The CBD industry is growing by leaps and bounds as consumers of all ages and backgrounds come to realize the potential benefits of these products. As a result, more and more would-be CBD entrepreneurs are setting up shop. 

Your challenge is to figure out how to set your store apart in your local area so that you can be your community’s go-to spot for CBD edibles, topicals and tinctures.

1. Optimize your infrastructure.

If you want to attract and keep customers for the long haul, the foundation of your business operations must be rock-solid. That means a well-trained staff, a reasonable amount of capital and available cash, the proper licenses and permits, excellent products, and a clear business plan.

Equally important, you need to partner with a CBD payment provider with experience in the industry. This company will ensure that all payments are dealt with efficiently and securely from start to finish in compliance with payment card industry standards. 

Although your CBD store will be placed in the “high-risk business” category and you can expect to pay higher fees and undergo additional scrutiny when applying, you will find that partnering with a top-shelf CBD provider can benefit your business in numerous ways.

2. Get the word out.

If the people in your community don’t know your store has arrived on the scene, how can they possibly become your customers? 

Creating a buzz and inspiring people to take the time to stop by and see what you have to offer should be at the top of your priority list.

Social media is a great vehicle for grabbing attention, prompting conversations, and calling people to action. Set up your own pages on popular forums such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, providing textual and visual content that sparks customer engagement. 

Make it fun by posting polls and contests, and provide tangible incentives to customers who visit your shop for the first time. These could be in the form of discount coupons or free samples of one of your tinctures or salves.

3. Become findable on local search sites.

When people want to buy a CBD product, they will do what most other people do these days: go online and search the area to find out the locations of the closest shops. As soon as this happens, you want yours to be visible for all to see. 

Therefore, set up pages on Bing, Yelp, Google My Business, Foursquare, Yellow pages, EZlocal, and any other sites that are popular in your area. 

Then be sure to keep your pages updated with current business hours, location data, and any promotions you are featuring.

4. Collaborate with other businesses.

The possibilities for partnering with existing businesses are virtually endless for CBD shop owners. After all, your merchandise is sought-after by nearly every demographic and for numerous reasons. 

Just a few examples include senior citizens looking for alternative pain management solutions, those interested in holistic interventions, pet owners, athletes, and even busy professionals seeking stress relief.

Take some time to brainstorm about what types of businesses already serve customers who might also want to learn about CBD. 

Chiropractic and physical therapy offices, nutrition centers, senior living spaces, fitness centers, and holistic health providers are just a few of the business categories to explore. Then meet with the owners to see if you could collaborate with them during an event. 

You could even open a small store within one of their facilities.

From farmer’s markets to doctor’s offices and everything in between, the opportunities to market your CBD store locally are endless. 

With some careful research and some healthy doses of determination and persistence, you can make your CBD store into a household word in your community.