Getting your grand opening right can be the difference between a successful and slow start for your new business. Here are 25 Grand Opening resources to help you make sure your business gets off on the right foot.

1. Small businesses
25Grand
Opening
Resources for

2. One of the most exciting
events in your life will be
opening your
own business.

3. There’s a wholesome pride in creating something
and then sharing it with the world.

4. Perhaps you’re not sure
So I’ve compiled a list of my 25
favorite resources for opening
your business in style.
where to
get started

5. Before
Grand Opening
the

6. 1)Budget for a Grand
Opening
By Luanne Kelchner. The absolute first thing you should do, after
realizing you want to host a grand opening, is to set a budget. Grand
openings are part of your marketing budget.

7. 2)How to Create a
Grand Opening Flyer
Flyers are a fantastic way to saturate your target community with news
of your new business. Be short, concise, and include important
information, such as your address, the date and time of your grand
opening, and maybe even a map.

8. 3)10 Ways to Build Your
Business with a Blog
By Alli Worthington. Blogging is part of your marketing campaign.
Start blogging long before you set a grand opening. The point is to
get customers engaged and excited about your business. Most
importantly, you’ll set up your blog to create a mailing list.

9. 4)This goes hand-in-hand with the above resource. These days,
creating an online presence–regardless of your business type–is
crucial to success. Many potential customers like to check you out
online before visiting your grand opening.
Tips to Reach Customers Online
Before Opening Your Storefront

10. 5)How to Create an
Effective Email Invitation
By Dave Carter. Now that you’ve amassed a decent mailing list through
blogging, leverage it. This article explains how to craft your email to
get maximum click-throughs.

11. 6)3 Tips for Getting Your Direct
Mail Marketing Letters Read
By Charles Gaudet. You’ve worked hard to create the perfect grand
opening letter, don’t let it end up unread in the trash. This article
discusses how to ensure that 99% of recipients read your mail.

12. 7) How to Create Social Media
Buzz Before Opening Your Doors
By Sarah Johnson. Social media is an indispensable part of your
marketing plan. Not only is it free, it’s an extremely easy way to build
momentum for your grand opening.

13. 8)Debating Daily Deals for
Your Small Business
By K. Shelby Skrhak. Think Groupon or Living Social. These sites have
millions of subscribers. Use their popularity to your advantage
by creating a grand opening special that will lure in a crowd.

14. 9)Charity Marketing
By David Frey. The charity gets more funding and recognition, you
get applauded for your philanthropy by customers who are now
more willing to buy from you. Perhaps, invite the charity and publicly
donate to its cause.

15. 10)How to Create a Press
Release
By David Waring. A press release is a great way to get your story to as
many press outlets as possible. Follow these steps to create a press
release.

16. 11)How to Get Free Publicity for
Your Business on TV and Radio
By Kerry McDuling. If you’ve followed the charity marketing step
before, you’ll have the perfect angle to generate buzz for your
grand opening–inform the local media that you will be including a
fundraiser or charity event during your grand opening.

17. 12)Creating a Newspaper
Advertisement
By Shari Waters. Of course, newspaper ads are another source of
promotion. Follow this article for the basics on creating an ad for
your grand opening.

18. 13)How to Buy Outdoor Billboard
Advertising
If you definitely don’t want to be ignored, take out a billboard! A
certain retail store in my area announced their grand opening on
several billboards, and sure enough, I went just to see what all the
fuss was about.

19. 14)The Soft Opening
By Rodney Miller. Before you do a grand opening, it’s a good idea to
do a soft one. Soft openings allow you to test out everything before
you open your doors to the masses.

20. Managing
Grand Opening
the

21. 15)Grand Opening Planning Guide
Planning is everything. There’s no virtue in spontaneity when you’re
juggling potential customers, staff, your product, media, and your
nerves. This guide helps you organize your grand opening and
anticipate problems.

22. 16)Questions Every Event Staffer
Should Be Prepared to Answer
From a customer’s perspective, there’s nothing worse than an under-
prepared or discourteous staff. Prepare your staff (and have ample
staff in attendance) with the answers to the questions in this article.

23. 17)Creative Ways to Decorate for
a Store Grand Opening
By Crystal Ray. Balloons, signs, and creative merchandising are all
powerful ways to decorate your business for a grand opening. You
want customers to feel excited and informed by your choice
of decorations.

24. 18)Grand Opening Food Ideas
By Carl Hose. Few things excite the masses more than free food.
Whether it’s popcorn or barbecue, be prepared to offer something in
the way of food and refreshments. Food encourages the crowd to
linger longer, increasing the odds of making a sale.

25. 19)Why Join Your Local
Chamber of Commerce?
By Betsey Demitropoulos. There are many reasons to join your local
chamber of commerce. Of course, one of the best reasons is to
secure a ribbon cutting ceremony for your grand opening.

26. 20)4 Tips for Planning a Radio
Remote
By Linda Thomas. Generate excitement for your grand opening by
setting up a radio remote. Radio remotes are perfect for grand
openings because the radio personality is constantly plugging your
event while it’s happening.

27. 21) How to Have a Grand
Opening With a Celebrity
By Michelle Renee. Grand openings are even more grand when you
have a celebrity. Think of all the attention you can attract. Be careful to
invite a celebrity that makes sense to your brand, and be sure
to plan ahead of time.

28. 22)11 Ideas
for Cool Giveaways
Make your customers remember you long after the grand opening is
over. You want to give away promotional items that point back to
you, but are also useful. Remember, a giveaway may not be
material–it can be a digital download.

29. 23)3 Keys to Using
Sweepstakes or Giveaways
By Scott Kuhn. Having door prizes or giveaways are a sweet incentive
to potential customers. This article is a guideline of how to set up
your promotion legally and effectively. Use raffles as a way to
get customers to fill out cards to be added to the mailing list.

30. 24)5 Tips for Using Testimonials
for New Store Launches
By Dave Carter. During your grand opening be sure to collect
testimonials from satisfied customers. Use comment cards or
even set up a camera to interview customers about their experience at
your grand opening. Save it for your blog or your future newsletter.

31. After
Grand Opening
the

32. 25)Thank You Notes
By Betsey Gallop. Use your mailing list obtained from your raffle and
your blog to send “Thank You” notes to your customers. It refreshes
your business in their minds.

33. Click here to tweet
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Now Read:
The Ultimate Guide To Grand
Openings
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