Small Business Institute Consultation Project for Pretty Lake Vacation Camp

Abstract

Pretty Lake Vacation Camp, Inc. (PLVC) was established almost seventy years ago in Texas Township for the purpose of providing fresh-air camping experiences for children in the Kalamazoo area. Through the years, both Kiwanis and Junior League have become joint sponsors of the Camp, giving both financial and programmatic support. PLVC has relied solely on contributions and fund-raising for financial survival. In the last few years, this has not been sufficient to meet the needs of the summer camp, and PLVC has operated in the red. The result of these net losses is a decrease in PLVC's investment funds. The on-site facilities which make up PLVC have been there for over sixty years, and it is now time to build again. This process of reconstruction begins in September 1994 and is supported by a $2.5 million capital campaign. The new facilities are such that the Camp will use them to operate a for-profit retreat/ conference center in the Fall, Winter, and Spring. This for-profit facility will be relied upon to earn enough revenue to support the summer camp as well as its own operations. Therefore, the main objectives of this project are to establish a marketing strategy and a viable sales forecast/ income projection for the new retreat I conference center.