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Reopening your business following a catastrophe can seem like a challenge. After a successful restoration, many business owners feel accomplished yet exhausted from the emotional toll of worrying about their future and their prospects for recovery.
But part of your small business’s disaster restoration is reopening to show your customers that you are still around and want to help them. Learn more about preparing for a grand reopening and instituting a great marketing strategy to generate buzz and attention.
An event sparks attention, and it may draw people who wouldn’t usually come to your location. Sometimes turning something into a big deal is the best way to gain notice. Plus, you deserve to celebrate how great your store or office looks after restoration.
Decide the best type of event for your business. For instance, if you have a store, offering specials on the big day may draw people in, while an office is better suited to an open house where people can drop in for food and drink.
If you want to enjoy a big turnout for your reopening, you need to let as many people as possible know about the event. You can send traditional invitations or create an online access point. Publicize the date on social media. Ask your friends to share the post to reach a wider audience. Consider putting an ad in the newspaper or trying to get coverage of the event by sending out a press release emphasizing the news aspect of the reopening — that you suffered a disaster and are ready to open again.
While you want to celebrate your return to “business as usual,” you don’t want that celebration to break the bank. Set a budget ahead of time and don’t go over it. Aim for elegance but not extravagance. Consider ways you can save money on food — for example, plan the event for mid-afternoon and not lunchtime so you can buy snacks instead of a full meal.
The reason for your grand reopening is to inaugurate your new space, so make sure people see what it looks like. Put one of your employees in charge of giving tours, and arm them with some fun anecdotes to tell your guests. For instance, if you had a foot of standing water in the showroom, have the employee mark the height of the water on the wall. You want people to marvel at how far you have come.
People like getting stuff, so they are more likely to attend events when they are given things. Hand out branded baubles or offer coupons to everyone who enters your doors. You get satisfied potential customers who are more likely to return in the future.
Maintaining business continuity after a disaster isn’t easy, but it does pay off when you reopen. If you need restoration services, get in touch with URI today to learn more.
