean that you aren’t any less camper-minded. Being business-minded, at least some of the time, means that you are taking on the responsibility of ensuring that camp is just as awesome, if not even more awesome for many years to come.

On this episode of the CampHacker Podcast, Travis and Joe are joined by Johnathon Lee, Co-Executive Director of Camp Kintail, and Sarah Kurtz McKinnon, Camp Consultant and Go Camp Pro partner. Tune in to hear these four camp pros share some of their best business practices and philosophies that allow their camps to thrive and will surely spark some new ideas for this upcoming year.

Want to get stared? Joe recommends the book Basic Camp Management for some fall professional development.

Welcome back to the CampHacker Podcast! We can't wait for another great season.

 

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

Travis - Seth Godin’s altMBA - https://altmba.com/ -  if you apply, use Travis’ code: Leap now - [Travis Allison]

Joe - Marshall Goldsmith - Triggers 

Sarah - Roger Fisher - Getting to Yes 

Johnathon - MS Excel

Your Hosts:

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes 

(Thank you!)