Keep the first version small
Your first plan can fit on one or two pages. It should still answer the hard questions.
Write who you serve, what you sell, where you run, why people will choose you, who will do the work, what it costs, and what could stop it.
Use real notes and quotes where you have them. Mark guesses as guesses.
A lender or investor may need a longer plan. Do not confuse a long document with a tested business.
Choose your model
You may run the camp yourself. You may provide coaching inside another organization's camp. You may share the work with a club or facility.
These models have different duties.
For example, a host might handle bookings while you supply coaches. That does not tell you who handles a late pickup, an injury report, or a refund. Put those duties in writing.
If money is shared, define the calculation. “Twenty percent of sales” is unclear until you decide whether sales include tax, refunds, discounts, unpaid invoices, and payment fees.
Make a decision log
Keep a simple record of major choices.
| Decision | Why we chose it | Evidence | Review date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start with one age band. | Keep teaching and care easier to manage. | Interview notes and staff plan. | After the test week. |
| Do not offer transport yet. | No approved transport plan. | Insurance and cost review. | Before next season. |
This stops the team from having the same debate every week.
Name the owner of each task
A task with “everyone” beside it may end up with no one doing it.
Use one lead person for each task. Other people can help. One person checks that it is complete.
Also name a backup for urgent work. The person holding the only key or password may be sick on opening day.
Build three approval gates
Before you advertise a confirmed camp: Check that the claims, dates, location, and key conditions are accurate.
Before you take bookings: Check your sales process, lawful terms, permissions needed for sales, refund ability, and route to full operating approval.
Before you open: Confirm all required approvals, insurance, staffing, health arrangements, equipment, and emergency readiness.
Local rules may require some items earlier. Follow those rules. These gates are an internal planning tool, not permission to delay a legal duty.
Plan for failure as well as success
Ask what happens if bookings are low, the field is closed, a coach leaves, or the owner is ill.
Write a practical response and the money it needs. A backup plan that has no staff, no space, and no funds is only a wish.
Your task: Fill in the one-page business plan. Add the three approval gates and the person who signs each one.