Starting A New York Dispensary - Part 3

Running Your Dispensary: Daily Operations

Now let’s dive into what you’ll need to know to manage all the moving parts inside the four walls of your dispensary. There are a number of things to consider to ensure you’re setting yourself up for success from the start which include, software selections, hiring your staff, selecting the products you’re going to carry, and maintaining compliance. Let’s break these down.

Software Selections:

POS

The cannabis industry is unique and requires systems and tools that are specifically designed to manage the intricacies and nuances that come along with it. A Point of Sale system is required for a successful  dispensary and this will help manage inventory and transactions, organize information for taxes, analyze consumer behaviors, as well as, and most importantly, keep your dispensary compliant with the state requirements. Selecting the right POS for you depends on the specific goals you have for your dispensary. To get you started, we’ve included a few of our partner links so you can dig in and request some demo’s. Blaze, COVA, Flowhub, and Leaf Logix just to name a few.  

Screens, Screens, Screens

The first time a customer enters a dispensary can often be nerve wracking and scary. What other retail store greets a customer with an armed security guard?! Setting the tone for you customer base the moment they enter the dispensary is key, and your friends at GreenScreens are here to help! Communicating and connecting with your customers is a critical component to building your business, and we start this journey before they ever enter the bud room. A waiting room screen is a great way to set customers at ease and start the buying process while they wait their turn to purchase. Load these screens with product information, store announcements, your loyalty system (sign up while you wait), and educational content. Nothing will help your customers and your staff more than educating your customers about what THC stands for, what the difference between Indica and Sativa is, what CBD is and so much more. The more information your customer has before entering the bud room will make for a pleasant and expedited experience for your staff and your customers, and you’ll increase your transaction count and revenue.  

Once your customer passes through the green gate into the budroom, the wave of feeling overwhelmed can often ensue once more. Luckily, your customer can seek solace with your trusty budroom TV’s. These screens showcase an integrated menu, which means the inventory on the screen is displayed in real-time and does not show inventory that is sold out or no longer available. In addition to the inventory, price, and dominance information, the screens also display content next to the menu to highlight announcements, promotions, and video clips for product related to the menu your customer is viewing. Your customer experiences a more streamlined process, takes up less of your staff’s time during the sales process with inquiries about product features and price, and you as the retailer increase your store pull-through and revenue potential.  

GreenScreens is much more than your menu board and content provider. We have implemented staff room screens which have enhanced the communication channels for managers and team members alike. With the revolving door of updates that take place for dispensaries, it’s critical to have clear communication to the team members who are responsible for executing the updates. Daily specials, discounts, the new loyalty system in place, new brands that are carried, new employees joining the team, employee of the month, products approaching expiration that needs to be moved, just to name a few. Greenscreens takes the ever changing nuances and tasks of running a dispensary and gives you visual awareness and control to help manage your day-to-day with ease.

Dispensary Marketing and Promotion

Marketing for a retail operation is a necessity, marketing for a cannabis retail operation is an art! Traditional platforms for marketing like Google and Facebook don’t allow for cannabis advertising. This doesn’t mean that you can’t use social media to promote your business, and it’s actually a lucrative outlet to gain exposure, you just have to go about it a bit less traditional. You can’t post pictures of cannabis on Facebook or Instagram…but you can on LinkedIn! You CAN post pictures of lifestyle that exemplify the brands messaging. Even in states where recreational cannabis is legal, there are strict regulations as to how a dispensary is allowed to market and promote themselves. Our fellow New York dispensaries should be mindful of the following advertising restrictions to ensure they are staying compliant, as the following advertisements are restricted:

• Depict cannabis consumption
• Promote overconsumption

• Appeals to the youth or anyone under the age of 21
• Advertisements must be 500 feet away from public schools or daycares

GreenScreens has your answer to the most effective way to engage with your target audience and dive traffic to your location. Our partner and friends at Range Marketing have you covered when it comes to full service digital marketing. Whether analysis and goal setting, web design, search engine marketing, e-commerce and payments, content and social media or realtime dashboards, they are your go to.  

Additionally, if you’re looking for graphic design, branding and logo designs, SEO, email marketing, marijuana packaging design , video production and animation and web development, our friends at Puf Creative have you covered.  

Conclusion:

I know we’ve given you quite a bit to digest in this blog post. That being said, opening a dispensary in New York can be worth it as the cannabis industry is rapidly growing and the opportunity in a market like New York is a once in a lifetime!

GreenScreens is here to set you up for success in all aspects of the process. Our integration stack is at a staggering 21, our strategic partnerships in the arena of loyalty, marketing, POS, brands and e-commerce are sure to steer you in the right direction. Not to mention you’ll be at a major advantage by implementing GreenScreens integrated menu boards which will elevate not only your consumer experience, but your staff experience to new heights. We strive to build value across our screen network and are looking forward to our newest product release early 2022 that will finally unify the Cannabis retail experience.

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