A School Camp In Rural WA Grew Profits By 800 Percent And Won A Business Award

Wet Hot American Summer brought school camps back into fashion on Netflix this year and an Aussie camp is revelling in the glory, winning the top gong at this year’s WA Regional Small Business Awards.

Forest Edge Recreation Camp grew its profits by 800 percent over nine years by offering 80 camps annually to school, sporting and corporate groups, community organisations and more intimate father-daughter camps to nab the 2015 Western Australian Regional Small Business of the Year Award and the trophy in the 5-10 Employees category.

Small Business Minister Joe Francis said the Camp was a worthy winner, having turned a tired venue into a thriving operation.

“As a small family business, Forest Edge Recreation Camp demonstrates the kind of innovative thinking that leads to increased income, productivity and efficiency,” Francis said.

“Owners Graeme and Sonia Watson have constantly questioned the norm and reflected on how Forest Edge Recreation Camp can better meet the needs of their customers and even be a disruptive force in their market.”

The Forest Edge team were pretty stoked to win their two small business awards.

The camp, which hosts 5500 visitors per year, offers a 230m flying fox, rock climbing, kayaking, abseiling, target shooting, orienteering and raft building as tools for team building and personal development.

The Watsons have won $25,000 in TV advertising from GWN7 and the production of a 30-second commercial courtesy of Lomax Media.

There were six categories altogether and all category winners received a $1000 cash prize and a 50 percent scholarship to the Curtin Growth Program through Curtin University’s Centre for Entrepreneurship.

Western Australia hosts more than 211,000 small businesses with 53,000 of these in rural or regional areas.

Small business contributes approximately 25 percent of the state’s economic activity, and more than $44 billion per annum to the gross state product.

Other regional winners included a home-based wellness spa, a photography studio, a cleaning service, a physiotherapy clinic, beauty therapist and a motel.

Full list of winners: