If you’re looking at new entrepreneurial pursuits, you should consider purchasing a campground franchise. Americans love camping, after all. In fact, almost six in every 10 households have reported that one of the residents has gone camping once a year. This means owning a campground can be a lucrative investment.
But, how do you go about purchasing a campground franchise? Where do you even start?
The campground industry can be a little confusing if you don’t have much experience with it, but here are a few things you need to have down before you get into it.
Knowledge of The Industry
You need to know what you’re getting into when you start looking into getting a campground, franchise or otherwise. You should have knowledge of what working at a campsite is like, or at least what staying at a campground can be like. It isn’t just a little park that you own and sometimes visit! More often than not, these places become little communities. And in order to create your own business, it’s important that you already understand how a successful camping ground operates.
The Right Skills
Running a campground requires the right people skills, the resources to keep things like water and electricity running, and the ability to host a lot of events. It’s a lot of work to run a location with 60 or more spaces, and you need to be prepared. Even if you don’t know how to work with plumbing or electrical systems yourself, you should know how to hire people who do.
The Right Location
One of the biggest draws for campgrounds is their location. You need to find the best one for you and your business. This can be by a lake, near a river, or some other attraction for campers. You might purchase your campground franchise from a parent company and run it for them, or you might buy it from a private party. Regardless of where your ideal location is, make sure you find the right location to keep the campground running successfully.
Connections to Other Owners
This ties back in with people skills, but you should reach out to other campground franchise owners and talk about what they’re doing to run their campgrounds. Or even talk to the previous owners of your campsite about what they did and what they wish they’d done differently. Get an idea of what you’re getting into and what you can do to make it better.
Community Values
You want your campground to be remembered fondly and with excitement. After all, part of your goal is to welcome people back to it every year. You can do this by providing a sense of community for the people that come to it yearly. People want to talk to you and you should want to talk to them. Make them feel welcomed and treat them as you’d want to be treated on a camping expedition.
These are just a few of the many things you should know when it comes to running a successful campground franchise for your next investment. It can be a lot of work, but it can also have a massive payback not just financially, but emotionally. There’s nothing better than bringing joy to families from near and far!