How do you promote a new business opening?
A new business has an advantage it will never have again: curiosity. Locals watch the work going on, wonder what is opening and talk about it. Opening promotion is about turning that curiosity into first visits, then into habits.
You do not need a big budget. Most of the actions in this guide cost little or nothing: a complete Google profile, photos of the fit-out, a letter through the neighbours’ doors, a press release to the local paper, a launch event with the street. What matters is doing things in the right order at the right time.
What timeline should you follow, from 60 days before to 30 days after?
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 60+ days before | Create your Google profile with the planned opening date and start verification; register your domain name and social handles; start photographing the fit-out |
| 45 days before | Put up a simple website or “opening soon” page: name, address, planned date, what you will offer, how to contact you; post behind-the-scenes once or twice a week |
| 30 days before | Contact local press; plan the launch event (date, guests, local councillors or chamber of commerce, neighbouring businesses); order the window poster and business cards |
| 21 days before | Drop a letter through the doors on your street and introduce yourself to neighbouring businesses; send launch invitations |
| 15 days before | Announce the official date everywhere: social media, Google profile post, website, window; email people who asked to be told |
| 7 days before | Run a soft opening with friends and family to test service, till and menu; check hours on Google and your website |
| Opening day | Open, take photos, post live; greet every customer and introduce yourself |
| Days 1 to 15 | Thank people, share first customer photos (with permission); ask first real customers for reviews; reply to every review |
| Days 15 to 30 | Launch event if it did not happen on day one; first review: where customers come from, what they say, what to fix |
After that, our small business marketing calendar lists the seasonal dates worth planning for.
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Should you create your Google profile before you open?
Yes, as early as possible: it is often the first thing people see when they search for your name or “bakery near me”. Google has a specific option for businesses that have not opened yet (Google help on opening dates):
- you can add an opening date up to one year in the future; only the month and year are required;
- once the date is added and the business is verified, the profile appears on Google 90 days before opening;
- during that period, you can post updates to announce the opening, add photos of construction progress and write your description;
- customers cannot leave reviews or add photos until you officially open;
- after opening, the profile shows a “Recently opened” label for 90 days.
Verification can take time, so do not leave it to the last minute. Choose your primary category carefully (“Bakery”, “Italian restaurant”, “Hair salon”): it matters a lot for showing up in the right searches. If the date changes, edit it under “Edit profile”, then “Opening date”. Our Google Business Profile guide covers every field, and if you still do not show up after opening, see business not showing on Google Maps.
Do you need a website on opening day?
A full website is not essential on day one, but a clear page is. It reassures people that the business is real, it shows up when they search your name, and it gives you an address to print on the poster, business cards and press release. The minimum:
- name, what you do, address and a map;
- planned opening date, then opening hours;
- what you offer (menu, services, signature products), with real photos as soon as you have them;
- a way to contact you, and to book if your trade needs it.
Register your domain as soon as the business name is settled (see our guide to choosing a domain name), and check which legal pages apply where you trade. Our small business website guide covers the rest.
With Voxtya’s Website service, the site fills itself from your Google profile (photos, hours, address, then reviews) and you edit it in a few clicks, handy when the opening date moves or the menu changes in the first weeks. The domain is free with an annual plan.
How do you run a launch event that actually helps?
A launch event is optional, but it brings neighbours, local businesses, local officials, press and friends together in one go. Ideas by trade:
- tasting: bakery samples, a welcome glass at a wine shop, small plates at a restaurant;
- demonstration: a stylist showing a technique, a tradesperson showing their craft, a florist making a bouquet live;
- behind-the-scenes tour: the kitchen, the bakehouse, the workshop;
- a small welcome gift for every visitor (a sample, a card for a free coffee next time);
- a short speech: thank the builders, the neighbours, your family.
You can hold it on opening day (plenty of energy, but the team is not yet run in) or two to three weeks later (service is settled, and the event gives your promotion a second push). Invite officials and press at least three weeks ahead, and post photos the next day. If you serve alcohol, check the licensing rules that apply where you trade.
How do you get your first reviews without cheating?
A profile with no reviews inspires less trust, and it is tempting to ask family, friends or staff to “get things going”. Do not: Google’s policy prohibits reviews written with a conflict of interest (current or former employment, personal or professional ties) and any incentive in exchange for a review, whether money, a discount or a gift (Google’s prohibited content policy). Those reviews can be removed.
The right way is simple: from the first days, ask real customers for a review, in person, when they tell you they enjoyed their visit. Make it easy with a QR code at the counter or on the table, or an email after the visit. Reply to every review, including early criticism: it is normal, and a calm reply shows you listen. Our guide to getting more Google reviews covers the method, and our guide to replying to reviews helps with the replies.
What should you write? Templates to copy
Social media announcement, two weeks before
It’s official: [Business name] opens on [day and date] at [address]! After [time] of work, we can’t wait to welcome you for [what you offer]. Open [days and hours]. Follow us for the last behind-the-scenes peeks, and see you on [date]!
Letter to neighbours
Hello, we’re [first names], and we’re opening [Business name], [what you do], at [address] on [date]. Thank you for your patience during the work! We’d love to meet you: drop in from opening day, or join us on [launch date] at [time] for our launch. See you soon, [first names], [phone], [website].
