How To Host A Successful Open House Event For Your Small Business
From advertising to social media management, it takes a lot of work to manage a brand … especially if you own and operate a small business. One of the most effective ways to attract new clients, retain existing ones, and communicate the role that your business plays in the community is to plan and hold an open house for your business on an annual basis.
In a nutshell, a well-executed open house event is a strategic opportunity for your business to showcase its goods and services, as well as its goodwill, to targeted audiences and the public at the same time. They’re also a great way to announce the launch of a new product or expansion of the services that your business currently provides. While this may seem a bit overwhelming to the small business owner contemplating his or her first open house event, there are some best practices that you can follow to ensure that you meet or exceed your goals.
The most successful open house events are planned and advertised or promoted well in advance of their actual occurrence. Setting a budget and sticking to it is also critical to your success. Promotion, food and beverages, and even special favors (such as door prizes, branded merchandise, or other promotional materials featuring your logo and/or contact information) go a long way toward attracting people to your open house.
Some experts even recommend something “gimmicky”, such hiring an Elvis impersonator, musicians, or providing opportunities for people to pose for photographs with (and receive autographs from) a local sports hero. If your budget is flexible, some experts also recommend renting an inflatable bounce experience or hiring a magician to keep attendees’ children happily entertained while their parents participate in your event. Keeping folks fed and entertained is an important component that determines whether your event will be successful and memorable for those who took the time to attend.
Industry experts agree that it’s important to target your audience with respect to your advertising and promotional strategies: use traditional and social media. Don’t forget about creative tactics and strategies, such as including an automated reminder with the time and date of your event on all of your printed receipts or inviting your customers and clients and sending event reminders by text message (if you have their permission to send text or SMS messages). Post fliers, send emails, and make phone calls. If applicable, invite your vendors … and inquire about potential donations for your event. Reach out to local radio stations and newspapers to see if they are willing to promote your event, and consider paid advertising if your budget can support it. And, don’t forget to extend the invitation to your employees and their families, too!
Just like any other well-planned event, it’s important to think strategically about the who, what, when, where, why, and how of your open house. In fact, your answers to these questions should not only guide your planning and execution, but they may also change from year to year depending on your overarching goals and objectives. Open houses are not just for new businesses, and it’s never too late to start!
Some business owners create elaborate programs or schedules for their open houses, outlining what will happen when, while others take a more casual approach. All agree, however, upon the importance of setting a firm start and end time for the event, as well as conducting a thorough site review beforehand to ensure that any potential safety or security hazards are addressed well before the doors are opened to attendees.
It’s also important to make your guests feel welcome, and having a dedicated greeter or welcome team can go a long way toward accomplishing this goal. Asking guests to register and sign in accomplishes another goal: it provides you with a useful record of who attended that, if you capture express consent to send future messages, can be used as a marketing tool for post-event communication. It’s also a useful record to have for insurance purposes in the event that something unexpected happens.
Here at The Offix, we have you covered before and during your Open House event. With Risqover, you and your team can complete the necessary safety and security audits to ensure that your Open House event is as safe as possible for all attendees, as well as provide immediate reporting and alerts if something breaks or malfunctions during the event so you can take immediate steps to fix it. With Lobbipad, guest registration and visitor badge printing takes place in seconds, freeing you and your guests to make the most out of your time together.
How can we help? Contact us at hi@theoffix.com to learn more about how Risqover and Lobbipad can help you maximise safety and security for visitors and guests on Open House Day and every day!
