YORKTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRESENTS
"Representing the
Interest of Business
For The Growth And
Prosperity Of Our
Members And
Community"
The
Yorkton
Chamber of
Commerce
has prepared this
information to help
with Grand Openings..
If you would like to
have a representative
at your grand opening,
please notify the
Chamber at the same
time you send your
other invitations.
Since committee
members are also
business people, at
least 7-10 days notices
is appreciated.
A grand opening is a
big event and new
businesses should take
full advantage of the
opportunities it offers
to gain publicity and
attract potential
customers on the very
first day. It deserves
the time it takes to plan
it well.
Congratulations
&
Thank You
Your Grand Opening
You should begin planning your grand opening just as soon as you begin planning your business. It is that important! Your grand opening is away of inviting potential customers, into your business and turning them into regular customers. of creating a mood and style for your business that makes shopping there an adventure.
Tips to a Successful Grand Opening
1. Choose a Date and Time
Plan your grand opening ceremonies for high traffic time. An optimum time is during the business week, Tuesday to Friday, in the mornings. 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. is the best time to acquire media attention and increase guest attendance.
2. Invite Guests:
Whom to invite:
Chamber of Commerce officials & other
business leaders.
Your company officials or spokesperson
The mayor, city council, and all other important city, country and government officials
Anyone who had anything to do with remodeling or building your location: contractors, bank officials, etc.
Downtown Business Association/Parkland Mall Merchants if applicable
The Press
When to invite them:
Mail your invitations, two or three weeks ahead of opening day. Then two or three days before the opening, follow up on your invitations with phone calls.
3. Plan the Opening
Consideration should be made for the following:
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony (where and when)
Speaker(s)/ Spokesperson
Refreshments
Ribbon
Door prizes and/or draws
Opening Day Ideas:
Serve coffee, doughnuts, punch and cookies.
Drape the storefront with bunting, or use vinyl
streamers.
Have registration for prizes displayed in the window, or on a special table. Use the
Registration cards to build a mailing list. The first customer in the door, after the registration closes, can draw the winning cards.
Send a special verbal invitation to all neighboring business personnel.
4. Provide Promotional Attention Getters:
Ideas Include:
Sign unveiling
Balloon releases
Ground breaking ceremonies
Advertising Tips:
Plan a campaign with a series of inexpensive small-space teaser ads to run the week before opening and large space announcements in issues before opening day.
Messages in the announcements columns are inexpensive and have a high readership. You can write them straight or funny
The people already doing business near your establishment are logical future customers.
Radio spots during the last three or four days before the opening is very effective.
Publicity Tips
Always remember that publicity can double the effectiveness of your advertising. When you tell the public about your business in an advertisement , you are essentially saying how good you are; when a newspaper or radio tells the public about your business, someone else is saying how good you are. Drop into the local newspaper, newsrooms, introduce yourself and chat about your new business. Send news releases about the opening, observing carefully the deadlines of your local media.
1. List your name, address and phone number in the upper left corner of every news release, so that reporters can contact you for additional information. The release date in the upper right hand corner of every press release should be the date that you would prefer the story to appear; this insures that every publication or radio station has the opportunity to use the story at the same time. Double-space and type all releases.
2. Deliver each release in person, if at all possible. This increases the chances that your release will be used.
3. A simple Verbal "thanks" is in order for reporters who use the story, but a gift would be highly inappropriate. Also, never badger them if they don't use it.
4. Always remember reporters see an imposing
amount of publicity material every day. They are happy to use the stories they think are interesting, and they will not use stories they do not think are interesting. It's that simple.
5. Always provide at least one photograph with every release to newspapers, if all possible even if the photograph is nothing more than a wallet-sized face shot of the business owner or manager. A good photograph greatly increases the chances that your release will be used. Any photograph slightly increases the chances.
Yorkton Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 1051, Jnct. Hwy #9 & #16
Yorkton, SK. S3N 2X3
Phone: 783-4368
Fax: 786-6978
E-mail:yorktonchamber@sasktel.net
www.chamber.yorkton.sk.ca
President: James Wilson 786-3451
Vice President: David Horsman 783-8531
Directors:
Jason Farrell 783-4477
Todd Haas 783-9461
Rick Schrader 783-3333
Robert Ashcroft 782-1272
Kent Latimer 786-1907
Judie Bernat 786-5006
Sherry Grunert 782-0503
Linda Quart 786-2111
Ron Evinou 783-1479
Guy Gendreau 782-2264
Jimmy Dean 783-9781
Dwight Ruf 786-2886
Lori Walsh 786-2232
Coreen Fahrenschon 782-5544
Government Representatives:
Hon. Clay Serby, Deputy Premier &
Minister of Rural Development
Phone: 786-4222
Fax: 783-2229
50 Smith St. S3N 0H5
Hon. Garry Breitkreuz, MP
Phone: 782-3309
Fax: 786-7207
#19-1st Ave. N., S3N 1J3
www.yorkton.ca
Mayor: Phil De Vos
786-1701
Fax: 786-6880
City Councillors:
Les Arnelien 786-4800 Fax: 786-6336
Randy Goulden 783-8707 Fax: 786-6978
Janet Hill 782-2312 Fax: 786-6415
Bob Maloney 786-8421 Fax: 782-7212
Deb Schmidt 783-0720 Fax: 783-2482
Chris Wyatt 783-0467
Good Spirit REDA:
Gordon Bulmer 783-7332 Fax: 783-0165
Local Media
Radio:
GX94 / 94.1 FM the Fox
120 Smith St. E., Box 9400, S3N 3V3
Phone: 782-2256
Fax: 783-4994
100.5 FM The Rock
395 Riverview Rd.
Phone: 786-7625
Fax: 782-4437
TV:
CTV Yorkton
95 Broadway St. E. S3N 0L1
Phone: 786-8400
Fax: 786-7212
Access Communications
22 6th Ave. N. Box 550 S3N 0X5
Phone: 783-1566
Fax: 782-1952
News Papers:
The Yorkton News Review
18 First Ave. N. S3N 1J4
Phone: 783-7355
Fax: 782-9138
Yorkton This Week
20 3rd Ave. N. S3N 2X3
Phone: 782-2465
Fax: 786-1898