The big day is coming soon. Your new company will be open for business, but before that day arrives, there are a few final items you need to make sure are taken car of to give your business a successful opening day. You want everything to be in order well in advance so that you aren’t rushing around trying to fix things once you have customers to assist.
Use Literature to Announce your New Business Prior to Opening Day
There are several ways to do this. One way is to have a local company distribute fliers door to door, so all of your prospective customers will know when your company is opening for business. You can add products and services offered to this flier as well as your company’s address, phone number and website. Another option is with a postcard delivered by the United States Post Office. They have special rates for local distribution and can reach everyone. Be sure to use multiple forms of advertisement. Start a Facebook page and twitter account and start posting pictures of and talking about grand opening deals. Using multiple platforms of advertisement will help you reach the most people.
Announce your presence on Opening Day
The best way to do this is with a large vinyl banner that everyone will see when driving by or when looking for your store. Hang your banner a month or so in advance and be sure that it says “coming soon” and has the opening date listed so that people don’t assume you are already open.
This will suffice in the daytime, but at night make sure that there is good lighting for your banner as well as proper lighting for your regular sign on the building. If you are planning to be open after dark, make sure you take the time to hire a professional in commercial electrical services to install lighting in your parking lot so that your customers feel safe walking to and from their cars with a lit path to walk to your store.
Advertise a Special Deal on Opening Day
This deal can be listed in the flier or mailer that you send out. Include special coupons on deals for the first 100 customers. Your opening deals should also be prominently displayed on the outside of your business and inside as well. People walking by may want to take advantage of this deal or look at what else is being offered by your business. If your business is retail, you can simply give a discount on all purchases made on opening day. You should mention this opening day deal in your announcement. You can choose to do a small discount on all purchase or do large discounts on a limited number of specialty products.
Give Something Away
A free gift can bring in a lot of people. This is not always possible especially for a small business. However, even a small business can consider offering something small that will still allow them to break even. Something such a low cost hot dog and drink can attract people. A free donut and coffee is another example. It depends upon what type of business you have as to what makes the most sense. In retail for example, you could give away a free low cost t-shirt with every purchase over $50.
Remember to be patient. Even with the best preparation, it is often the case that a business will start slow. This is completely normal because it takes time to build up a customer base. With proper planning and good customer service, these tips will help get your business off to the best start.
