Summer doesn’t have to be the slow season you dread as a studio owner. Parents are on the hunt for ways to keep their kids busy and active while school is out, and our summer camp management system helps you provide the answer!
It doesn’t matter what type of studio you’re running. From dance camp to art camp, there’s a huge opportunity for you to capitalize on this season. Not a studio owner, but hoping to start a traditional summer camp? This post is for you, too!
A summer camp management system is the key to getting organized and staying that way. Here’s what you need to know as you start planning.
How Do You Organize a Summer Camp?
Before you tackle anything else, make a few basic decisions about your summer camp by answering these questions:
- How long will camp run for each session?
- Will you offer multiple sessions throughout the summer months?
- What days and times will you be operating each week?
- What does an average day look like in terms of activities?
- How many camp counselors or teachers will you need?
After developing a basic plan of action, it’s time to consider the business side of things. You’ll want to organize a summer camp that will run smoothly from start to finish. These are some of the issues you’ll need to tackle when it comes to summer camp management.
Establish a simple online registration process
Signing up for your camp should be quick, easy, and digital. Online registration gives your campers and their parents a convenient way to enroll. No phone calls, snail mail, or in-person visits necessary. Likewise, it saves you time! Focus on the fun and creative work that camp planning requires, rather than fielding registration inquiries.
Best of all, you will have the information you need to ensure each student is in the right session. Summer camp management software can track contact information and other important notes across students. This may include specified allergies or dates they won’t be in attendance. Some tools even come with handy templates for important health and safety waivers that protect your business.
Create easy billing processes
Just like the registration process, billing should be a no-brainer. People want to pay when they want, the way they want. For most of us, checks and cash are a thing of the past. The best summer camp registration software allows your families to pay online using a debit or credit card.
Further, your families should have the option to set up billing in certain intervals. From bi-weekly payments to monthly tuition, this helps minimize the impact of one large cost. This should also be an automated feature, eliminating the need for any future log-ins.
Finally (and most importantly), your billing solution should make your job easier! Avoid wasting time chasing down payments. With a summer camp management system that couples online registration with payment processing, you streamline your admin tasks. This method of billing results in more reliable cash flow in what you thought was your slow season.
Communicate with students and parents
Staying in touch with students and parents is essential, no matter the type of summer camp you’re running. From information about special activities or family days to critical rules or policies, great communication is always necessary.
If you’re looking to use your time wisely, invest in summer camp management software that includes reusable email templates. You’ll also want the ability to segment messages to specific groups according to session, age range, and more.
Keep in mind, for studios offering classes year-round, this is also a great way to make sure parents are aware of the classes you offer all year long!
What to Look for in Summer Camp Management Software
While it’s more fun to plan camp games and activities, it’s critical to have an organized admin plan. These are the important elements to look for in a software summer camp management system:
- Enrollment: Make it easy for students and their parents to sign up for camp. Your system should allow people to set up an account online and register for the session of their choice.
- Communication: Easily distribute emails and documents to students and group segments.
- Payment processing: Securely accept and process payments via debit or credit card processing with the option to set up recurring payments. Plus, send emailed receipts automatically.
- Data security: Store all of this sensitive and personal data with a secure platform that protects against breaches. You should also have the ability to safely access this information from a tablet or smartphone if you’re out and about.
- Events and recitals: Want to host an end-of-camp recital or other type of event? Easily sell tickets and manage detailed event timelines with the best summer camp management systems. For dance or theatre camp, you’ll also want convenient costume management to keep track of measurements, costume assignments, and more.
- Revenue reporting: Create business reporting dashboards to easily see how much is coming in vs. how much is going out.
The Benefits of Using Studio Director All Year Long
No matter the type of studio you own, you need an ally when it comes to running your business. Hiring an accountant, office manager, and several other employees gets incredibly expensive. When you partner with Studio Director, you don’t have to!
Our studio software can streamline registration, billing, and communications. This frees you of admin tasks, giving you more flexibility to focus on the creative side of running your studio.
Ready to learn more about Studio Director and how it can help you? Book a demo or start your free trial now!
