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Businesses don’t just pop up and open their doors. Owners and managers work hard behind the scenes to develop a business until it’s ready to open. However, even with all that prep work, opening day can still feel nerve-racking. Try to calm those nerves by learning how to prepare your business for opening day.
Promote Your Grand Opening Everywhere
Before you get to your opening day, you should invest in promotional materials. Hire a commercial photographer who can capture your brand, message, building, and staff. You can use these photos for your promotional materials, such as social media content and press releases. Use print and digital channels to reach a wider audience and bring everyone out for your big event.
Double-Check Legal Paperwork and Inventory
As you send out your promotional materials, you should double-check that your business is actually ready to go. Verify that you have all the legal paperwork necessary, such as any applicable licenses and permits. You never know when a government official or law enforcement may ask for this paperwork, so you should know exactly where it is before opening day.
Meanwhile, make sure you have sufficient inventory to keep all your new customers happy. You don’t want to send customers away on your first day because you ran out of items that interested many potential buyers.
Hire Professional Commercial Cleaners
If you haven’t even opened your business yet, why would you need cleaners? You’d be surprised how much dirt can build up as you work behind the scenes in your building, especially if you’ve recently finished construction. That’s why post-construction cleaning is one of the office cleaning services you didn’t know you needed. Even if your building hasn’t experienced recent construction, professional commercial cleaners can perform other services, such as disinfecting and floor cleaning. They will work hard to make your business look its best for opening day.
Plan for Problems
You’ve spread the word, double-checked the essentials, and brought cleaners in to make your business shine. What could go wrong? Unfortunately, many things. No matter how much training you’ve provided for your staff or what you’ve invested into this big day, problems can still happen—staff members get sick, weather changes, and customers are unpredictable.
While you can’t plan for all scenarios, try to account for as many as you can. Write down predictable problems, such as weather changes, then write down some possible solutions. Post those solutions somewhere in your business for staff to see so everyone knows the backup plan and your big day can continue without a hitch.
Hold a Soft Opening
If you’re worried that a predetermined plan isn’t enough to mitigate potential opening day problems, you can always hold a soft open. Soft opens allow you and your business to practice opening day with less fanfare. You can see how you and your staff do, which will allow you to better prepare for your hard opening. They’re also a great opportunity to get candid shots of your business in action, which you can use on your big opening day. Preparing your business for opening day is exciting and nerve-racking. However, as you promote and plan this big day, you can lean more into the excitement and host an unforgettable event.
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