Marketing Your Home-Based Business: Open House

If you sell a product, either made by you or others, holding open houses can be a cost-effective and profitable way to market your business. Here are a few tips for holding a successful open house.

Decide on a date. Pick your dates carefully, as you don't want to schedule your open house when most of your customers will be out of town or attending other events. Avoid scheduling the same time as major festivals or street fairs, or holiday weekends. Check your city or county website for local events that might impact traffic flow to the open house.

Pick a location. If your home is large enough to accomadate the expected crowds, then have it at your house. If the season is one that makes an outdoor event viable, consider having it on your front yard or lawn. Be sure to check with your local city or county zoning or permit department to ensure you'll have the proper paperwork filed for having such an event at your home. If your home is not an acceptable location, consider asking a local business if you could hold an open house at their location in exchange for cross-promoting their services or products.

Choose your merchandise. If you're holding the open house around Christmas, you might want to have a holiday theme or at least have products that could be used for Christmas gifts or decorations. Make sure you have a wide variety of products and price points for all shopping budgets and tastes.

Figure out payment methods. Decide if you want to accept cash, checks and/or credit cards. Some companies like Square offer an easy way to process credit card payments for a low fee without the costly transcation equipment. Make sure you factor in sales tax collection, if applicable to your state.

Schedule help. You'll need someone to assist you in running or setting up your open house, so enlist the help of friends and family. Be sure to have a thank-you gift for those who help with their time if you're not paying them outright.

Advertise your open house. Don't forget to let people know about your open house through email marketing, mailed postcards and signage along busy roads and at your house. Make sure you comply with any zoning requirements for signs.

With a little planning, an open house can be just the ticket to marketing your business.

Until next time,

Sarah