Advertising Deadline – Will Be Here Before You Know It!

Need to fill some more summer positions or hire some winter season help?  Run a help wanted ad in the July/August issue of Workamper News magazine.

Help Wanted ads are the bulk of Workamper News magazine. Ads are organized alphabetically by state. The cost for a text ad is $1.50 per word. Current EmployerPlus subscribers receive a $30 discount on one ad per issue. Current Employer Basic subscribers can apply one of their yearly discounts (two $20 discounts alloted per year). The minimum ad cost for Employer subscribers is $25; the minimum ad cost for non-subscribers is $75. Ad cost is per issue. We require a credit card for the payment of the first ad run by an employer. Future ads can be charged to credit card or we will email/mail you an invoice. For information on other recruiting options, click here.

Once you submit your help wanted ad, you can Super Charge it for FREE if you’re a current subscriber. What that means is you can add an audio recording (up to 10 minutes) to supplement your ad. All you have to do is call the phone number provided and then give more details on your business, location, job positions, etc. We have created easy, step-by-step instructions. Just view this PDF and follow the instructions. We will include a link to the audio recording in your ad text. Workampers viewing the online version of the magazine will be able to easily click the link to listen to your recording.

Submit your ad today by using our secure online form. Or call 800-446-5627.

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Industry Press Release

Taco’s Seminars Provide Practical Advice to Increase Productivity, Boost Business Levels and Retain Existing Guests

How well do you plan your days?

When Lori Severson of Severson & Associates posed that question Tuesday to park operators attending the Spring Meeting of the Texas Association of Campground Owners (TACO), very few hands went up.

In fact, many park operators acknowledged that their days were also filled with interruptions, from phone calls to impromptu meetings where someone comes and sits in their office taking up valuable time.

Severson, who has her hands full running her own campground and consulting business while also serving as executive director of the Wisconsin Campground Owners Association (WACO), said there are ways to control the chaos and make better use of one’s time. She cited a university study, which found that every minute spent in workday planning can save 10 minutes in execution.

The key, she said, is not only to plan the tasks that you need to complete each day, but to prioritize them. She recommends park operators make a list of the things they need to do each day and to put an “A” next to the tasks that have to be completed that day. She recommends putting a “B” next to the tasks that are not quite so urgent, and a “C” next to the easy, routine things to do.

To plan things even better, Severson recommends numbering the “A” list tasks to prioritize them. She also recommends breaking the biggest tasks into 15-minute blocks. That way, they don’t seem so daunting and can be more easily tackled.

“How do you eat an elephant?” she asked. “One bite at a time.”

Breaking big tasks into 15-minute blocks can also encourage better use of time so that when you find yourself with a small block of open time, such as the 15 or 20 minutes of time before lunch, you use it effectively rather than waste it.

“The more complete your plan, the greater your likelihood of success,” she said, adding, “If you say you don’t have time to plan, you don’t have the time to be successful.”

Severson also recommends using one’s peak energy for the jobs you dislike the most and outsourcing those jobs that are beyond their areas of expertise. And when it comes to distractions, she recommends dealing with them.

If people come into your office too frequently to talk, take the chairs out of your office. If you’re getting too many phone calls, put your phone on silent and call them back after you’ve completed your work.

Severson was one of 16 speakers who made presentations during TACO’s April 27 – 30 Spring Meeting, which took place at Guadalupe River RV Resort and Inn of the Hills Resort & Conference Center in Kerrville.

Other speakers included Eric Stumberg of TengoInternet; Bruce Bridgewater of Coba Systems; Carol Weiderman of Peak Energy Technology; Larry Brownfield of Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA); Kelly Jones of Leisure Systems Inc. (LSI) and Robert Bouse of Red Rover Camping.

Bouse, who worked for KOA and other companies, urged park operators to hire people “who give good phone.” He blunted told park operators they will lose business to other lower priced parks if they simply tell people their nightly rates when people call to inquire about rates.

Instead of immediately providing price information, park operators should ask questions of their callers. What brings you to our area? What kind of RV do you have? By asking a few questions, your front desk staff will not only strike up a conversation with people who call your park, but they will have an opportunity to sell your park’s amenities, service, activities and location.

Front desk staffers should also make an effort to book a reservation with every caller and not make it easy for them to call back later.

“You have to ask for money,” he said. “You have to close the deal.”

