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As a new franchisee, you have probably been working for months to get to the point of opening your franchise for business. You have undoubtedly put a lot of hard work and money into researching and selecting the best franchise opportunity for you, figuring out how to finance it, being trained by the franchisor, and getting everything up and running. At this point, you might be exhausted from all the time and effort you have put into starting your franchise, or eager to get to the next step of actually running your business. In order to be as successful as possible and get things off the ground, you should orchestrate a grand opening for your store, rather than letting the opportunity of this vital in-between time slip away. A grand opening for your franchise, if done well, increases awareness of your business and can attract customers who may provide you with a lot of business down the road.

A grand opening can be effective, but it requires a lot of planning. Start thinking about your grand opening event early, and plan carefully. Consider scheduling the event for about a month after you have opened so that everything is running smooth and your staff is able to handle any problems. One of the most important things to think about is timing. Make sure to schedule your event for a time when you will have a lot of people available to come to the grand opening. This may be dependent on what you are selling. For instance, a coffee shop might want to have a grand opening event in the morning, though this could be a very bad decision for other types of franchises.

Consider inviting people like the mayor and other local government officials, as well as members of the press. These people can drum up more publicity for your event beforehand with their stature, and may help you attract customers by singing your praises after the grand opening event. Invite them early and be professional in your correspondence with these important people.

The event itself is, of course, the most important part of ensuring that your grand opening attracts future customers and increases your chance of success as a franchisee. Invest some time and energy into making it look like something is happening at your store the day of the grand opening with a sign and decorations. This will have the dual benefit of attracting those who are just passing by and encouraging those who might have heard about it but weren’t sure if it would be worth attending. Finally, make sure that the event is worth attending! Plan entertainment appropriate to your franchise, serve refreshments, provide free products and coupons, and invite friends and family to make it a real party. You don’t want the event to be boring or fall flat, or people will wish they hadn’t come. Likewise, you should be generous with giving out products, coupons, and refreshments; otherwise you may lose potential customers who think you are stingy or unfriendly. The grand opening event will cost some money, but the goal is to earn more than that back in future business. In addition, your franchisor may be willing to fund part or all of the grand opening event as part of your franchise agreement.

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