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Post by MinnieMom on Mar 5, 2024 11:33:53 GMT -5
Happy March! Today's live stream will focus on the details for the different types of campsites. I'll do at least a highlights video on youTube as well and share that here.
Payments from the loan went out late last week, bringing us up to date with all work completed to date. Timing that so no one got shorted kept me awake many nights, but we did it.
Materials for the Welcome Center shell arrived last week. The rough plumbing is in for the building and the concrete slab pour is scheduled for later this week or early next week, depending on weather.
The Carolina Camping Club (CCC) is working with me to build excitement for the mid-may work weekend that will be a preview of sorts for the CCC members. That is free publicity for us for those who attend, the 3,000 who follow the group actively on facebook and potentially all their friends/family. Now the question becomes what can we have ready in 6 weeks for this group to enjoy? I'm thinking a dog park, even if simply a minimal effort with fencing that we later move, a community fire pit, a community grill, some picnic tables - - all things that are portable so we can move them from the temp location for this boondocking camping weekend in the future Phase 2 area in the back of the park away from construction to where we will want them for opening day. I'd even consider some unusual ideas like a small above ground (cheap) pool just for the weekend, as I think putting together a good event means it is worth spending some money on it. So far, we have 17 families signed up to participate. The CCC leader thinks we could easily get to 30+ families attending, so that's a lot of getting the word out if it goes well.
Does anyone have any good ideas for what all should be on the list to make this a success?
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Post by MinnieMom on Mar 6, 2024 17:21:04 GMT -5
The best business thing that happened today was a brainstorming session with our small business coach. I thought we were ready to jump into advertising. He slowed me down, getting me to think through branding, packaging and merchandizing. I've two pages of notes and a long list of to-do items before our next session next month. The best part was bringing DD along for this meeting. We've been working with Scott, the SBDC consultant for over two years now. He is an excellent coach and a natural teacher. DD was a tag long, mostly there to get the experience as a 13-year of sitting in a professional business meeting. It turned into partially a coaching session and partially a teaching session as he broke down some fairly sophisticated marketing concepts into actionable items that made sense to my 8th grader as well as to me. She was actively engaged for the two hour meeting, listening intently, asking good questions and offering relevant feedback when asked. While this work exhausted her (she fell asleep on the drive home), she saw it as extremely valuable. That was good, as this experience was a test. I'd spoken with DD's home school curriculum counselor about changing the focus of second semester Entrepreneurship (high school elective credit) from classwork (reading, videos, discussion, writing) to a series of experiences intended to expose her to what she needs to develop a viable business plan for a business she can own under the campground umbrella. That business plans will be her capstone project for the class and should incorporate everything she's learned. It should also be practical, as the actual plan for the business she will run. Currently that's looking like popcorn sales. It should be profitable. I think having the opportunity to develop and run her own small business while also getting high school credit for it is an amazing opportunity for a teenager. Meanwhile, DH has had a busy day with conversations with contractors. There seem to be a few little issues popping up among the different contractors working the project. DH is doing a good job working through those with the guys. It may have helped that I took off for a long weekend with a friend in another state. That got me out of the way so he could step up. The wonderful thing about being on-site and checking on progress every day is that he can see these issues when they are still tiny and relatively easy to resolve. That said, we have to find a way to accelerate some of the work. The clock is seriously ticking now and keeping this on schedule is going to be a challenge for all involved. Here's one small example of some of the marketing thought work this afternoon. Consultant suggested we create new versions of the logos that include the tagline. Here's the first one. I think he made a good point - it makes the logo a bit wordy, but there will be many places using these makes sense.  I have a variation of the logo that does not include "campground and RV resort." I may try adding the tagline that one as well to see which comes across as cleaner, easier to read. So work on this kind of branding, along with creating the collateral and other packaging items, cleaning up website, updating google profile, doing some SEO and segmenting some of the marketing to different groups will be part of the work I focus on during the next month. That's the fun stuff! |
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Post by MinnieMom on Mar 7, 2024 16:07:06 GMT -5
Sometimes, things just come together. I had a fabulous call with our future Social Media manager - shout out to Jenny at thesocialstudios.com/ - that was a great follow up to the marketing planning work yesterday. Jenny's in Orlando, so our next meeting happens to line up with my next planned trip to FL. It looks like I may be meeting up with Jenny at Fort Wilderness in early April to do some work on the SPR social media marketing plan - how's that for fun? And, with a little pushing, the Facebook community marched past 1200 followers today! That unlocks the reservations launch date. Just in time, my favorite AI (Claude) released a new update that includes graphic analysis and edit suggestions. That helped polish the announcement that just went live to the facebook community. Tomorrow, I'll update the main webpage, upload a youTube video and see if I can figure out enough about Instagram to maybe schedule a post for this announcement. 
