Open houses are great forums in which to showcase your business
. Whether you are trying to get a new business off the ground or breath some new life into your existing business there is no friendlier way to accomplish this then by inviting people in for a special after hours gathering.
You might consider that this event would be expensive but you may discover that doing this one time will be worth your money and time. There are many ways to have an open house just as there are many ways to have any party, so it could be a dessert event, a cocktail hour or a pot luck.
What is crucial to this whole thing is realizing that you are going to be promoting your business with this gathering. A few ways to do this will be to send out some invitations imprinted with your business name and logo, introduce a new service or product while there, or maybe take those who attend on a behind the scenes tour.
You will want to make sure that you leave out some promotional goodies. Perhaps you will want a promotional banner that tells about the evening or perhaps you will choose to make up small promotional goodie bags with pens and post its and some literature about your business for guests to take back with them. You may even choose to order promotional napkins, table cloths or toasting glasses as a way to capture everyone's attention with your business logo.
It all comes down to bringing more focus to your company, so having this event is useful for getting more business, by way of contacts and more referrals. It takes time to throw this type of event but it's worth it for the exposure your company will receive. Giving out the promotional goodies and it doesn't have to be a lot, will also give more exposure. It can be done many times as you change venues, focus and groups as a way to keep interest in your company.