Time to Plan Your Annual Small Business GRAND OPENING!
Everyone is new in town. Help them find you
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Yes, you heard me right, “Annual Grand Opening.” Every retail business should have a grand opening once a year.
Here are the two biggest reasons for an Annual Grand Opening
New Locals
How much of your town’s population are natives? In my hometown of Bozeman, Montana the city population turns over every seven years since I moved here in 1993.
Were there retailers here in 1993? You bet. Do you think they all might have wanted me for a customer? I would hope so.
Unfortunately, they didn’t come looking for me I had to go looking for them. I was a new local who needed everything new locals need.
I needed a shoe store, grocery store, barber, bank, mechanic, tire store, insurance agent, realtor, baker, florist, optometrist, car dealer, dentist, doctor, tax accountant and the list goes on and on.
Driving up and down Main Street, or any street for that matter, I think I would have noticed a grand opening.
And I’m sure I would notice a sign that said “14th Annual Grand Opening.” Curiosity alone would have prompted me to stop in to see why a yearly grand opening was happening.
Temporary Locals
Temporary locals, A.K.A. tourists, also have needs while they’re in town. They’re looking everywhere for everything. This is your chance to stand out to both local locals and temporary locals alike.
Everything is new to tourists as soon as they cross the city limits. What’s more inviting than someplace new where they can rub elbows with the locals?
Risk vs. Reward
What are the risks of having a yearly grand opening? There are some. Unless the yearly grand opening has value, it’s going to be old hat in a couple of years.
Not only should it be an annual event but it should also be the kind of event that people get excited about. That they ask about before it happens.
It should be a yearly tradition that shoppers look forward to.
