The off-season is upon us, and that means more downtime! It’s always nice to slow down for a much needed “refresher”, but we understand how it can also bring about a new load of stress thanks to the slowdown of profits. Don’t worry, we’ve got your back. The best ways to make the most out of this off-season are by being creative with alternative revenue streams and finally getting around to those things you never had time to do. We’ve put together a list of 11 things you can do to beat the lull.
1. Update your website and social media pages.
2. Take new photos of features, amenities, and staff.
3. Read and respond to your reviews on social media, Yelp and Google.
4. Send out a customer feedback survey. This will not only engage your audience but allowing past customers to participate in the park the improvement process will get them excited about staying there again.
5. Work on maintenance, repairs, and general housekeeping.
6. Host a Thanksgiving event for your team and local neighbors.
7. Host a drive-in holiday movie night. Let people come for free but sell s’more kits, hot chocolate, and coffee.
8. If your campground is in an area where it snows often, have a snowman building competition, snowball fight, or sled race! If you allow local businesses to participate as a vendor for free, you can build new relationships at the same time. After the event, ask if you can cross-promote each other. Both sides can agree on a percentage of referral business for a little extra passive income.
PRO TIP: Click here to read about other passive income ideas.
9. (shameless plug alert) Upgrade your campground management software to something that saves your time and makes your campground more money. What is that you ask? Bonfire. Our software comes with free training for you and your staff so now is the perfect time to get on-boarded!
Click here to read about some of the tools our tools that make our software better than the rest.
10 If you have a permanent stay section of your park, offer to help them clean their site. You can rent the tools needed for your residents to use. This will help keep your park clean and foster goodwill.
11. Lastly, have fun and enjoy the downtime!
We hope this list will give you some inspiration on ways to take full advantage of the off-season. You know the saying “When life gives you lemons…”, well this is the perfect opportunity to take a less-than-ideal situation and turn it into a positive one. Just because your business starts to slow down doesn’t mean you can’t find other ways to be profitable. Utilize your downtime the best you can to plan for next season, get any necessary repairs done, and to host events to keep people coming back. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box, get creative, and try some of our ideas out!