That might be easier than you think, especially if callers are inquiring about coming on a busy weekend, when rates could be increased. If you book now, he said, we could lock in a lower rate now. And you could give them the option to call back within 24 hours if they want to cancel the reservation.

Most of the time, callers don’t call back to cancel.

Looking to the future, most Texas park operators raised their hands when asked if their reservations were up and if they expected stronger business levels this year. But Bouse also encouraged them to reach out more to ethnic minorities.

Thirty percent of the people looking to buy RVs last year were ethnic, he said. “They’re coming. They want to come. You’ve got to invite them (to your parks),” he said.

PowerPoint presentations from Bouse and other TACO speakers will be posted next week on www.TacoMembers.com.

Based in Crowley, TACO represents nearly 400 private campgrounds and RV resorts in Texas. The association was established in 1972 by a group of five campground owners who felt there should be independent marketing and advocacy for the private park industry in Texas. In addition to its legislative advocacy, TACO publishes the RV Travel & Camping Guide to Texas, a significant consumer magazine with a distribution of 250,000, and it hosts www.TexasCampgrounds.com, the most widely used website for RV parks and campgrounds in Texas. The association also promotes Texas campgrounds in over 25 RV shows in the US and Canada.

Fill Your Last Minute Openings

—-> Run an online Hotline Ad!

The highly successful Hotline was created to give employers immediate access to Workampers in order to fill immediate openings (jobs starting within the next 2 months). The Hotline is updated each weekday (Monday through Friday).

“Thanks to using your Hotline ad, we found a great couple to work for us, again! Your service is second to none. Thank you for all your help.” – TJRV & Boat Storage.

An employer can schedule a Hotline ad for one week or for two weeks at a time. When an ad is scheduled for one week, it is sent in the daily Hotline email to approximately 10,000 Workampers on the first day of the week. It is also posted on the Hotline Jobs website page on the Workamper website for seven days.

The cost for a Hotline ad up to 75 words is $99 per week. Current EmployerPlus subscribers will receive a $30 discount on any Hotline placed. Current Employer Basic subscribers may apply one of their discounts to a Hotline ad (two $20 discounts alloted per year). Ads may exceed 75 words and will be billed at $1.50 per additional word.

To submit your ad, please fill out this online, secure submission form (can also be found when click on the Place an Ad tab at www.HireAWorkamper.com). Your contact information needs to be entered at the top so we can find your subscriber file (or create a new one), then select payment method, etc.

Towards the bottom of the form is where you can enter your ad text. Please be sure to include how you would like Workampers to contact you for employment in your ad text. Once you submit the form, we will process your ad and send you a confirmation email.

Once you submit your Hotline ad, you can Super Charge it for FREE! What that means is you can add an audio recording (up to 10 minutes) to supplement your ad. All you have to do is call the phone number provided and then give more details on your business, location, job positions, etc. We have created easy, step-by-step instructions. Just view this PDF, follow the instructions, and we will get your audio posted to your Hotline ad to make it Super Charged!

“Thanks for getting our ad out there so quickly. I’ve got two great leads already and looking forward to more on Monday morning.” – American Land & Leisure on the first day their ad was posted.

For all of the recruiting tools available to you from Workamper News, click here.

Workamper Unemployment Round Table Discussion

Live Webinar
March 20th, 2013 at 3 p.m. CT

Join us for the Employer RoundTable session.  Workamper News will be hosting this opportunity for Workamper Employers to learn and share.

Have you had the experience of Workampers filing Unemployment claims against your operation even after they have finished a full season with you? This is something that takes place from time to time and many of you have had the experience. To those that have not, it can be a shock when it does, and most don’t take it very well.

Join us for this candid Roundtable discussion on the topic of “Workampers Filing for Unemployment Benefits” – even after working the entire season at your location. We will discuss the steps you can take to slow down future claims and any recourse that you may have in the matter.

This event is only for active Workamper News subscribing Employers, and is provided as an additional benefit to you as a subscriber.

We encourage you to join the event with the capability to participate, which means you will need either a microphone in your computer (a external headset is suggested), or you can call in on a land line number that will be provided when you sign in the session.

This is a great opportunity to get connected with other Workamper Employers.  The event will run approximately 60 minutes.  [Now recorded. Click on the RoundTable tab at www.hireaworkamper.com to view the recording.]

