Debunking Six Myths About Kids Summer Camps

Posted on by

While kids camp can be a fun and rewarding experience for most children, most kids summer camps are avoided because of the myths that surround them. Since most of the things that are believed to be true about these camps aren’t true, it will be important to debunk them.

Myth # 1: Kids Summer Camps are Too Expensive

The truth of the matter is that the camps you can send your child to will be very cost effective. The cost of the camp includes meals and constant supervision. If you are sending your children to daycare while you are working, you will quickly find that the kids camp will be better priced.

Myth # 2: Children Hate to Be Outdoors All Day

While kids love their video games and television, they also like building forts, hiking and camping. It is true some kids won’t anticipate having fun when they first arrive at camp, but they will quickly find quite a few activities that will change their mind about being outdoors.

Myth # 3: Kids are Bullied at Camp

A common theme in stories and films is that most children are bullied during their time at kids camp. The truth of the matter is that bullying is not tolerated and camp counselors will ensure that all children have a fun and rewarding experience, without being ridiculed.

Myth # 4: Bugs, Snakes and Other Dangers Plague Campers

While you will find bugs and wild animals at camp grounds, it doesn’t mean that they run rampant. In most cases, encounters with bugs, snakes and other woodland creatures will be minimal. Best of all, there are no serial killers in hockey masks that stalk campers either.

Myth # 5: The Weather Ruins Kids Summer Camps

Here’s the thing, depending on where the kids camp is located, they have already taken weather into account. In hotter areas, outdoor activities are limited to the morning hours, while indoors

Crafts and experiences are usually focused on.

Even in areas where it might rain quite a bit, there are both indoor and outdoor activities that are planned out. That way, children have the best experience possible in the area that they live in. All this is done without having to be worried about the entire experience being ruined.

Myth # 6: Camping Teaches Children Dangerous Skills

From archery to building campfires, some parents believe their children will be taught dangerous skills for future anarchy. The truth of the matter is that the things they learn in camp are:

Teamwork

Integrity

Self Worth

Survival Skills

There is quite a bit of mythology that surrounds kids summer camps. From the outrageous claims of danger skills being taught to the fear of boredom, you are going to find that neither is true. In fact, the only thing children end up finding in camp is that they have a great time and make new friends.

Experience Island Hopping Adventure in Vanuatu

Posted on by

Feeling in the mood for adventure in a far away exotic place? Perhaps you seek a unique way to experience the natural beauty in Vanuatu, South Pacific? You’ll find several options to help you enjoy the splendor of this archipelago. However, for the adventurous sort, island hopping is the best way to experience your Vanuatu holiday adventure.

What’s island hopping, you ask? Simply put, it’s visiting one island, perhaps staying the night in a hotel or camped on the beach and then moving on to the next island. This form of travel allows you to enjoy each island and islet in Vanuatu, or as many as you can during your time in the islands.

Adventurous Island Hopping

Island hopping is perhaps best suited for those with the craving for adventure. Many of the islands in the archipelago are uninhabited, yet still features the swaying palm trees, verdant jungles and pristine white beaches of the other islands. Island hopping can help you enjoy as many of these jewels as possible. Explore the jungles, enjoy the beach, bath in the ocean or rivers… It’s the life of adventure you crave.

One of the best islands with which to begin your island hopping adventure is Espiritu Santo; you’ll find virgin forest, the ruins of WWII US troops, such as crashed planes and abandoned Quonset huts and more.

For the very adventurous, Ambrym island offers a wealth of opportunity. This volcanic island, home to two active volcanoes Benbow and Marum, has long been an ideal place for a true adventure. Ambrym is famous for sorcery and magic, wood carvings, and Rom dances.

Malekula island is an incredible place to explore. The customs of of the islanders remain largely unchanged and it’s a favored destination by anthropologists around the world. The warm and welcoming tribes of Malekula act as guides for exploring the island and take great pride in discussing their culture and heritage.

