How to throw a launch party for a new business

A launch party can be a great way to introduce your brand to the public and earn your first customers when starting a new business. It’s an opportunity for face-to-face engagement that can grow your audience. But if you don’t know how to throw a launch party for a new business, it may seem like a big undertaking. Luckily, we’re here to help. 

This guide will cover how to throw a launch party for a new business, including: 

• What you’ll need for a successful launch party
• How to plan the details of your event  
• How to market your event for success

Knowing how to throw a launch party for a new business requires advanced planning. You can prepare for success if you outline what you’ll need and what you want out of the event. 

One of the most important things to do is to plan your event well in advance. If you try to put together a new business launch party in just a few weeks, the result may look disorganised or unprofessional. Instead, you may want to give yourself six months or more to put together a memorable launch party. Plus, planning ahead will help you give guests enough notice to put the event on their calendars. 

It may seem obvious that a launch party’s purpose is to introduce your business to the public. But think about what you want to get out of this event. Establish a few measurable and realistic goals. For example, maybe you want to sign 100 people up to your newsletter email list. Or you may want to sell a certain number of products. This way, you can plan your event around these goals and measure their success. 

Next, determine your new business’s target audience to know who to invite to your event. Say you plan a launch party for your chocolate shop. You may want to target the event to foodies by posting fliers in local cafes. But if your chocolates aren’t vegan, they may not be worth advertising in vegan cafes. Knowing who to focus on for your audience will help you draw the right people that will lead to sales.   

Why should people come to your event? Unless you offer something exciting or alluring, people may not take time out of their day to show up to your launch party. Incentives could be discounts, free samples, raffles. You could also offer entertainment, like live music. 

These perks will draw in people, allowing you to create buzz around your new business. 

It’s crucial to decide how much you want to spend on your launch party. A budget is especially important since you just started your business and haven’t earned a profit. A successful launch party can lead to a strong start, but spending too much can hurt your business instead. 

To outline your budget, start by asking for quotes from vendors to get a better picture. Also, consider what you could do yourself. For example, you might hold the event in your shop instead of renting a venue. Or you may do your own marketing or event planning rather than hiring someone else.   

Once you have a good idea of what you want your event to look like and what you’ll need, you can start mapping out the details. 

Some things you’ll need to plan for include: 

• The venue or location 
• The date and time of the event 
• Food or drinks 
• Decorations
• Entertainment or activities 
• Marketing 

When planning for these things, consider researching other launch parties to see what works well. You can then find local vendors and caterers and compare prices to find the best options. 

You’ll also need to create a guest list. You’ll need a way to contact these guests, such as their address or email. Canva is a great tool for designing your own invitations or fliers. 

If you plan to offer an open invite, you can market the launch party on your social media channels. In this case, you may want to make an event listing on a platform like Eventbrite. This way, you’ll get an idea of attendance by how many people register for the event. 

Marketing is another essential part of how to throw a launch party for a new business. If you market effectively at this event, you could establish a positive reputation and increase your profitability. 

At the launch event, make sure your business is at the forefront. Design marketing materials specifically for the event, and make sure you have plenty of fliers, brochures, and business cards. You may also want to order a banner or two with your business logo and contact information. 

Post about the event on your social media accounts before, during, and after the event. Also, if you create photo opportunities and create a unique hashtag, you could encourage guests to share your event on social media and tag your business. Overall, take time to build a rapport with guests so they can get to know you and your business. 

Finally, follow up with guests after the event to thank them for coming and remind them what your business can offer. For example, you could send everyone on your email list a post-event run down, point them to your business website, and ask them to review you. With this continued dedication, you can get the most out of your launch party to set your new business up for success.  

Once your successful launch party brings in a stream of clients, you’ll have more money to manage for your new business. But, financial management can be stressful and time-consuming when you’re self-employed. That’s why thousands of business owners use the Countingup app to make their financial admin easier. 

Countingup is the business current account with built-in accounting software that allows you to manage all your financial data in one place. With features like automatic expense categorisation, invoicing on the go, receipt capture tools, tax estimates, and cash flow insights, you can confidently keep on top of your business finances wherever you are. 

You can also share your bookkeeping with your accountant instantly without worrying about duplication errors, data lags or inaccuracies. Seamless, simple, and straightforward! 

Find out more here.