Profit is not the same as cash
Profit is a result in your accounts. Cash is money you can use to pay a bill today.
A profitable camp can run short of cash when customers pay late and staff must be paid now.
A camp can also have a large bank balance and still be in trouble. That money may belong to future camp weeks, tax payments, or customers who could need refunds.
Make a rolling cash plan
Plan at least through the next major payment and refund dates. A 13-week plan is a useful working tool, but your season may require a longer view.
Each week, enter the opening bank balance, money actually expected to arrive, money due to leave, and the closing balance.
Closing cash = opening cash + cash received − cash paid
The closing balance becomes the next week's opening balance.
Use payout dates, not just customer purchase dates. A payment service may release money later than you expect.
A small example
Suppose the bank starts with $8,000. Customer payouts add $6,400. Payments of $5,000 leave the account.
$8,000 + $6,400 − $5,000 = $9,400
The closing bank balance is $9,400.
Now suppose your forecast shows $7,000 still needed for already promised delivery, $600 in tax remittances, and a separate $1,000 refund cushion.
Only $800 is outside those planning needs. Check that the categories do not overlap. The $9,400 bank balance is not permission to spend $9,400 on growth.
Treat deposits with care
A customer's early payment is not automatically money you have earned. You still owe the promised camp or whatever remedy the law and agreement require.
Track payments by offering. Know how much you may need to return if a week cannot run.
Do not use next season's deposits to hide losses from this season without a credible, lawful funding plan. This can leave the next group without a camp or a refund.
Keep a protected reserve using the method your bank and adviser recommend. Separate accounts can help, but they do not replace accurate records or any legal trust requirements.
Compare ways to fund the start
Owner savings avoid loan payments but still put your money at risk.
A loan adds cash now and repayments later. Loan money is not sales.
A grant may have rules, reporting duties, and limits on how money is used. Do not include an unapproved grant as certain cash.
A sponsor may want naming rights, signs, or access to an audience. Do not promise children's data or photos as part of a deal.
A partner may invest money in return for ownership. Put the ownership, decision rights, pay, losses, and exit plan in a reviewed agreement.
Set warning lines
Write a minimum cash level based on real obligations and risks. It is not a universal number of months.
Decide what happens before you cross it. You may stop optional spending, reduce an unlaunched program, add owner funding, or cancel within the agreed notice window.
Never fix a cash shortfall by skipping required staff, delaying earned wages unlawfully, or taking money you cannot responsibly use to deliver the camp.
Your task: Build the cash plan. Test a low-sales week, a late payout, and a cancellation that requires refunds.