Do You Fit - Self Assessment Questions

So you're looking for campgrounds for sale...

For most prospective owners, the path from "wouldn't it be nice" to actual campground ownership can involve a number of considerations and decision points. For most people, this will be your first experience with business ownership, and you'll want to carefully consider all aspects of this change in lifestyle.

So - what are some of the things to consider?

Who?

Unlike many businesses, owning a campground tends to be a "family affair". Owners typically live and work on the campground, so it isn't just a job or a business, it's a way of life.

• Is the ownership of a campground a common goal for you and your spouse or partner(s)?
• If you have younger children at home, how will you run the campground and provide the attention your children need?
• How will money/management responsibilities be divided?
• WHO WILL MAKE THE BUSINESS DECISIONS? This question can be highly significant to both the business and your personal lives, and considerable thought and discussion should go into this matter.
• • See the Skills Questionnaire following this section to evaluate the skills you and your spouse bring to the business. This may help you decide who will do what and how to divide responsibilities on the campground.

What?

Are you fully aware of what will be involved in owning a campground? Buying a campground because you love to camp is somewhat like buying a restaurant because you love to eat…one doesn't necessarily equal the Other!

• Long hours
• Physical and mental stamina needed
• Ability to work with the public
• Ability to work closely every day with your spouse/partner
  • Have you thought about living and working together 24/7?
• Ability to set goals, shift priorities, handle crises, make decisions, deal with adversity
• A sense of humor is essential!

What kind of campground do you want to own?

• Open all year vs. seasonal
  • Benefits of a year round income vs. ability to get time off to "recharge"
• Overnight vs. Attraction vs. Combination
  • Dependent on the traveler (shorter stay campers) "Overnight"
  • Short stays during the week, but draws weekend/vacation business from surrounding area(s) (longer stays, may need to offer more services/activities to draw the business) "Combination"
  • A park located near some attraction which draws people to your locale "Attraction"

When?

Set a realistic timeline for ownership and work toward that goal.

• If you found the campground of your dreams today would you be able to buy it?
• • $150,000 in available cash is the minimum you'll need (this can be significantly more, depending on the price of the campground you want to buy)
  • • Do you need to sell a house, business, or other assets to have down payment money available?
  • $250,000 in available cash is the minimum you should have if you're thinking about building a new campground
  • • New construction can be expensive and lengthy - do you have sufficient funds or funding to sustain yourself during the initial construction and start-up period?
• How does campground ownership fit into your long term goals for retirement?
• Do you need to wait for children to get out of school, or through college, to be able to realistically own a campground?

Where?

The location of a campground will be a decision that involves the whole family or management team.

• You don't want to limit your desired locale so greatly that you may never find a campground, but you also don't want to be unrealistic in choosing to move too far from familiar and comfortable ground.
• • Do you see moving to a new town or part of the country as an adventure?
• Is the whole family/team in favor of the move?
• We all tend to have support systems of friends, co-workers, family - owning a new business in a new area can create feelings of isolation. Are you prepared for and able to cope with those feelings?

How?

Set your goals, identify where the money will come from to make your dream of campground ownership a reality, talk about anything and everything on a regular basis with your family, and be ready to take the plunge when the right opportunity comes along.

Why?

This may be the most important question to ask yourself. Be sure you are realistic in looking at why you want to own a campground, and be sure your family members/partners are in it for the same reasons. It will be hard to meet your short term or long term goals if you haven't set them ahead of time, and if everyone involved isn't in agreement on why you own a campground!

And, contact the KOA Franchise Sales Organization when you're ready to start the process and we'll work with you to find the right property and make you part of the KOA family.

Next Steps?

The first step to owning a KOA Campground is to complete our online information request form. This information is required before KOA can release business information on properties for sale to prospective franchisees and you can be assured that any personal information will be kept confidential.