Price the full promise
Your price pays for more than lesson time.
It also pays for setup, checks, planning, safe handovers, staff training, cleaning, customer support, and a business that can keep operating.
List exactly what the price includes. State whether meals, transport, equipment, early arrival, late pickup, or special trips cost extra.
Follow local rules about showing taxes and unavoidable charges. Do not advertise a cheap price that almost nobody can actually pay.
Use three checks
First, check your costs. The price must work at a realistic booking level, not only at a perfect sellout.
Next, check customer value. Does the camp solve an important need? Is the teaching, care, or schedule meaningfully useful?
Then check alternatives. Customers may compare you with another camp, a sports club, a private lesson, or staying home. Do not copy a competitor's price without knowing whether your costs are similar.
Build a price from your target
Using Chapter 12's simplified costs, suppose you expect 20 bookings and want a $1,000 surplus.
Price = variable cost + (fixed costs + target surplus) ÷ expected bookings
$40 + ($7,000 + $1,000) ÷ 20 = $440
This is a starting calculation. Recheck costs that move with price, such as payment fees. Also test whether enough customers will buy at that price.
A formula does not prove demand.
Do not confuse margin with markup
Suppose an item costs $80 and sells for $100. The difference is $20.
The margin is $20 divided by the $100 selling price: 20%.
The markup is $20 divided by the $80 cost: 25%.
They are not the same. Use the right one in your plan.
Give every discount a job
A discount should solve a clear problem. It might help early planning, fill a quiet week, or support a family with several participants.
Set its dates, eligible bookings, maximum uses, and whether it can combine with other offers.
In Chapter 12, giving all 24 people a $40 discount reduces sales by $960. With the same simplified costs, the surplus falls from $1,640 to $680. Actual processing costs may change a little too.
That is why “only a small discount” can have a large effect.
Do not use false countdowns or claim “last two places” unless there really are two places left in that offering.
Offer payment plans with clear dates
A payment plan can help customers spread the cost. It can also delay your cash and add fees.
Show the total price, amount due now, later amounts, payment dates, and what happens after a failed payment. Get the required agreement for saved payment methods and automatic charges.
Do not call a booking fully paid when only the deposit has arrived.
Give staff a kind way to discuss a missed payment. Do not shame a child over an adult's unpaid bill.
Plan scholarships and supported places
Decide how many places you can support and who pays for them. A sponsor-funded place is not the same as an unfunded discount.
Use fair, private rules. Collect only the proof you genuinely need. Tell a customer who can see it.
Do not assume a supported place is free to provide because the group already has a coach. Materials, care needs, capacity, and extra staffing may still matter.
Treat required disability access separately from optional financial aid. Get advice before charging for support that the law requires you to provide.
Your task: Write one clear price sheet. Test the average price you expect to receive after all discounts, not just the headline price.