A PR Checklist for Opening a New Clinic, School or Shop in Guwahati

You can build the best clinic, school or shop in the neighbourhood and still open to an empty room, because nobody knew. A launch needs a plan for telling people.

This checklist covers the four weeks before opening, the opening week and the weeks after. It works for a clinic, a coaching centre, a restaurant, a salon or a shop.

In this guide

• Start with one fact sheet
• Four weeks before
• Two weeks before
• Opening week
• After the opening
• Mistakes to avoid
• Frequently asked questions

Start with one fact sheet

Put the basic facts in one document and use it for everything else: the name, address and opening date, the hours, what is new, who runs it (names and designations), a short description, and one phone or WhatsApp number for enquiries. Every post, note and listing will then say the same thing.

Four weeks before

• Choose your story. What is new for the area? The first of its kind in the locality, a new facility, or the founder’s reason for starting. One clear line is enough.
• Prepare your assets. A logo, clear photos of the place once it is ready, portraits of the founder, doctors or teachers with their consent, and the fact sheet.
• Set up your Google Business Profile. Verification can take time, so start early. Add your hours, photos and phone number. Set up Bing Places too.
• Do not announce too early. Confirm that your licences and permissions are in place before you tell the public.

Two weeks before

• Write the press note. Our guide on how to write a press release has a free template.
• Choose where to send it. Our guide on getting featured in Assam’s newspapers explains how to find the right desks.
• Invite people. Journalists, neighbours and community figures, with a clear time and a reason to come.
• Warm up your own channels. Tell your WhatsApp contacts and your social followers the date and the place.

Opening week

• Send the press note a day before or on the day. Late notes lose their news value.
• Arrange someone to take clear photos, and note the names of the people in them.
• Keep one person free to answer calls and WhatsApp messages from the media.
• Keep the opening simple and welcoming. A crowded, well-photographed small event is better than an empty large one.
• Post on your own channels and update your Google Business Profile with a photo.

After the opening

• Follow up once with the newsrooms, then thank those who covered you.
• Save the links and clippings, and add them to your website.
• Ask early customers for honest Google reviews. Never pay for them.
• Publish a short “We have opened” page or post on your website, with photos and details.
• Plan the second story: a milestone, a community event or an expert tip.

Mistakes to avoid

• Announcing before everything is ready.
• Photos of a banner instead of people.
• No named person for the media to call.
• Ignoring Assamese-language outlets when your customers read them.
• Forgetting the Google profile, which is where many people will look first.
• Paying for coverage without asking whether it will be labelled as sponsored.

Want help with the launch? See our corporate and startup PR service.

Frequently asked questions