Step 5: Getting Ready To Open
You’ve built your shop — now it’s time to bring it to life 🎉
You’ve made it through budgets, leases, design and builders — and now you’re standing in a real-life shop that’s nearly ready to open. Take a breath and give yourself a second to actually take that in.
These last few weeks before opening are often the most intense — not because the work is harder, but because everything starts happening at once. Stock arrives, staff get hired, inspections are due, and you’re juggling checklists while trying to remember what day it is.
This step is here to help you stay calm, focused, and on track — without getting caught in the chaos.
By the end of this step, you’ll:
– Know what final tasks to tick off before opening
– Understand who you need to notify or get signoff from
– Feel confident in your launch plan — even if it’s a simple soft opening
What This Step Is (and Isn’t)
This isn’t a full launch plan, marketing strategy or HR handbook — it’s a simple guide to the final few steps you need to get your doors open legally, safely, and sanely.
If you’re feeling a bit wobbly at this stage, you’re not alone. Every shop owner gets tired and overwhelmed right before opening. You’ve done the hard part — now we’ll walk through the last few metres together.
Opening Day Prep: Don't forget to breath!
You’ve probably got a giant mental to-do list — and that’s normal. But get everything out of your head and onto paper or into a checklist so you can tick off as you go. Here are some of the essentials that should definitely be on your list:
Book any required final inspections — building, electrical, council, or certifier
Confirm that your utilities (electricity, water, internet, EFTPOS) are connected and functioning
Place your stock orders — and check expected delivery dates
Unpack and set up your point-of-sale system, EFTPOS, or payment app
Do a test run of lighting, music, security, and any other tech
Make sure your insurance is active before you start trading
Opening day will be a blur — don’t leave essentials like insurance or EFTPOS till the night before. If in doubt, set a reminder now.
There are a few key people or organisations you may need to notify before you open the doors, just so you don’t have any unnecessary drama (no-one needs that!):
Your landlord – they may have an approval process, and may help promote your opening
Your council, if you require final approval to occupy or operate
Your shopping centre management, if applicable
Any required licensing bodies (especially for food or alcohol sales)
Your building certifier / surveyor, if there’s still paperwork to close out
Your insurance broker, to confirm your policy is active and accurate
You don’t need to send out press releases — just make sure the right boxes are ticked so you’re covered from day one.
Don’t assume someone else has told council or your landlord you’re ready to trade. A quick email can save a big delay.
Short answer? Whenever you’re ready. You don’t need to host a red-carpet event or cut a ribbon in front of the mayor. A soft opening is perfectly fine — and in many cases, preferable.
Start small:
Invite friends, family and locals for a test day
Offer a quiet “preview” before promoting on socials
Treat your first week as a live rehearsal — refine things as you go
When you’re ready for something bigger, you can plan a proper launch — but don’t let the pressure of a “grand opening” stall your momentum.
Plenty of successful retailers never held a launch party — they just opened the doors and got on with the job.
Final Words: You Actually Did It
Let’s just take a moment: You opened a shop.
You dealt with leases, design, builders, budgets, quotes, checklists and chaos — and you got through it.
Now you get to run your business. You’ll keep tweaking and learning as you go, but the hardest part is behind you.
If you need a hand, I’m always here. But for now?
Put the kettle on. You’ve earned it.