How to promote a new shop: 6 preparations to finish before the shutter goes up
How to promote a new shop starts before the shutter goes up, with six preparations: the sign, your name on Google, a phone and WhatsApp line, a photo set, announcement texts and a tracking notebook for opening week. Once all six are done, your shop shows the same name on the street and on a phone screen.
Two rules slip past most shop owners in Türkiye. The first is tax: under Municipal Revenues Law No. 2464, an unlit sign of no more than half a square metre that shows only your name and trade is exempt from advertising tax. The second is Google: your business name on the map must match the name on your sign, and adding a slogan or district goes against Google’s guidelines.
Which 6 preparations come before opening day?
Four of the six happen in the 30 days before opening and two in the final week. The sign takes longest, because production and the municipal process take time; the phone line takes an afternoon. The timings below are our suggested starting points.
| Preparation | Start | Time | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Sign and window | 30 days before opening | Depends on the maker and the municipality | Scaled drawing, municipal application |
| 2. Name and profile on Google | 30 days before | Verification can take a few days | Name on the sign, full address |
| 3. Phone and WhatsApp line | 21 days before | 1 day | One number for the shop |
| 4. Photo set | 14 days before | Half a day | A 10-shot list |
| 5. Announcement texts | 7 days before | 2 hours | What, where, when, one action |
| 6. Tracking notebook | 1 day before | 30 minutes | A “How did you hear about us?” column |
Preparation 1: What permit and tax apply to the sign?
The sign is the shop’s first advert, and it is a municipal matter. Before you hang it, apply to the relevant municipal unit with the size and a visual. On tax, the law is clear: an unlit sign up to half a square metre that shows only your name and trade is exempt. A lit or larger sign is subject to advertising tax, set by the municipality’s tariff.
Preparations 2 and 3: How do you set up the map name and phone line?
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- Copy the name from the sign
- Start verification early
- One number, two apps
Your business name on Google must match the name on your sign exactly. Under Google’s guidelines, the name reflects the real-world name used on your storefront and paperwork. A slogan such as “open 24/7”, a district name or a phone number is not added to the name. The phone line runs on one number, written the same way everywhere.
Copy the name from the sign
If the sign says “Yıldız Bakery”, the map does not say “Yıldız Bakery Beylikdüzü Freshest Bread”. A name that breaks the rules can get your profile suspended.
Start verification early
Business Profile verification depends on Google and can take a few days. Apply as soon as the sign is up; some verification methods ask to see it.
One number, two apps
Set up WhatsApp Business on the shop’s number, not your personal one, and use it on the window, profile and posters. Three numbers make customers ask which to call.
Preparations 4 and 5: Why prepare photos and announcements early?
Opening week is a shop owner’s busiest, with no time for photos or writing, so both are finished beforehand. A ten-photo list and a four-fact announcement feed every channel through week one. On opening day you only press share.
The ten-photo list
Front by day, front by evening, sign close-up, entrance, interior overview, counter or shelf, two products, the team, and the surroundings or parking. Shoot each once in landscape and once in portrait, since the profile, Instagram and WhatsApp want different shapes.
Announcement texts
A poster, a notice, a profile post and a message each need a different length. You can take ready templates for six channels from how to write an opening announcement and fill them in.
Preparation 6: How do you measure opening week?
In opening week, ask every customer “How did you hear about us?” and write the answer in its own column. Sign, map, social media, a neighbour’s tip and flyers are counted separately. After a week you know which preparation brought customers by number, not by guess.
Neighbourhood channels
Neighbouring shops, building notice boards and the local headman’s office are the cheapest channels in week one. How to use each touchpoint is in promoting a new business locally, with a Beylikdüzü example.
If customers are not coming in
If the notebook is empty in week one, check the columns before you panic. Causes and fixes are in new shop, no customers.
Who sets up the digital part of the six preparations?
The sign and photos are yours; the map profile, phone line, website and accounts can be set up in one go. Adapte’s Start a Business Online campaign works on the idea of “open online before you open the shop”. For a fixed TRY 36,000 + VAT it builds these pieces together and gives you the delivery schedule in writing.
Quota, deadline and total
The quota is 12 businesses and the application deadline is 1 November 2026. With 20 percent VAT the total is TRY 43,200; check the current rate on your invoice. If you have the 10 percent coupon, just mention the code when you apply or in the meeting.
Final checklist before the shutter goes up
The day before opening, tick off these six items. If one is missing, do not delay the opening; make it the first job of week one. The list is short because the real work happens earlier.
- The sign is up, and the municipal application and tax position are clear.
- The Google name matches the sign letter for letter.
- Phone and WhatsApp use one number, written the same everywhere.
- Ten photos are taken and uploaded to the profile and accounts.
- Announcement texts are ready for three waves.
- The “How did you hear about us?” column is open at the till.
Quick Summary
- Promoting a new shop starts 30 days before opening, with the sign.
- An unlit name sign up to half a square metre is exempt from advertising tax.
- The Google business name matches the sign, with no slogan added.
- Phone and WhatsApp share one number.
- Ten photos and the announcement texts are ready before opening.
- Opening week is measured with a “How did you hear about us?” column.
Short Glossary
Advertising tax: Advertising tax is the tax paid to the municipality for signs, boards and similar adverts within municipal limits in Türkiye.
Profile verification: Profile verification is the step Google uses to confirm that a business really is at its stated address.
Tracking notebook: A tracking notebook is a simple page used to record where each customer heard about the shop.
Next Step
You hang the sign; we set up the digital side together. Apply for the Start a Business Online campaign, get a name and plan suggestion, and hold your place in the 12-business quota.
Frequently Asked Questions
Source: Google Business Profile Help — Guidelines for representing your business on Google
Sık Sorulan Sorular
Your Google name, social handles and announcement name are all copied from the sign. Change the sign and you change five places.
The 90-day plan before and after opening is in the new business promotion guide. These six preparations focus only on the shop’s last 30 days.
Usually a scaled drawing and your premises details. The list varies, so call the unit and ask for it in writing.
Your name and trade in two words, “Yıldız Bakery”, readable from across the street at night. The phone number belongs on the window, not the sign.
Common mistake: ordering a large, lit sign without budgeting for the tax. Before you give the maker the size, ask the municipality whether that size and lighting trigger tax, and note the answer.
A domain and 1 year of hosting (the domain in your name), a corporate site with 6 main and 12 sub pages, 108 articles, 3 social media accounts, a Google Business Profile, WhatsApp Business, and area and demand tracking via GA4 and Search Console. Details are on the Start a Business Online campaign page. For founders, see how to promote a new company.
An unlit sign of up to half a square metre that shows only your name and trade is exempt from advertising tax under Law No. 2464. A lit or larger sign is taxed; ask your municipality for the amount.
No. Under Google’s guidelines the business name reflects the real name on your storefront and paperwork. Adding a slogan, district or phone number breaks the rules.
Yes. Without a shop you appear with a service area. The campaign is for people opening a shop, store or branch, setting up a workshop, or starting an online business; the price is a fixed TRY 36,000 + VAT.
Updated: October 2026