Your Grand Opening is a wonderful business milestone. It is also a huge opportunity to advertise your new business. Plan ahead to have fun with this corporate event. These steps will show you prepare for a successful, memorable grand opening.
Instructions
1. Set up a large paper flip chart pad. Use one colored marker pen to list all the ideas you have for the event. Include cutting the grand opening ribbon, the type of refreshments, the kinds of people you want there. Write down if you want music and what kind. Note any kind of literature or gifts you want to hand out. This is the time to brainstorm and dream out loud.
2. Tear off the paper sheet and tape it to the wall.
3. Write the first idea at the top of a fresh page of the flip chart pad. List everything you can think of to make that idea happen. For example, you can write "Refreshments". Then list coffee, cream, sugar, soda, water, ice, cupcakes, mixed nuts, mints, paper plates, napkins, plastic cups, plastic forks and spoons. Tear the sheet off when you are done and tape it to the wall. Make a new page for each of the ideas from your main list.
4. Mark the date of the Grand Opening on a calendar. Count back 8 weeks. Mark each week of the countdown by number. Week 1, week 2, week 3... until you have each time period identified.
5. Use a different color pen to mark the week number by each task on each list. For instance, write "Week 4" by "choose bakery". Write "Week 5" by "order cupcakes". Mark "Week 8 " by "write check for cupcakes".
6. Assign each item on the list to a person in charge. Use a distinctive color of marker pen to write each person's name by their tasks.
7. Choose a new color of marker pen to write a price by each item that will cost money. Add up totals for each idea using a calculator. Calculate the grand total by adding the dollars from each page. This is your budget.
8. Make two final lists. Write everything that has to happen in Week 1 and each subsequent week. On a separate sheet write down all the tasks for each person. Now you have an easy way to make sure that all your grand opening events are being taken care of on time by the right people.