Press release for local media
[Business name] opens in [town] on [date]. [Full name], [one sentence about their background], is opening [what the business does] at [address]. [One or two sentences on what makes it special: products, skills, the history of the building]. The business will be open [days and hours] and will employ [number] people. A launch event takes place on [date] at [time], with [guests]. Press contact: [Full name], [phone], [email]. Photos available on request.
Email to people who asked to be told
Subject: [Business name] opens on [date]! Hi [First name], you asked us to let you know, and it’s nearly time! [Business name] opens on [day and date] at [address]. Expect [what you offer]. We’ll be open [days and hours]. [If relevant: book now at [link]]. Looking forward to welcoming you, [first name]. Don’t want to hear from us? [unsubscribe link]
Only send this email to people who gave you their address to be told about the opening, and always include an unsubscribe link: our customer retention guide summarises the UK and EU rules.
What budget should you plan for opening promotion?
| Action | Cost | Essential? |
|---|---|---|
| Google profile with opening date, photos, posts | Free | Yes |
| Social media accounts and behind-the-scenes posts | Free (your time) | Yes |
| Press release to local media | Free | Strongly recommended |
| Letter to neighbours, window poster during works | Low (printing) | Yes |
| Website and domain name | Low to medium depending on the solution | Yes, at least one page |
| Launch event (drinks, tasting) | Low to medium | Recommended |
| Signage and window graphics | Medium to high | Yes, but it is a fit-out cost |
| Paid online ads, large leaflet drops | Variable | Optional, test small first |
Do everything free first, then keep a small reserve to give things a push after opening if footfall is slow. To estimate what a few extra customers a week could be worth, try our earnings calculator.
What should you do differently depending on your trade?
Restaurant
Open bookings before you open, put the menu online once it is final, and run a soft opening with reduced covers in the first days: better to serve 20 people perfectly than 60 in chaos. The menu and dish photos are your best posts.
Bakery
Smell and the window do half the work. Announce your morning opening time, show the bakehouse and first batches, and offer tastings on the first weekend. Neighbours and nearby schools are your natural audience.
Hair or beauty salon
Open appointment booking before opening day, so the first week’s diary is already filling. Introduce the team and their specialities. A demonstration or workshop at the launch draws people in.
Shop, florist, wine shop
Show stock arriving and the shop taking shape. A wine shop can hold an opening tasting with a winemaker, a florist can give a flower to the first visitors. Make your hours very clear, especially late or Sunday opening.
Tradesperson
Without a shop window, your Google profile and website are your window. State your service area, show your work, and introduce yourself to local builders’ merchants and estate agents.
What mistakes should you avoid when opening?
- Creating the Google profile on opening day: verification takes time, and you lose weeks of free visibility.
- Announcing a firm date too early: fit-outs often run late. Announce a month (“opening in March”), then the exact date two weeks ahead.
- Getting friends, family or staff to write reviews: it breaks Google’s policy and those reviews may be removed.
- Putting everything into opening day: keep promoting through the first month, when the novelty wears off.
- Different hours in different places: Google profile, website, window and social media must all say the same thing.
- Forgetting the neighbours: they put up with the works, and they are your most likely first customers.
- Ignoring the first reviews: your first replies set the tone of your customer relationship.
The steps at a glance
The steps to announce the opening of a local business, from two months before to one month after.
- Create your Google profile 60 days ahead. Create the profile, add the planned opening date and start verification: it can show up to 90 days before opening.
- Put a page online 45 days ahead. Name, address, planned date, what you will offer and a way to contact you.
- Share the behind-the-scenes. Post once or twice a week about the fit-out, the team and the products.
- Tell press and neighbours 30 days ahead. Send a press release to local media, drop a letter through doors, introduce yourself to neighbouring businesses.
- Announce the date 15 days ahead. Post the official date on your Google profile, website, social media and window.
- Open and launch. Greet every customer, post photos, hold the launch on day one or two to three weeks later.
- Ask for first reviews. Ask real customers for a review, with nothing in return, and reply to every one.
Do it without spending your evenings on it
Voxtya website
A professional website that fills itself from your Google profile (photos, hours, address, reviews), that you edit yourself in a few clicks. €29/month, 30-day free trial, free domain on an annual plan.
This guide for your trade
Go further
Sources
The rules quoted in this guide come from these official pages, checked on October 17, 2026.
How do you announce the opening on social media, in local press and to neighbours?
Social media: share the story
Before opening, you have nothing to sell but plenty to show: the fit-out, choosing furniture, first test bakes, the team, the oven arriving. These posts build anticipation. Pick one or two networks (often Instagram and Facebook for a neighbourhood business) and post once or twice a week. Local community groups, on Facebook or on neighbourhood apps such as Nextdoor, are widely read: introduce yourself simply, without spamming. Our social media guide gives you a method.
Local press: a story, not an advert
Local papers, local radio, council newsletters and community news sites like covering openings, provided there is an angle: a local returning home, a career change, an old shop brought back to life, something the town did not have. Send a short press release three to four weeks ahead with two or three photos, and offer a preview visit.
Neighbours: the most underrated channel
Your first customers live or work a few streets away. A letter through the door, a poster in the window during the works (“Coming soon: … opening on …”), a visit to neighbouring businesses with a few cards: cheap and very effective. Neighbouring shops will send customers your way if they know you. In the US, many towns have a chamber of commerce that organises ribbon-cutting ceremonies for new members: ask yours.