Opening Ceremonies Your company's grand opening could be your best marketing plan.

Considering everything that's involved in getting yourbusiness off the ground, you may be tempted to treat your openingas a minor detail, but an effective opening is an important part ofyour marketing plan. "Planning an opening is no different fromplanning a business," says Cindy Kurman, president of Kurman CommunicationsInc., a PR firm based in Chicago. She offers these tips:

• Budget for the opening. Decide what you're going todo, figure out how much it will cost, and include those expenses inyour first-year marketing budget.

• Plan ahead. Kurman says it's not unreasonable toplan as far as a year ahead, especially for a splashy event withVIPs and celebrities.

• Know who you're trying to reach. Your company'sgrand opening needs to target not only your customer groups butyour suppliers, the media and possibly other audiences.

• Figure out staffing and create a timeline. Decidewho's responsible for what, and when it needs to happen.

• Keep good records. Track what you do and what you spend.Make checklists so nothing gets forgotten or overlooked.

• Consider a soft opening. Begin your operation before thegrand opening to work out the kinks and make sure your employeesare trained and know what to do.

• Make your event(s) appropriate. Make your grand openingcompatible with your business. "Don't just give a party-dothings that make sense for the business," says Kurman."Make sure the person who's attracted to your event is theperson who you want patronizing your business."

One of Kurman's clients is Tru, a four-star restaurant inChicago. Pastry chef/co-owner Gale Gand, 43, opted for somethingdifferent. "We gave small dinners and private showings withpersonal tours [to prospective customers]," Gand says."We didn't feel [a big party] reflected the soul of therestaurant." The strategy worked: Tru has become one ofChicago's most popular fine dining establishments.