How Much Should You Charge for Your Retreat? Finding the Perfect Balance Between Affordability and Profit.

Let’s talk numbers.

Hosting retreats is a business and like any business, you have to set up a financial plan before you spend money building it. The numbers have to add up to a profit, but you also need to design a retreat that’s affordable for your clients so that it sells out. I’ll show you how to find the best combination of profitable and affordable. 

In order to figure out what to charge, you need to know how much you want to make.

What is your expectation and goal? Do the math from there. How many people do you need in your group to make this amount and how much will that cost per person?   

Is this a realistic amount to charge? 

Now look at expenses.

Do some research about your location and make a list of all your expected expenses and the different options to keep the price down for clients and also make your expected profit. 

Plan the budget so it will be affordable for clients and profitable for your business- and fits into a plan that will grow with your business.

Here are some ways to lower your expenses:

- Compare staying in a luxury hotel, small resort and in an Air BnB. Wherever  you stay, make sure that it has beautiful natural surroundings and places where guests can participate in all of the outdoor activities you’re offering. 

You may be able to save a lot of money by booking your first retreat at an AirBnB.

- Find the season that’s the least expensive. You can find a lot of good deals in low season, but be sure to check out if the low season is slow for a good reason like harsh weather that you’ll also want to avoid!  

 - Consider doing a local retreat where clients drive there, which will make it cheaper for them because they won’t have to spend it on airfare. And since  the need for transportation between the airport and the hotel has been removed, you also have one less expense to consider.

You can find beautiful places anywhere if you look. You don’t have to choose an exotic, far-away location. Maybe a small quaint town far from tourist circuits with beautiful views and nature to explore is just as attractive. The location is a huge part of the experience, so you will make sure that it’s lovely. But you can find hidden gems locally which can make your retreat easier to sell.

Consider the currency exchange if you are going to another country. Do the math so you know exactly what things are costing you and how much you will be left with once you get home.

Set up a payment plan for your guests. You’ll need to plan this far in advance. Offer discounts for signing up early. 

What downpayment will you require to reserve a spot? 

To save money you could offer an exchange of services. For example, a chef could handle all the meals in exchange for free access to the retreat. 

Plan with a lot of time- begin to offer it 10 months in advance. This way a payment plan can be less than $200/month. This gives your guests time to pay installments that are comfortable to them. Plan early and know who you want to invite so you get the offer out there early and it will be more likely to sell every seat.  

Be confident  about selling a high ticket and deliver real value. 

Retreats are about big transformation in a short period of time. It’s about offering your clients huge value and bucket- list experiences that help them break through to new levels of success. 

Think about how you can provide them with all the information and the best experiences so that their retreat is life changing. What can you do to inspire and help the people you serve? What kind of help do they need? What do they want to walk away with? Make sure that you deliver exactly that and you will be confident selling your high ticket retreat. 

Setting up a budget that hits the right price point to make a profit and sell out is vital.  

This is how you ensure that your business of retreats is successful.

Once the big picture of profit is clear and defined, you can focus on defining the program details that will make sure your guests have a phenomenal, transformative experience.