This event is for Workamper News Employer Plus Subscribers. We look forward to having you join us.

- Steve Anderson
President/Workamping Coach

If your Employer Plus subscription has lapsed please renew today at: www.hireaworkamper.com so you can attend this event. If you are an Employer Basic subscriber you can upgrade your subscription for just a few dollars per year to have all of the benefits available to you.

Press Release
Texas Advertising Continues to Expand its Guest Guide and Website Design Businesses

CROWLEY, Texas, 2013 — Texas Advertising experienced dramatic growth in its guest guide and website design businesses in 2012 and expects to set company records this year.

“2012 was an outstanding year for us and we anticipate twice as much growth this year, which will be our best year ever,” said Brian Schaeffer, president and CEO of Texas Advertising, which produces guest guides through its AGS division, capitalizing on the name of the formerly independent company, which Texas Advertising acquired in June of 2011.

“We expanded our guest guide business by 65 parks in 2012, which was AGS’s first full year of business following the company’s acquisition by Texas Advertising, “Schaeffer said.

Texas Advertising also launched, enhanced or redesigned 48 websites in 2012 through its TXAD Internet Services division, a company record, and 2013 is shaping up to be even busier than last year.

“People want mobi sites that are optimized for tablets and cellphones,” Schaeffer said. “We’re also providing blogging services for parks that don’t have the staffing resources to blog on their own.”

Texas Advertising has launched, enhanced or redesigned nearly 300 websites since its founding in 1994, though most of its website business has taken place during the past five years with a heavy concentration in the campground business.

“That’s our primary focus because of our expertise and experience in the campground industry,” said Schaeffer, who also publishes the Texas RV Travel Guide and serves as executive director of the Texas Association of Campground Owners (TACO).

Private park operators say they have been pleased with TXAD Internet Services, including The Vineyards Campground & Cabins in Grapevine, which recently hired TXAD Internet Services to develop a separate page at www.VineyardsCampground.com to help the park better market its 13 park model cabins.

While consumers have always had the ability to reserve these cabins online, they haven’t had the ability to rent specific cabins based on the photographs they see online. But thanks to a recently completed website enhancement by TXAD Internet Services, the Vineyards Campground now has a separate cabin page on its website that gives consumers the ability to rent the specific cabin they like most, based on the photographs and floor plans presented online.

“This way, people can see what they’re getting and there are no surprises,” said Joe Moore, the Vineyards’ general manager. “People kept asking, which cabin is cabin 3 or cabin 4 or cabin 10. People want to know what they’re getting. They want to know where the bedrooms and bathrooms are located, where the kitchen is and where the front door is and if there’s a view of the lake.”

But with the new website layout, consumers can now see that the Vineyards Campground offers seven different cabin floor plans. They can see a series of photos for each cabin and also check out the views from each cabin’s front porch. The website’s reservation system also helps consumers select the units that meet their needs, based on their lodging requirements.

Moore said the new system has simplified the online cabin reservation process for consumers, while reducing front desk staff time on reservation questions.

The cabin section upgrades are the latest improvements TXAD Internet Services has made to the Vineyards Campground’s website. The company previously developed a scaled down version of the website to make it compatible with mobile devices.

TXAD Internet Services is also developing websites for companies outside the campground industry, the latest of which is Maximum K-9, a Waxahachie, Texas-based dog training service.

“They did a wonderful job,” said Maximum K-9 owner Gayle Justice, adding that the website upgrade at www.MaximumK-9.com included several new pages of text, photos and descriptions of her services, which include off leash dog training, training for aggressive, fearful, blind and deaf dogs as well as pet sitting, pet boarding and pet rescues.

Even though word of mouth referrals account for nearly 70 percent of her business, even Justice realizes the value of website referrals.

“I had had the same web page for quite some time,” Justice said. “But when you’re busy and you’re a one-person operation, you never get time to work on it.”

Meanwhile, Schaeffer said the AGS acquisition has helped Texas Advertising to dramatically increase its guest guide business, while also enabling the company to provide a greater variety of advertising, marketing and branding services to campgrounds, RV parks and resorts.

AGS specializes in the production of guest guides or site maps, while Texas Advertising offers a full range of advertising and marketing services, including website design, blogging, search engine optimization, analytics and stat tracking through its TXAD Internet Services division.

“Since we are a true marketing company with over 25 years in the industry we are actually helping parks build their businesses,” Schaeffer said. “We anticipate twice as much growth this year since parks are choosing superior products, service and marketing assistance as they work to expand their businesses.”

Keith Stachurski tapped AGS to produce a 12-page guest guide for the Virginia Beach KOA last year.

“They did a very professional job,” he said. “We had used another company before this, but they didn’t give me many options. Now I have I much better piece and a much more professional image.”

AGS also recruited 20 to 25 local and regional advertisers to help cover the cost of producing the new guide. “They got the advertisers and got the guide together pretty quickly,” Stachurski said, adding, “AGS did what they said they were going to do.”

Based in Crowley, Texas Advertising is a leading provider of marketing, advertising and website design services with a customer base of 816 campgrounds, RV parks and resorts in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, please visit www.TexasAdvertising.net, www.TXADInternet.com and www.agspub.com.

Friday! Learn how you can benefit from having an RV Maintenance Tech…

Do you have RVers who come to your operation and then leave due to technical problems with their RV? Would it be helpful to have staff that have training in general RV troubleshooting and repair working for you in your operation?

That is what RV Technician Training for Campgrounds is all about!

Imagine having someone on your staff either a seasonal Workamper or local hire who has been trained to provide your RVing customers with general RV maintenance with the goal to keep them with you instead of leaving your business to find a dealership with a repair bay.

You may have a staff person who would be perfect to be trained so they could provide your operation with an option for you to provide your RVing customers with troubleshooting repair capabilities. 80% of RV issues are fairly easily repaired if you have had the general training and knowhow.

The ability to provide such services not only will keep your customers at your location for a longer period of time and will also produce another income stream that your business does not currently enjoy.

To learn more about the RV Technician Training for Campgrounds please take a lunch break with us this coming Friday at Noon Central Standard Time. Workamper News will be hosting an informational webinar being presented by Terry Cooper, The Texas RV Professor.

To register your seat simply click here.

Terry Cooper is a Master Certified Technician and will be presenting this 5 day hands-on training program live here in Heber Springs, May 20 – 24, 2013. The class is being limited to 25 students to assure adequate one-on-one time with each student. This will provide an exceptional learning environment for the students.

To learn more about this program and how it may benefit your operation take a lunch with us and participate this coming Friday, February 1st, 2013 at Noon Central Standard time. You should have just the right amount of time to finish your lunch and learn more about the program!

Register your seat by clicking here.

If your schedule is already booked for lunch on Friday, go ahead and register your seat and we will email you the recording of the lunch time webinar later that day for your future viewing.

We look forward to having lunch with you on Friday.

Steve Anderson
President/Workamping Coach

Press Release
ARVC Adds More Value with Four New Member Benefit Providers

The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) has negotiated deals with American Society of Asset Protection (ASAP), Ecolab, Inc., Moen, Inc., and RVBackgroundChecks.com. Each offers substantial product and service discounts to ARVC members and is available immediately.

“We continue to add value for our members and these past few months have really shown it—especially with our selection of member benefit providers,” said Barb Youmans, ARVC membership director, adding that 2012 has been one of the most successful years for member benefit provider growth.

The substantial savings include 20 percent off a flat fee from ASAP, approximately 41 percent average savings on Ecolab products and similar savings with Moen products. RVBackgroundchecks.com will offer members special prices on a variety of services and offers a complimentary background check to all ARVC members.

ASAP can help ARVC members structure their businesses for lawsuit protection and prevention, while also reducing liability insurance costs, minimizing taxes and creating estate and business succession plans.

Ecolab, Inc. is a global provider of water, hygiene and energy technologies and services to an array of markets, including the hospitality industry. It will offer ARVC members special prices on 30-plus products.

A leading manufacturer of faucets, Moen, becomes the first ARVC member benefit provider in the plumbing services and supplies category and offers its discount on all Moen faucets.

Finally, RVBackgroundChecks.com becomes the second member benefit provider in the staffing, recruiting and training category. Services offered for special prices include access to a national criminal database, statewide databases, county court criminal searches, credit reports, employee verifications and drug screens.

To find out more information about each member benefit provider, visit www.arvc.org, sign in, and go to the Member Benefit Providers section. There, you will have access to the company’s contact information and a listing of the specific products that qualify for the special ARVC member discounts.