Island Hopping for the Couple

Are you looking for a romantic getaway in the midst of the South Pacific? Island hopping can give you that, as well. Island hopping for romance is somewhat different than adventure hopping. The premise is the same, however. Visit one of the uninhabited islands and pack a picnic lunch for the beach; explore secluded lagoons and inlets, or walk hand in hand through coconut groves and the water’s edge. You’ll find no more romantic spot in the universe.

How to Do It

So, you’re sold on the idea of island hopping, but are unsure of how to accomplish it? You can do so very easily. Local charter aircraft can put you down almost anywhere. Alternatively, charter a sailboat and enjoy the trip that much more. You can easily cruise the waters between many of the islands in only a few hours, giving you a broad range of destinations every day. For the romantically minded, there are charter cruises that will even provide you with the picnic lunch, as well as set you down in the most secluded places possible.

You’ll find numerous islands to visit in this chain of over 80 islands in Vanuatu. There are many islets to explore, which are just tiny spits of land. If you want proximity to the city, visit the main island of Efate (home to Port Vila), or the largest Espiritu Santo island (home to Luganville). Many other islands have towns and villages around them as well.

Whichever of the islands your choose to visit, you will find your Vanuatu island hopping an amazing experience.

Top 5 Safari Destinations of Africa

Posted on by

Traveling involves discovering new places, knowing them till depth and enjoying the charm of being there. We all love to travel according to our choice, some like beaches, some mountains and some of us even like the deserts. The traveler inside us urges us to explore more as soon as we start our hunt to find new spots. So, while you are finding a new place/destination to visit on your next vacation, let us tell you something about the top African Safari destinations that should be your next stopover.

1. Maasai Mara National Park: Situated in the Narok country, Kenya, Maasai Mara has been named in honor of the local ancestral inhabitants. It is a large reserve that can make you experience some of the best views of wildlife. The period of July-October witnesses the migration of millions of these unseen and amazing wild animals that can only be found here.

2. Chobe National Park: Chobe is the third largest park in Africa, located in Botswana on the banks of river Chobe, is the most biologically diverse park of the region. A safari expedition in Africa is incomplete without visiting this incredible reserve that happens to be the home of many animals, including zebras, elands, giraffes, Kalahari elephants, lions, antelopes, etc. Plan a visit between April-October to witness the wonders.

3. Kruger National Park: Kruger is the most famous and exciting destination in Africa, which is also the largest game reserve in the country. Home to many rare species of wildlife animals, such as hippos, crocodiles, big fives, cheetahs, black rhinoceros, etc.; it also boasts a large range of birds and reptiles too. It is one of the well-kept and maintained parks in the nation and definitely that makes it an ideal destination for safari.

4. South Luangwa National Park: South Luangwa is a reserve in Zambia, in the Valley of Luangwa River that has been renowned globally for its wildlife haven. There are amazing variety of species of birds, 60 species of different animals and a large variety of endangered species in the park that are a treat to watch. Do not miss to see the hippos relaxing in the Luangwa River while you visit it.

5. Serengeti National Park: Located in the Serengeti system in Tanzania, the national park offers the best African safari experience. The lions walking in the huge grasslands, migration of millions of wildebeest and zebras are some of the spectacular views that you get from this amazing destination.

A wildlife safari can make you witness some of the best and the rarest species of animals, birds, mammals and reptiles too. So, plan a trip soon by taking your travel buddy along to delve into the huge world of the wild. You can get good deals on flights to Africa online.

How to Manage a Restaurant – Labor Cost

Posted on by

Labor Cost Awareness

Controlling your labor cost is one of the most important factors in managing your business.

Chances are if you do not monitor your labor you are most likely losing revenue.

What is prime cost?

Prime cost is the total cost of goods sold, gross labor cost for all of your employees, which includes payroll, payroll taxes, worker’s comp, medical insurance and other employee benefits. For a fast food or casual F&B facility, a good benchmark for prime cost is 60% or less of F&B revenue.

Learning what the prime cost in your restaurant should be at the top of your to do list.

Do you know the labor cost formula?

Payroll divided by total sales = labor percent

The average labor percent in most restaurants should be at 20 to 25% for hourly employees and 10% for management.