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Post by Brian5581 on Mar 9, 2024 19:51:38 GMT -5
What an amazing opportunity for your daughter! So so much more interesting and useful than the usual high school curriculum. Or college for that matter…
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Post by MinnieMom on Mar 10, 2024 12:46:46 GMT -5
Thanks Brian - here's hoping! Likely the single most useful class I took in high school was typing, which I detested at the time. However, I have used that skill just about every single day as an adult. My intent is to shape DD's learning experiences in homeschool to meet honors level standards for core curriculum and add in these practical experiences in the entrepreneurship elective. On Monday, DD and I have a 30 minute meeting booked with the accountant who keeps the books for the business. The focus of the meeting is getting a professional's opinion on what a popcorn stand at a campground should include on an initial business plan, as well as tips on how DD can make it successful (make money!). My teenager already understand far more about how money works at 13 than I did in my 20s. Giving her the opportunity to research, plan, open and run her own small business before she can legally drive will hopefully open up many more opportunities and ideas for her over her lifetime! Speaking of new opportunities, I found out just how easy it us to register a new business in SC. The work on the first illustrated storybook for Forest Friends is almost complete. After looking at different self publishing options, I decided to open my own publishing business and print the book (kindle and paper) through amazon. Being my own publisher lets me keep the right to print it through other media like Barnes and Noble. More importantly, it creates an LLC to protect both my personal and campground assets as a separate business in the unlikely event we get nuisance lawsuits or other unknown issues from the books. Plus, that gives a whole new brand as I have a ton of ideas for different books now. Writing and publishing may wind up being mostly a vanity project, but that's okay. If nothing else, it looks good on LinkedIn! Ladies and Gentlemen of MO, I give you Standing Tall Books!  Perhaps more interestingly, here's hoping you enjoy the first public preview of the finished art for the first illustrated Forest Friends book. If all goes well, we will publish this on or before Friday, March 15.  I am simply thrilled to see Rascal coming together. I have high hopes for these Forest Friends as the primary theming element for SPR! Let's see, random other updates before I settle in to get some work done this afternoon: - The facebook page continues to grow, at just under 1,350 followers now.
Last week was mostly a bust for construction due to rain. BOO!
Reservations go live on Friday, March 15! I'm going to be trying some test ones in the system later today, just making sure I understand how it works.
Most of the administrivia I meant to work on last week got sidetracked by DD education and the marketing stuff. That's okay. Just means I need to do it this coming week to stay on schedule. - List item 2
- List item 3
I was waiting to do the next newsletter update till we closed. I may work on that this afternoon. It would be good to have it ready to go out early next week. |
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Post by MinnieMom on Mar 10, 2024 12:49:05 GMT -5
I actually came on to post the link to the youTube highlights video for Episode 2: Campsite Types. Then I distracted myself with updates!
And here's the full livestream video link. It's funny - - I think all the most relevant material from the 20+ minute live stream was covered in the less than 2 minute highlights video. But it took a LOT more than 20 minutes to make those edits to get that info condensed that way!
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Post by MinnieMom on Mar 11, 2024 8:58:08 GMT -5
Slight Rabbit Hole
Publishing is on my mind again these days. My first three books were all travel and all through a small publishing house out of NY, basically one guy. Pandemic was not an easy time for him. Understood. Those were crazy years. But it has not improved. No reports, no royalties and some books out of print. Some of the writers who published with him have either already taken back their publishing rights or are considering it. I've been inching my way that direction for a while, building up a series of email requests for the things in the contract he is supposed to do but are not happening. It's pretty basic stuff - a quarterly report on sales and royalties if any are due. My intent has been to take back publishing rights by the end of this year.
Now, after thinking about it over the weekend, I'm wondering if I want to revisit those first books. Doing an update on Fort Wilderness after CFW open in July makes sense to me as a 2nd edition. The Year of Disney book 2 could be the Decade of Disney, telling the story of how/why we keep coming back to the parks. Legoland has done a number of upgrades and even though DD has aged out for the most part, likely a one day trip down to that park could give everything I'd want to update that book with a 2nd edition as well. In other words, I think with minimum effort and a few weeks worth of work, I could update and rerelease those first three books. I'd much rather do that through Standing Tall Books and control everything this time. Again, not because I think these are money makers. At best, they are a break even proposition. But having a number of different books may lead to eventually publishing works by other writers.
DH mostly sees this as a distraction from the primary business, building and running a campground. I get that. I also get there is a unique competitive advantage in developing the stories and characters for Forest Friends. The case for the Disney/Lego books is less straightforward. Those boil down more simply to I want to revisit and update them. Maybe it is worth the time. Maybe it is not. Something to think about, as DH tends to be right far more often than I like to admit. But in any case, I think I'll keep working towards getting publishing rights back for the first three.