Three of the four new member benefit providers will be present at the upcoming 2012 ARVC Outdoor Hospitality Conference & Expo (OHCE), including Moen, ASAP and Ecolab. This year’s conference will be held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev.

Based in Denver, Colo., the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds is the national voice of the outdoor hospitality industry. More information is available at www.arvc.org.

Reach Out More Efficiently Through the Sound of Your Voice!

It is not “Breaking News” that Workampers come predominately from the Boomer and older Senior generations.  What you may not know is that each demographic has characteristics that if understood will allow your employment marketing to reach out and touch them more efficiently.

For example, nearly 70% of Workamper membership desires to have the hard copy of the magazine come in the mail vs. reading it online.  That number would probably be even higher if it wasn’t for the high mobility of our membership.  The older Boomers and Seniors still have a much higher preference for offline contact, rather than online.

I am sharing this input to provide encouragement for your continued use and possible expansion of your advertising efforts in future Workamper News magazines.   Our surveys have shown that employers who are utilizing a combination of magazine advertising and our online tools such as Hotlines and Employer Tours, providing a broader reach are covering all of their bases and presenting their message to the highest volume of potential applicants.  As you know marketing is a numbers game…the more you can attract to your attention, the higher the probability of finding the right fit for your opportunities.

As we move towards Deadline for the March/April issue (February 10th), I am are encouraging all employers to extend their advertising effectiveness by Super Charging their upcoming ads.  We have been providing the Super Charging option at no additional fee for over a year and employers who have used it are giving it rave reviews.

Super Charging provides you with the ability to add the additional media of sound via an audio recording.  The tool provides the user with the ability to record up to 10 minutes of additional information that you can provide your potential applicant.

What is important about this additional resource is not just the ability to provide more input, but the trust building that begins to take place as the Workamper listens to you on the recording.  TRUST is a big thing with the Senior and Boomer demographic!

As you prepare your ad submission for the upcoming issue (Deadline February 10th) please take a few minutes to write out a short script of thoughts and things that you share with an applicant when they inquire about your advertised opportunity over the telephone.  When you have taken this step, you have everything you need to pick up the phone and call the Super Charged Recording Line at: 800-609-9006, ext 3026.

If you would like more specific instructions, click the following link to check out the Super Charged Hotline Recording Procedures at:  http://www.hireaworkamper.com/superchargehotline.pdf

As we move into the New Year it is our desire to assist you in a greater way to reach the quantity and quality of Workamper applicants for your operation.  Thank you for allowing us to serve you through 2012!  We look forward to the coming New Year with GREAT anticipation.

Sincerely,

Steve Anderson
President

Workamper Employers Super Power Program

Dear Employers,

I would like to thank you for your continued support and connection with Workamper News through the past year.  It is our hope that your business and personal year has been a good one and you are looking forward to the New Year of 2013.

This past Tuesday I presented a webinar for Workamper employers highlighting five key areas of interest that when incorporated in the upcoming year of your recruiting and management of Workampers will definately have a positive impact.

The five areas we discussed:

1)    Developing advertising copy with super drawing power. Not just something that works, but ad copy that will have a magnetic power to attract the right Workamper applicant to your organization.

2)    Adding super power to your advertising by adding a Super Charged audio recording.  It allows you to leverage yourself in a greater way, ultimately getting your message out more effectively to potential applicants.

3)    Maximizing the use of the tools available to EmployerPlus subscribers of Workamper News.  Putting more power behind your recruiting through
the use of all of the tools.

4)    Acquiring a keener understanding of the generational differences between the older Senior generation and the Baby Boomers who are moving into the Workamper world in large numbers.  Your understanding will provide more power behind the way you market to and manage your future Workamper staff.

5)    Accessing the power you can bring to your operation through the assurance you will develop through building your companies working relationship with Workamper Agency Services.

I encourage you to check out the recording of the webinar: CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE WEBINAR

If you don’t wish to watch the webinar -  here is a summary of what we covered and an opportunity that may interest you.

During the webinar I encouraged interested employers to would like to take their program to the next level to join me and 24 other employers for what I am calling the Employer Super Power program in January 2013. I am intentionally keeping the group limited to 25 employers to keep the ability for communication and participation at a manageable level providing you with the best value for participating.