Upscale restaurant will have a higher labor percent. The menu sales mix, quality of food and service, pricing and hours of operation will impact your food and labor cost percentages.

How to maintain a good labor cost percentage?

Train your management staff on how to effectively monitor your employees.

It all starts with creating the restaurant schedule

Don’t just schedule employees to fill in the shifts, schedule enough employees to accommodate your guest in exceptional service.

Create a sensible schedule that makes sense. Have management keep a managers log in the office; make sure to enter sales figures that went over the projected sales.

Community events play a huge factor as well. See if you can get a school calendar to keep you informed of school plays and other events.

Know what’s happening in the neighborhood such as:

  • Concerts
  • Plays
  • Musicals
  • Sporting events
  • Know the theater show times, what time do they let out?

Chamber of Commerce: The Chamber of Commerce is an excellent way to find out what’s happening in your area. Search for your state or local Chamber of Commerce, there are all kinds of events posted on their community board.

Supermarkets are a great way to know what’s happening in your neighborhood.

How can I keep my labor percentages down?

  • Proper staff training: The better the training the less of a change of mistakes or errors. Make sure you have a great training program. Train the trainers is a great way to show the trainers what’s expected of them. In each positions there should be an assigned person training the staff members, each trainer needs to be properly trained on-hand and administered quizzes. The trainers should not be training your employees unless they demonstrate skills and learning techniques, these employees need to train your employees the way you want them trained. Management needs to monitor the training to ensure it is done properly.
  • Cross Training: Cross train dishwashers on the fryer station or busing tables. Host or Hostesses can assist servers with drink orders or running food to the guest. Prep cooks can be crossed trained as a cook. The point is during peak times you can move employees around in different positions when sales are higher than normal or if the servers are in the weeds. Cross trained employees can handle multiple positions during off-peak times, that way you can have minimum employees on during the slow periods.
  • Proficient employees: Training the staff on how to do their job in the best way possible will create the WOW EFFECT as long as they are consistent and proficient.
  • Correctly managing shifts: Who trains the managers? – Owners need to be involved in the everyday operation of their restaurant. There are several ways to train management. When searching for a manager for your restaurant, make sure they have previous experience and that reference checks are done. Either the owner can train the employee or you can seek a restaurant consultant that trains staff members either by on-hand training or via the internet. Once the management staff has been trained properly then they can train the rest of the staff on how to provide WOW service to each of your guest.
  • Know what your labor percent is on the hour: Owners or Management need to know where they stand on labor percentage by the hour. You can retrieve your restaurant sales by doing a reading on the Point of Sale (POS), the same goes for labor dollars. Then you divide payroll dollars by total sales = labor percent. A good bench mark for labor would be 20 to 25% for hourly employees and 10% for management. If you use a paper check system because you don’t have a POS then keep track of your sales and labor by the hour. Create a sales and labor log so that you can record sales and labor. Both the owner or management can tally up the figures or use the hostess to tally up the guest checks by the hour and management can retrieve the labor dollars. Remember do not cut the employees before any meal period. Servers will try to convince management to cut the floor because they will make more money, there needs to be enough staff on to accommodate your guest in exceptional service. During the tail end of any meal period management needs to give direction to the staff in regards to their side-work and the closing of their assigned areas. These staff members need to be off the clock on time – do not let them milk the clock – it is your money that is being wasted.
  • Do not over staff the restaurant: Over staffing the restaurant would be very costly. If you do over staff employees make sure you react quickly in sending employees home early if the sales are not happening.
  • How do you create a sensible schedule? Know what your projected labor dollars are and divide it by last week’s sales or use a rolling sales dollar figure.
  • Rolling Sales: Add up the previous last three weeks of restaurant sales and divide it by 3.

Example: If you are in Week four, then add up Week one ($1552.00) Week two ($1932.00) and Week three ($2405.00) = $5889.00. Divide labor dollars $1300.00 by Sales $5889 =22%.Use the 22% to guide you in creating a sensible schedule.

After you create a schedule, if the projected labor goes over 25% then you need to make adjustments. If the percentage is under 20% then you can add more hours to the schedule.