Hosting a successful grand opening for your laundromat should generate excitement and curiosity about your facility. A grand opening celebration is a great way to network with other businesses in the community and begin to form strategic partnerships. The staff at T & L, the number one laundromat equipment SC dealer, is involved in many grand opening celebrations every year and has put together a list of things to consider when budgeting for your grand opening.
Your grand opening should be held a few weeks after your store has been open to the public. Most importantly you need set your budget early. Experts estimate that you should dedicate 20 percent of your first year's marketing budget to your grand opening event. If 20 percent doesn't seem like a lot allow us to put it in perspective for you. You don’t want to spend so much on your event that it impacts your ability to advertise for the rest of the year. It's risky to spend more than 20 percent on the initial event - you haven’t yet figured out what advertising mediums work for your business - you need to save a larger chunk to be able to promote effectively all year long.
About two weeks before the event, start running frequent and repetitive ads about the event. This is the best way to attract potential customers and get them interested in attending your grand opening. In addition to the event, offer a special grand opening promotion that will increase the customer responsiveness and get them in the door to see your facility. Luckily for you, the words 'Grand Opening' carry a lot of buzz and excitement alone.
Create a memorable experience for your customers. Prepare in advance for your anticipated crowd. Ensure that there will be adequate traffic flow through your business and that customers won't feel crowded in your facility. Offering free food and drinks is a great way to entice people in to check out your business. Partnering with a neighboring sandwich shop or bakery not only creates a good partnership but also shows people that you are invested in the community. Enhancing your storefront with a large grand opening sign draws attention to your event. Decorate the inside of your laundromat with posters promoting weekly specials and amenities - wifi, snack bar, cable tv, kid's play area and balloons. Making your coin-op feel warm and inviting will give customers a positive feeling about your business and make them want to do business with you.
Book your event carefully. Be aware of holidays or other events that are taking place in your area. You don’t want to be competing with a town festival or a major sporting event. However, feel free to capitalize on themed events - hosting a Halloween party grand opening or an Easter egg hunt. If you choose to host your event on days when your business is busy this will allow new customers to see existing customers using your equipment. This starts a conversation and your existing customers become advertisers for you. Through simple conversation they can tell new customers why they like your facility. Is it the Free Dry Fridays? Or maybe it's the extra long folding tables or the kid's play area. Whatever it is, your current customers can sell your business to new customers for you.
Promote your event effectively. Rely on social media to help you advertise your event. Create a Facebook event and share photos of the grand opening preparations to build excitement. Print flyers and post them on college campuses, at daycares and preschools. Hand out senior day special coupons at retirement or senior communities. Consider hiring a sign spinner to attract customers to your event from your nearest busy intersection.
For more grand opening ideas, read our next post. Be sure to check out our previous blog about planning your coin-op laundry grand opening, as well.
Affordable Laundromat Equipment SC | T & L Laundry Equipment
T &L Equipment can be a key factor in your success as a coin operated laundromat owner. We are a full service distributor for South Carolina and North Carolina providing investment opportunities, commercial laundromat equipment SC products, and even assistance in financing and a small business plan. We have helped people for 40 years, so you can be assured you will be working with professionals who know the industry inside and out. Call us today!
