How to Plan a Grand Opening

A grand opening is the most exciting part of opening your own business! You have worked hard to make your dream of owning your own business a reality, and now you get to enjoy the fruits of all of your entrepreneurial labor. As fun as this event can be, it can also be high-stress or a disorganized disaster if not executed properly. To avoid confusion on this day and achieve the most successful day possible, give yourself plenty of time to plan your special day and keep an organized list of all of your goals and plans. Read on for even more tips to making your grand opening a great launch for your business.

Instructions

1. Decide on a day. Pick a day that would most likely yield you the best turnout. You can’t make your customers come through the door, but catering your grand opening to the day they would be most able or likely to come in is your best bet.

2. Book your talent. Decide what you what to have at this grand opening. If you want live entertainment or performers like clowns for the kids, you need to book them in advance. If you want a special guest appearance of some sort, those have got to be booked even further in advance. If you want the event to be catered (free food is always a good idea to get people in the door), you will need to plan in advance and decide on a menu with the caterer. Most of these features will require a non-refundable deposit to secure the date.

3. Plan an incentive. To have a successful grand opening, you need to determine how you are going to get them in the door. This could be by running specials, sales, prizes, or games to draw in your customers. Try to cater this incentive to the needs of your prospective clientele.

4. Train your staff. While you are planning the event, you need to have a trained staff on hand who can make it a reality. Make sure your staff (whether they be paid or volunteers) are well aware on what is expected of them on this special day. You can achieve this by delegating responsibility to each member of your staff that is specific to their strengths, but let your staff be well aware of the level of cooperation necessary for this special day.

5. Get the word out! Don’t count on them to just walk by and decide to come in. Bring them to your door! If possible, take out an ad in the newspaper or on the radio. It would also be a good idea to put out a press release to promote even more coverage. In the promotional pieces, advertise who you are, what you offer, and what events are taking place during the grand opening. In conjunction with these efforts, or if you don’t have the budget for these mainstream advertising mediums, try direct mail, community newsletters, or posting flyers around the community. Also, don’t underestimate the power of a street team! Get you and your staff out there on the day of the event and before to pique as much interest as possible.