Building A Retreat Business From The Ground Up
Advice on how to get started
By Jon Carter
Photos: 829 Studios
In 2018, my former camp director asked if I was interested in returning to work full-time for Camp Schodack, a privately owned summer camp in upstate New York, under the same family ownership for four generations. My initial excitement quickly turned to curiosity as I asked what role he wanted me to fill. He explained his plan to build a rental and retreat business to make better use of the camp’s facilities before and after the summer-camp season.
With beautiful, well-kept playing fields, plenty of on-site accommodations, and access to different sports and activities all in one place, it would seem Schodack, and many summer camps, are perfectly equipped to offer their grounds and facilities to any number of groups.
The reality is that most summer camps do not. There are myriad reasons for this: buildings not being winterized and therefore not suitable year-round, or simply not having the staff on-site to manage such a huge undertaking, like welcoming and running sessions for new groups, or helping couples celebrate weddings (becoming increasingly popular). After all, planning and executing a successful summer-camp program is no small feat. Many directors and their staff members need to deal with the ever-demanding task of planning for the next summer, as soon as the previous season is finished.
So, after 63 years of operating solely as a summer camp (previously a farm and then a hotel owned and operated by his grandfather), Owner/Director Matt Krouner decided he wanted to make use of the incredible grounds and buildings at Camp Schodack for more of the year. It was a big decision and one that has come with challenges, financial commitments, and many lessons learned.
Starting From Scratch
The first steps were simple:
Decide what type of groups we wanted
Research local venues similar to ours that would cater to the same audience
Begin to establish a presence online so interested customers could easily find us.
We discussed at length the types of events we were interested in hosting, so that part of the startup was relatively simple. Ideally, we were looking for sports teams, youth groups, corporate retreats, religious groups, and couples looking for a relaxed, weekend wedding. These were all groups we thought we were equipped to host given our facilities and set-up. We were keen not to overstretch ourselves, but were willing to give anything a go so we could learn.
We then began work researching similar local venues. As luck would have it, we are unique geographically. Schodack is close to a major city without many summer camps in the immediate area, and there are good transport connections. While many hotels and conference centers are located nearby, none have access to the type of facilities one would expect at a summer camp.
Building An Online Presence And Finding Business
Next, we began to build an online presence we knew would be key to growing the business. We created a separate site from the camp’s website to differentiate between the two businesses. This allowed for a great deal of freedom because we could use more corporate language and images with less focus on the warmth, tradition, and spirit of the camp website, but without losing that connection between the two businesses that made the property so special. The downside to this approach was that the site had to be built from scratch, which took time and additional costs. We strongly believed that finding that balance between procuring new business leads should not come at the expense of the camp’s core values.
Next came the most difficult part and one we do not expect to ever get any easier—bringing in business! The decision was made to focus much of the advertising budget on Google ads. For the first year, this turned out to be a positive decision; leads were coming through on a steady and consistent basis. We were not inundated, but had enough to keep us busy, along with growing an online presence in other ways.
We did not want to rely on paid advertising completely, so we began listing the camp on every free listing site available. There are many out there, so be prepared to enter the same information over and over! The internet is a vast place so you never know how people might find your information; it helps to focus on being creative with how you sell it.
But we didn’t just stop online; we contacted local schools and companies, chambers of commerce, religious groups, wedding planners, and more in the search of a “hot lead.” It can be disheartening to never receive a reply, or to be told “not interested” repeatedly. But remember—it only takes one of those leads to book with you to make it all worth the effort.
What We Have Learned So Far
Be as flexible as possible without promising the impossible. We promised a bride she could zipline down the aisle (thankfully, she changed her mind!) and told various groups they could host dance parties until 6 a.m.! At the end of the day, while you want the business, you don’t want a group to have an awful experience because you were unable to deliver on a promise, so make sure it is achievable, even if it does seem far-fetched at first.
Keep notes of everything you discuss with leads. They will likely remember you told them they can use your camp kitchen to cook in—even if that isn’t something you thought you agreed to. Did you promise the use of all the golf-karts on-site? Well, you have to honor that, even if you are personally walking around all weekend!
Frustration from leads “ghosting” you—especially those with whom you seemed to have a good rapport—always stings a little, but you have to get good at brushing it off and focusing on the next lead.
We are far from a finished product in building a retreat business. While the first year was successful, much of what we brought in were one-time groups; the hunt for repeat business is the Holy Grail as far as I am concerned. The director is continually investing in developing the facilities so they will benefit both summer campers and also the retreat business (we recently completed construction on a new fitness center, spin studio, and fully equipped kitchen to allow groups to self-cater), but in these increasingly uncertain times, we have had to reschedule several of the groups’ dates, which has been a double-whammy as many of the post-season leads are understandably hesitant about the coming weeks and months.
If I could give only one tip about this journey so far, it is that perseverance is key; it is all worth it once you help create an amazing experience for the people who do book with you … but I guess that’s the camp counselor in me talking!
Jon Carter is the Alumni, Communications, and Events Coordinator at Camp Schodack in Nassau, N.Y. Reach him at carter@schodack.com.