Is your company considering a big grand opening event or do you already have one in the works? Let us share a few things before you tackle this job. Your main goal with celebrating a grand opening is to reach out to the community and get its attention. A business has great potential if it has the support of the local community.
First, no matter how big or small the population, every community has leaders. Once you have the major players in your city attending the grand opening, the rest will follow. The guest list could include the mayor, city government members and leaders in community clubs or organizations. Ask around. See who has the attention of the people.
You will also want to check online to see what local bloggers you could invite to the big event. This is the easiest way to get some free advertising. Don’t forget to explore social media. Use sites including Facebook and Twitter to your advantage. Not only can you use these to advertise your grand opening, you can also search around and find out who’s got the most followers in your area. These are the kinds of people you want to make sure have the best time at your grand opening.
Also, remember to invite people from any surrounding businesses. The more friends you can make in your neighborhood, the better.
When you start to plan the details of the grand opening, you may find a need to hire some companies to help with the catering, entertainment, decorations, etc. Your company may be limited financially, but the cheapest places won’t always be the most beneficial to the growth of your business. If you want to get close to your community, then go local. Make sure you help out the small businesses around you. Even if it’s a little more expensive to hire that mom-and-pop restaurant to serve food at your event, it will help you out in the long run. Supporting these companies means supporting the community. If you can, hire businesses that are well-known as being environmentally friendly. Even if your company isn’t ready make the switch to green, every little bit helps.
Our last piece of advice for when you start planning your grand opening celebration is to give back to your community. Giving back to a local charity will show that you care about improving the lives of the people in your neighborhood. This is a big deal, so make sure you highlight it at your grand opening. A check presentation ceremony will not only make your company look good, it will help give some publicity to the local charity you are sponsoring. It’s a win-win.
Just in case you’re strapped for cash, remember there are other ways to donate. With so many people attending your event, helping to raise money or items for an organization would be no problem at all. Use your resources if you can’t use your wallet.
The most important tip to keep in mind is that customers help make a business successful. Treat your customers as you would your family. Support your community and it will return the favor.