Also, with last week's update, my favorite AI can now recognize, analyze and make suggestions for graphics. I ran the final draft back through, checking for errors. Nothing was caught, so I think we are at the final stage. But AI did make a different suggestion that will push publishing Rascal out a few weeks. AI asked about marketing plan. Yeah. Basically, we don't have one. So I used AI to put one together. It is basic, as a requirement is $0.00 cost. But taking 3-4 weeks on the front end to set up some interest for the book should pay off on the back end. That's the hope anyway!
Implementing a marketing plan for Rascal Takes Responsibility will push the publishing date to April. Oh!! Maybe I should make it on or near my birthday - - a 50th birthday gift to myself!
With that pleasant thought - happy Monday everyone! Thanks for continuing to follow along. More updates coming later this week!
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Post by Eli's Nana on Mar 11, 2024 18:29:24 GMT -5
Just caught up on the last two months. So exciting to see all the progress and videos, and art and... everything! Wow, you have been very busy. All looks great!
Thx for updating us all here!
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Post by MinnieMom on Mar 13, 2024 15:38:44 GMT -5
Thanks, Eli's Nana! I very much appreciate the kind words.
Y'all - - reservations go live on Friday!! Less than 48 hours!!!! And from comments from the facebook group, I think at least a few people are planning to book their first trips on Friday!
I'm doing my level best to clear everything off my desk so I can focus on reservations support and monitoring on Friday. I think we are all set, but just as soon as I type that I realize I need to do some behind scense admin work to link a few sites, do a reminder post on Facebook, tweak the website......and I better go check the master list to make sure we are on track for Friday!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by WDWGoof on Mar 14, 2024 5:37:31 GMT -5
Good luck for a smooth Friday. I think your numbers are going to far exceed your expectations!
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Post by MinnieMom on Mar 14, 2024 19:03:36 GMT -5
Thanks WDWGoof! I really appreciate the well wishes and kind words!
This week has simply flown by. The final draft of "Rascal" came back from the illustrator, we are getting ARC copies out to advance readers and I completed the first drafts for the 10 chapter story and the second illustrated storybook for the series. That was Monday!! Tuesday was meeting with our accountant to go over some things for the campground planning and set up a whole new account to deal with the books, then meeting with the illustrator to get our marketing game plan together and start working that checklist, then rush back to do the weekly live stream update on Facebook, then get up to speed on a minor construction issue DH was sorting out. Oh yeah, and having a miserable head cold kick in as a reminder of quality time spent with a close friend and my godchildren about 10 days ago. Yesterday was starting to get ARC reader feedback on "Rascal," making some slight adjustments (mostly adds - the feedback inspired a fit of creativity), then spending quality time drafting up news releases, event invitations, social media posts and other related collateral marketing items for rolling out "Rascal." You know, all the things a publisher typically gets a hefty % of revenue for handling!
Plus the campground - tomorrow is reservations launch date! I spent quality time in the reservations system today, trying to break it. I found the limits of some of the rules and structure, but didn't break anything. Murphy's Law being what it is, I suspect tomorrow will be a series of handling unanticipated issues from the reservations unlock and roll out. Then this weekend for the edits and posting of this week's social media content from all the work onsite, digging out and finally completing taxes for 2023, paying some bills that need to get off my desk and figuring out how to squeeze the budget again for some little things that have cropped up.
And it is all 100% worth it, with at least 98% being an absolute joy! I can't remember ever working so hard or being so very happy to work!!
Here's a fun one for you - the youTube short announcing reservations launch. Enjoy!
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Post by MinnieMom on Mar 15, 2024 8:32:57 GMT -5
And....reservations are live!!
And...we have multiple confirmed reservations with deposits paid in the 30 minutes since the reservations went live!!
The announcements are up on our social media pages, I added the "book now" feature to our main webpage, an email blast will go out to subscribers this afternoon and I have a news release waiting to go out once I know how many reservations we book in the first hour.
I made a special note of the first guest to book a reservation. That family will get a special surprise when they check in!!
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Post by MinnieMom on Mar 16, 2024 17:04:14 GMT -5
It's Saturday! That is coming to mean editing the prior week's livestream video and planning the next week's episode. Here's the two minute highlights version, just posted on youTube, with the key info from last week's Planning the Pool show.
Here is a different variation on the same content. This is about 6 minutes long. This is a simpler process for me. I can film and edit this in about half the time it takes to get it down to the really key points in the less than 2 minute version.
And this is the full ~30 minute livestream version of the same content. This is the simplest and easiest filming process by far. It still takes time on the front end to put together the deck and script some talking points, but based on doing 3 of these, I think I can get this total process down to less than 2 hours as I keep standardizing some things for the livestream version.
I posted these three variations because I need feedback. I can invest the time to do two versions of the show weekly. Which two versions do you think offer the most value?
