You’ve been working hard behind the scenes hiring and training employees, ordering inventory and getting ready for your big day. Now it’s time to introduce your business to the community with a big grand opening! Are you organized and ready to go? Do you have everything you need to make your day a success?

Here’s a handy checklist to help you prepare for your grand opening:

1. Create a budget and if your budget allows, hire a grand opening coordinator/event planner. If your budget doesn’t allow it, have a point person in your company as the main contact for all things grand opening. This will help keep you organized and on track.

2. Select a date and time. Is a weekend opening right for you or will you be better served with a weekday opening? Weekends tend to be busier, but a weekday might better capture your target audience when there is less to compete with. Also, be sure to plan far enough in advance that any marketing materials have time to be printed and circulated.

3. Consider a soft opening, which is when you are open to an invited group only, such as friends or family or both. This allows you and your employees to do a run-through and make sure everything is operating smoothly before you officially open to the public.

4. Get the word out. If it’s a soft opening, send invitations. For large public events, social media is a great way to advertise your grand opening as is a targeted print piece that will mail to households in your area. Items to budget for should include signs and flyers, giveaways, advertising, and grand opening collateral such as items with your business name and special coupon offers.

5. Capture guest info. Doing so at your grand opening is a great way to start a rewards/loyalty club and keep in touch with your customers. If you don’t have an app available yet, you can still collect contact info for future purposes.

Overstreet can assist you in making a plan to fit your budget and get the word out so your grand opening is a success and attracts local customers for your future customer base. Get in touch today so we can help!

grand opening plan

Are you ready to plan your grand opening? Get in touch today and we will customize a Grand Opening package that is right for you!