The program will provide participating employers with the following:

1)     A series of five Live Training webinar events exclusive for the group of 25 with live Q & A.  We will cover all of the five topics above with elaboration and action points you can take to meld them into your Workamper recruiting and management.

a)  How to write magnetic ad copy to attract the right applicants to your operation.

b)  Move your advertising into the top 10% through Super Charging techniques you will learn and implement.

c)  Learn the secrets to maximize the tools in your EmployePlus subscription to recruit and manage your Workamper team.

d)  Build your working knowledge of the Boomer generation.  Knowledge that will add super power to your program.

e)  Take the steps to provide yourself with future assurance by partnering with the Workamper Agency.

The webinars will be presented live, January 17, 22, 24, 28 and 30, 2013 at 2 p.m. CST each day.  They will be recorded for your future review.  They will average 90 minutes in duration including the Question and Answer session.

2)     You will also receive three great Bonuses when you register for the Super Power Program:

a)  One Ad Copy consultation and review – valued at $49.

b)  One Done for You Super Charged Recording – you provide the text and we will make the recording for you – a $59 value.

c)  One Spotlight of Your Operation the New Workamper News Hotline as a New Quality Checked Employer – a $199 value.

By now you can see that when you participate in the Super Power Program you will be receiving valuable training that will provide you with direction and action to take your program to new heights for the New Year.

I encourage you to get involved before the small group of 25 employers is full.  The investment to participate is $199.

THE GUARANTEE:  I am so sure that what you will learn in this program that when action is taken to implement into your program that you will experience measurable improvements in your Workamper recruiting and overall program this coming year.  I am so sure, that I am providing you with a 6 month money back guarantee.  If after going through the course and implementing what you have learned, it is not helping, I will personally provide you with a full refund of your tuition.

So take Action NOW to get your seat!

[Program cancelled due to lack of interest.]

I look forward to assisting you in as you take your program to new heights in the New Year!

We will talk soon,

Steve Anderson
President/Director of Possibilities

Workamper Employers Developing Super Recruiting Skills

WKN Staff with the original Batman, Adam West

Workamper News President, Steve Anderson, laid out some Super Powers that Employers can take advantage of for recruiting and managing their Workamper staff.  His a mission during this webinar event was to:

1) Discuss the writing of ad copy that attracts with Super Power.

2) Learn how Super Charging your ad copy will maximize its reach.

3) Discuss using Super Tools to recruit, maintain and manage your Workamper team.

4) Develop a keen sense with regard to the Boomer Generation.

5) Give Your operation added Power of Assurance in your future Workamper hiring.

We recorded this awesome webinar and it’s ready to be watched by you right now. Click here to watch!

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Why Hire Workampers?

This question is asked by employers who are not familiar with this very special employment niche – employers who have never experienced the employment of Workampers and the value they can add to their business.  Is it a question you have asked yourself? If so, did you come up with some of the following answers?

1. They provide a resource that is not easily matched through the local employment population.
2. The fact that seasonal work is what they are seeking provides more flexibility for employers who need shorter term staffing.
3. The life skills they bring to the work place can bring added dimension to the culture of your business.
4. Professional skills and abilities developed during their career tracks can be capitalized upon during their employment with your business.
5. A mature work ethic that will commonly provide more stability to your seasonal staffing overall.
6. They bring a different attitude to the workplace. Not one of wanting a job, but more of an experience.
7. You will commonly find a more relaxed personality supported by the Workamper lifestyle.
8. You may experience an improvement in your bottom line by having staff who care about your business being successful.
9. Customer service will improve by having individuals who will communicate with your customers and show them value.
10. Your stress level will be reduced because of your decision to develop a strong Workamper program. This is a win – win for you and your Workamper staff!

The above is just a sampling of reasons why you should consider hiring Workampers. There is no doubt that if you would take the time to make your own list, it would include some of the above and many more of your very own special reasons.

Marketing the Value of Your Opportunity!

from Steve Anderson, WKN President

I received an email from a resort owner in southern Texas who expressed concerns that Workamper News was advocating that Workampers not work for trade-outs with value of less than minimum wage.  Workamper News has held the position for years that trade outs should be valued at least at minimum wage for the services that Workampers bring to your operation, so our position is not one that is new, nor one that I brought to the company when assuming operations back in 2005.

The employer went onto to share that there are many perks that Workampers receive that other employees do not.  Their Workampers work 25 hours/week, with a couple having the option to split hours to 12.5 hours each per week for their site trade and electricity credit of $50/month.  They provide short shifts of 4 hours to accommodate the energy levels of their Senior Workampers finding that in their operation this seems to work well, although causing them to hire more Workampers to fill their staffing needs.

