Picture of Carin Oliver
Carin Oliver

Stress Less and Celebrate More: The Ultimate Grand Opening Checklist for Local Businesses

Approx Reading Time: 1 minute 

Planning a grand opening is one of the most exciting milestones for any local business owner. You’ve worked hard to bring your dream to life – now it’s time to showcase it to the world!

Trusted By:

With all the details that go into pulling off a flawless event, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Events, from major red-carpet affairs to intimate cocktail parties, take on a life of their own. From organizing staff to securing permits, the list can seem never-ending.

My Stress Less Grand Opening Checklist is the EXACT document I have used for over a decade to start every conversation with my small business and franchise clients. 

Whether you’re opening a restaurant, fitness studio, retail store, or any other local business, this comprehensive guide ensures you won’t miss a single detail. Best of all? It’s FREE! Woo Hoo!! 

Why Do You Need a Grand Opening Checklist?

When I was opening multiple locations back to back, there was literally zero chance I could have pulled off some amazing events without a checklist. 

Imagine this: Your grand opening day has arrived. You’ve got balloons, the perfect ribbon for the cutting ceremony, and a crowd eager to walk through your doors. But… did you remember to fill the bathrooms with extra supplies? Is your tech system tested and ready? Do you have enough staff to handle the crowd?

Without a solid plan, even the smallest oversight can turn a celebration into way more stress than anyone needs.  

Why I Am Giving This Away For Free

It literally breaks my heart to see a small business owner fumble at the finish line. And guess what? People helped me when I was just starting out. Sharing this checklist is the least I can do.  Even Arnold Schwarzenegger’s public relations pro shared invaluable information with me. 

Her tip: Do your event in as small a space as possible to make it look full. (I have a story about this…but later)

This grand opening checklist is joined by about a dozen templates, worksheets, and how-tos in my digital marketing course for small business owners called From Lease To Launch. 

Who Should Use This Checklist?

This checklist has been crafted from years of experience helping local businesses – just like yours – successfully launch. It’s perfect for any small business owner or franchisee preparing for a grand opening, whether it’s a restaurant, gym, spa, or retail store. Even if you’re a seasoned event planner, this resource will help you stay organized and reduce stress.

About Intercept & Influence

Intercept & Influence provides training courses in a wide variety of digital marketing, done-for-you advertising, and one-on-one marketing, advertising and web consulting. 

We have intentionally structured Intercept & Influence for the dynamically changing digital marketing landscape. While we’ve established long-term relationships with many clients, we do not require long-term contracts. 

We have helped drive millions of dollars in e-commerce revenue, and countless digital reservations and generated a significant number of b2b leads for our clients.