Shop Opening Schedule for Beginners: Backward-Plan Venue, Permits, Fit-Out, Stock & Promo by Month

Business & Strategy

Shop Opening Schedule for Beginners: Backward-Plan Venue, Permits, Fit-Out, Stock & Promo by Month

This beginner template helps first-time cafe or shop owners work backward from opening day to schedule venue, permits, fit-out, stock, hiring, and promotion by month. The whiteboard has four pages - page 1 sets the date and goal with 5W1H, page 2 maps the path and prep by area, page 3 sorts tasks by urgency and schedules deadlines, and page 4 tracks weekly progress to the day-before check. The task board has four columns - Not Started, In Progress, Checking/Consulting, and Done - with one parent task per page and three subtasks each. The hardest part is knowing where to start. This board fixes the opening date first, then schedules whatever would delay it - like finding a space or a health check - ahead of everything else. It covers the sequence of steps, not paperwork - permit rules vary by region and business, so confirm with the contacts noted on the board. Every note and cell already has an e.g. example, so you just swap in your shop's details to get started.

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① Start Here (Opening Date, Goal, Tim... ③ Do This (must-haves for opening day) ④ Skip This (for now) ⑤ Decide Later (add a decision date) ⑥ The Big Picture to Opening (from ①'... ⑦ Prep by Area (broken out along ⑥'s ... ⑧ Easy-to-Miss Prep (add anything tha... ⑨ Importance × Urgency Matrix (place ... Plan it (important, not urgent) Do now (important, urgent) Skip (not important, not urgent) Delegate (not important, urgent) ⑩ Backward Schedule (place ⑨'s do-now... ⑪ Weekly Progress (copy this month's ... ⑫ Decided ⑬ Problems ⑭ Contacts & Questions ⑮ Day-Before Check (mark each one off... Shop Opening Prep... How to use (4 pag... Goal & decisions Deadlines & s... Delays & prob... Misses & insi... 1/4 Decide the shop c... Ctrl+F / ⌘F : 2/4... → 2/4 2/4 Map out all the prep ↙ 3/4 Opening date (decide this first)e.g. April 1, 2027 Your goal for openinge.g. A small cafe near the station open from 7 a.m., serving breakfast to commuters Time you can give to prepe.g. Two hours on weeknights and weekends. Quitting my current job two months before opening ② 5W1H Analysis: ... The Shop What e.g. house-roasted coffee and fresh bread Why e.g. few options for breakfast near the station Who e.g. one owner plus one morning part-timer When e.g. weekdays and Saturdays, 7 a.m.–3 p.m. Closed Sundays Where e.g. a 3-minute walk from the station, about 30 sqm on the ground floor How e.g. mostly takeaway, with 8 seats e.g. Offer three breakfast sets e.g. Prepare takeaway containers and bags Write what ② decided that's essential for opening day e.g. Evening service and alcohol e.g. Delivery If unsure, write "skip for the first 3 months" and drop it from prep e.g. Whether to serve lunch (decide 1 month after opening) e.g. Logo color (once the fit-out colors are set) Decide by: __/__ - add this to the edge of the note 1. VenueFind and sign a lease for your spacee.g. sign 6 months ahead 2. PermitsConfirm the required licenses and filings with your contactse.g. talk to the health department before construction 3. Fit-outGet quotes and carry out the constructione.g. work takes 1-2 months 4. Stock & hiringChoose suppliers and prices, and recruit staffe.g. test recipes and train part-timers 5. PromotionAnnounce your opening date and locatione.g. post weekly starting 1 month ahead 6. OpeningRun a practice service the week before you opene.g. invite friends for one trial run What to prepare Who to ask Roughly how long Venue & fit-out e.g. Find and sign for a space, then get fit-out quotes e.g. Real estate agent, fit-out contractor e.g. 2-3 months to find a space, 1-2 months to build Permits e.g. Business opening notice; a health permit too if serving food e.g. Tax office, health department (before construction) e.g. Allow about a month from consultation to permit Stock e.g. Choose suppliers, test recipes, and set prices e.g. Wholesalers, a peer in the same trade e.g. 1-2 months Hiring e.g. Hire one part-timer and train them before opening e.g. Job sites, the local employment office e.g. About a month from posting to training Promotion e.g. List the shop on map apps and announce it on social media e.g. Chamber of commerce help desk e.g. Starting 1 month before opening Permit types and deadlines vary by region and businesse.g. confirm with the health department, fire department, and tax office before construction Construction and deliveries can run latee.g. fit-out materials arrived late and pushed construction back 2 weeks. Build in a 2-week buffer Schedule a practice run before openinge.g. one trial service with friends the week beforeAdd: ____ 3/4 Set deadlines bac... → 4/4 4/4 Work through it w... 縦軸: Importance (t... Prep that would push back opening if delayed, but isn't due yet. e.g. fit-out construction, hiring. Set a deadline for it on ⑩'s schedule. Prep that pushes back opening and is due soon. e.g. signing the lease, an early chat with the health department. Put it at the top of ⑩. Prep you won't miss on opening day. e.g. plans for a second shop. Move it to ④'s skip list. Due soon but doesn't have to be you. e.g. printing shop cards. Ask a vendor or family member and note who's covering it on ⑩. To-do Deadline Owner 6 months out e.g. Decide on a space and sign the lease e.g. By Oct 1 (6 months before ①'s Apr 1) e.g. Owner 4-5 months out e.g. Get fit-out quotes and talk to the health department early e.g. By Nov 30 e.g. Owner 2-3 months out e.g. Move fit-out forward and settle suppliers and prices e.g. By Jan 31 e.g. Owner, fit-out contractor 1 month out e.g. Pass the permit inspection, start training staff and promoting e.g. By Mar 1 e.g. Owner, part-timer Final week e.g. Take delivery of stock and run a practice service e.g. By Mar 31 (the day before opening) e.g. Owner, part-timer Plan Done Delay Fix Week 1 e.g. Meet with the fit-out contractor e.g. Wall and floor colors are decided e.g. The lighting quote hasn't arrived yet e.g. Call to follow up by Friday Week 2 e.g. Show the floor plan to the health department e.g. Consultation done; told to fix the number of sinks e.g. Revising the plan pushes construction start back 3 days e.g. Revisit the construction deadline on ⑩ Week 3 Write this week's plan in one line Write what got done by the end of the week Write what fell behind and by how many days Write what you'll do to catch up, as an action Week 4 e.g. Opening date confirmed for April 1, 2027 e.g. Chose two suppliers Add the date it was decided (e.g. __/__) Rewrite ③-⑤ too once something is decided e.g. Fit-out cost is coming in higher than quoted e.g. No applicants for the part-time job yet Write what you can't solve on your own Flag it red if it threatens opening day e.g. Fit-out contractor: how to cut costs e.g. Employment office: how to post the part-time listing Write one person to ask for each problem on ⑬ Asked on: __/__ Are all the required permits and filings in place?Confirmed: ____ Are stock, change, and containers ready, and are fixes from the practice run done?Confirmed: ____ Does everyone helping know their role and the opening time?Confirmed: ____ → 2/4 Map out all the prep ↙ 3/4 Set deadlines bac... → 4/4 Work through it w...
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Task board contents

Not Started 16 items

Decide shop concept
Map out the prep
Plan backward dates
Work week by week
Write date and goal
Define shop via 5W1H
Sort do vs. skip
Order steps to open
Write prep by area
Check missed prep
Sort by priority
Fill the schedule
Confirm deadlines
Copy week's plan
Log delays and fixes
Day-before check

In Progress 0 items

Checking/Consulting 0 items

Done 0 items

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