How to Spend the Off-Season

“The real preparation for races is done in the off-season. I put in the hard work during the summer and fall, and I'm always working on technique so that when the actual races come around I'm ready to go.”
-Shani Davis

​Like athletes, camp directors still have a lot to do in the off-season. Once the kids go home, the supplies have been tucked into storage, and the counselors have said their goodbyes, the real work begins. The camp season might be busy, but the off-season is when the important work of preparation gets done.

Here are three valuable things you can do during the off-season to help make 2017 your best summer yet:

Use your off-season to revamp your image. First, take stock of your online presence. Do customers interact with you on social media? Do they read your blog articles? Do they click your Google ads? Once you’ve evaluated your current position, decide how to move forward. Potential improvements include improving your SEO, updating your website design, or revitalizing your email newsletter. Next, take the opportunity to engage with the community where you’re located. By chatting with local customers and other members of the community, you become a part of it. Never underestimate the value of a face-to-face conversation; one conversation can result in multiple sales if it builds a real relationship. As with digital marketing, take stock of your situation. Take advantage of the opportunities you have locally to build your business, whether that means improving local presence through print ads, partnerships, sponsorships, etc.

Use your off-season to plan ahead. What non-exigent tasks can you complete before the next camp season begins. By getting done in advance anything that does not need to be done during camp, you save yourself from unnecessary stress during the busiest time of your year. Tasks to be done in advance include activity planning, hiring, and the creation of any policy changes. You can also schedule content in advance on social media and blogs, if you use one for content marketing. This saves you time and effort later; just make sure you don’t post anything that will be obviously outdated by the time it’s posted.
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Use your off-season to reflect on last camp season. What worked well? What didn’t? Even the traditions your camp has held for years should be reflected upon. If campers seem bored with them, tweak them! This is your opportunity to change, as much or as little as you think appropriate, anything about your camp: hiring practices, marketing metrics, the logo, activity schedules, policies, price, location, etc. Reflect on the previous season to make rational decisions about to (and not to) change for the next one. By using camper, parent, and employee feedback as well as your own observations, you can make well-informed decisions on how to keep improving your camp year after year.