Option A: The two minute short and the five minute speaker version.
Option B: The two minute short and the full ~30 minute livestream version.
Option C: The five minute speaker version and the full ~30 livestream version.
Option D: Some variation of the five minute speaker version, with video and/or slides, plus the a really short 90 second highlights version to qualify as Facebook reel / youTube short.
Full disclosure: There are a couple of shows coming up where the live stream will be some version of the speaker version, as I have two collaborations planned with other creators. As much as anything else, I'm trying to find my groove to prepare a format that could work for those joint shows.
Please comment with your thoughts. Three versions per week is more time than I can dedicate to this, so it would be very helpful to know which variations add the most value. I'll likely also post this as a poll in the facebook group, because I really do want to get some help figuring out where to spend the time on this side of the marketing effort. Thank you for helping!
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Post by MinnieMom on Mar 18, 2024 11:21:57 GMT -5
I created a one-question survey on the videos. That may be a simpler/easier way to give some feedback. forms.gle/BeTRjj9YndiJ1kn29 The concrete foundation for the Welcome Center was poured this morning! I worked on the project plan for the joint work weekend for the Carolina Camping Club this weekend. That's going to be quite the event! I need to work on marketing and publishing for Rascal this afternoon. Right now, I've got the slide deck for tomorrow's live stream up. I'll finish that, with talking points, today so it is ready to go tomorrow. This should be another good week with some visible construction progress with the clubhouse foundation. That's so very good to see happen! |
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Post by MinnieMom on Mar 21, 2024 16:22:29 GMT -5
Did anyone hear me shouting for joy earlier this afternoon? The bank required another full blown, third party commercial appraisal. It seemed mostly a post-closing formality, although the closing documents did specify if the appraisal value dropped from the prior assessment, we would have to take some specific actions to remedy that situation. I received my copy of the updated appraisal this afternoon. The appraised value has increased by ~$3,000,000 in current, as-built and as-stabilized values! My jaw dropped when I read the report! I literally had to sit down and compare the two side by side to understand the increase in appraised value. Some of it is market, but the vast majority is our work. I knew the work we have been doing over the past 18-24 months was value add. I believed - and still believe - this project would ultimately make us money instead of squandering our live savings. While the proof will ultimately be in our P&Ls over time, this was fantastic news! In other updates, some posts on the Facebook Carolina Camping Club last night made me decide to post our stance on a fairly divisive issue in the camping community. I've been told that this post is having a significant impact and will be the basis of good things to come for us. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Standing Pines: A Welcoming Upscale Camping ResortAt Standing Pines Resort, we are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for campers. We plan to welcome well-maintained RVs, including creative conversions, as well as tents! Our vision is to provide a space where guests can come together, make new friends, and Discover Memories Together. As avid campers ourselves, we've had the most enjoyable experiences at campgrounds that prioritize a sense of community and acceptance. We believe that the magic of camping lies in the shared experiences and the opportunity to connect with others who share a love for the great outdoors. While we understand that some campgrounds have specific rules and restrictions, our approach is different. We aim to foster an environment where all guests feel welcome and respected, whether they have a brand-new motorhome, a vintage trailer, or a creatively converted school bus. To ensure a positive experience for everyone, we have implemented a 28-day maximum stay policy per reservation and have priced our campsites at the higher end of the market. We believe these measures will help maintain the quality and integrity of our resort without the need for restrictive rules based on RV type or age. As we prepare to open Standing Pines Resort, we are committed to upholding these values of inclusivity and respect. While we acknowledge that our policies may evolve as we grow and learn, our dedication to creating a welcoming environment for all campers will remain at the heart of everything we do. We invite you to join us at Standing Pines Resort and experience the joy of camping in a community where everyone is welcomed and appreciated for their unique contributions to the camping experience. www.CampStandingPines.com#StandingPinesResort #CampingForAll #InclusiveCamping #RVCommunity #CampingMemories _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ In a totally different post in a SC camping Facebook community yesterday, someone asked about any campgrounds in the Pee Dee. I missed that post until a few hours later when I saw that several other facebook users had responded and mentioned Standing Pines specifically. I'm posting some of those comments here, because it really hit me for the first time that perfect strangers are not only following our project, some are already jumping in to recomend us to fellow campers. This is deeply encouraging! * By AWC: Camp Standing Pines will open in October. They have started taking reservations. Looks like its nice and McBee is just down the road * By RW: Be patient. Standing Pines is on the way. I don’t think it is complete yet. Between Hartsville and Patrick. They are working hard to get this started. * By MR: Standing Pines Campground & RV Resort is also planning to welcome campers of all kinds during their opening, confirmed as recently as tonight by the owner in another thread! I'm so excited to develop an ongoing Carolina Camping Club (CCC) with this awesome project/campground and the hands-down amazing owners. ❤️ |
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