This employer shared that she feels from a management factor it would be easier to hire locals at minimum wage who would work 40 hours each week, and realizes they would be doing that with younger staff.  This is the alternative that all employers have and for reasons she mentioned, she likes to have the mature people working in their operation catering to their customers who are most likely in the same generational age categories as many of their customers.

I believe I have given a fair summary of her employment situation and I thank her for being open and candid regarding their operation.  Her input provided a great opportunity to highlight a topic that I have wanted to write about in our newsletter – “Marketing the True Value of Your Opportunity!”

The above situation is perfect example of how often times we are so close to our business we lose site of the great value we are providing.  I find this to be true with many business owners and definitely myself.  Let’s evaluate the value of what this resort owner is providing their Workamping staff!

25 hours per week that can be split between a couple = 12.5 hours/week in shorter 4 hour shifts should be highlighted in their advertising for staff.  As I did my tabulation of value and not including the added perks they provide such as activity tickets; potlucks providing no cost meals; the fact that they don’t have to drive their vehicle to work saving fuel expenses.  And a big one that is not true for every operation depending upon the state regulators, not having to report the value of the trade as income to the Workamper.

Here is my tabulation using the simple formula that we encourage Workampers to use when evaluating an opportunity:

Number of hours per week x 4.25 weeks/month = total hours worked per month

Value of the campsite and perks provided divided by the number of hours.

In the example provided above with an estimated value of the campsite trade alone at $1500/month (not including the added benefits) this employer is providing an opportunity to Workamper staff equivalent to a net $14.12/hour.

I believe what is happening is that It seems when we advertise opportunities and this has become the norm, which doesn’t mean it is the most effective, we tend to simply state the hours for campsite trade.  We fall short by stating facts only, instead of promoting the true outcome benefit of the opportunity.  The reader of your advertisement is reading over your ad and sees that it is for 25 hours/week and they have read in the Workamper News magazine that we recommend 15 – 20 hours/week for the trade.  An automatic assumption is made that this employer is asking for too many hours for the trade.  And without further justification of value for the hours that is an understandable assumption.  This is compounded even more if there is no value relationship with the time for trade as I tabulated above.

What I encourage all employers to consider in their future advertising it to take a closer look at the total value and the outcome it will have for the Workamper.  Keeping that in mind as the advertising is written will go far in drawing closer attention to your advertising.  I encourage you to utilize the Super Charging capability we provide both Help Wanted advertisers and Hotline advertisers.  This provides you with the ability to share up to 10 minutes of recorded audio information that can be attached to either type of ad.  You have the time and ability with your own voice to share more about the real value of your opportunity and begin the connection process with the potential applicant.

I agree with this employer that Workamper News should be making more effort to help our members understand the real value of trade out opportunities.  Your assistance will be needed in making this effective as they will need to have more information to determine the True Value and Outcome of your opportunity that is being advertised.

I will be including an article addressing this very topic in the upcoming Jan/Feb issue of the magazine.  But I need your help to make this case stick!  If we are going to ask the potential applicant to search out the true value in an opportunity we must provide them with as much input on the surface that will encourage them to go deeper to learn more about the great opportunity you have to offer.

I appreciate the time that the Texas resort operation spent sharing her thoughts and hope that these thoughts will provide you with further guidance for developing your ad copy and especially taking advantage of additional marketing tools to provide larger amounts of information that will assist the future applicant in considering your opportunity.

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Deadline for the January/February 2013 issue of Workamper News magazine is Monday, December 10th!

Jump-start your hiring for the summer season 2013!  Need Workampers year-round? Workamper News magazine will provide you with long-term exposure.  You can easily submit your ad using the secure online ad form, or please give our office a call if you prefer – 800-446-5627, 9-4 CT, M-F.

FREE BONUS! Add a Super-Charged Audio Recording for FREE if you’re a current subscriber. What that means is you can add an audio recording (up to 10 minutes) to supplement your ad. All you have to do is call the phone number provided and then give more details on your business, location, job positions, etc. We have created easy, step-by-step instructions. Just view this PDF and follow the instructions. We will include a link to the audio recording in your ad text. Workampers viewing the online version of the magazine will be able to easily click the link to listen to your recording.