With the rise in legal marijuana across the U.S., there has been an explosion of business opportunities for medical marijuana entrepreneurs. New legal cannabis businesses are opening every day across the nation, including (though not limited to) dispensaries. These legal cannabis retail businesses are the public face of medical marijuana, as they’re where the layman comes for their cannabis needs. As the leaders in a growing industry, dispensaries need to be professional and attractive to new customers. It can be hard to make sure your legal cannabis dispensary stands out from the growing crowd, but it’s possible. Here are some tips for making your medical marijuana dispensary the best it can be.
Branding: Focus on Wellness
Cannabis and cannabis products aren’t just another way to get wasted, but a natural way to manage chronic conditions and improve health. To stand apart from counterculture and remain professional, you want to highlight the medical benefits of cannabis. When branding your medical marijuana dispensary, focus on this health and wellness aspect, and you’ll draw customers who may be new to cannabis and uncomfortable with the counterculture. Position your cannabis products as the medical solutions they are by branding yourself using health and wellness images and terminology. Your customers are your patients, and your products are medical solutions. At your physical store, offer seminars on the health benefits of cannabis or other wellness services like acupuncture or yoga classes.
Location: Open and Airy
You don’t want your dispensary looking like a dingy liquor store or an old fashioned hippie “head shop.” To create a clean and inviting retail environment, you need to choose a location that is large enough to let your customers move efficiently through the space. If you offer several different types of products such as raw cannabis, edibles, topical cannabis products, as well as smoking devices, you will need a location that’s large enough to accommodate areas for these different product lines. Some local laws also require a foyer for security, so that space should be considered as well. Even if you can’t have large windows to let in light, invest in high-quality lighting to make your retail space seem more spacious and comfortable. Offer your customers comfort by including seating options.
Customer Service: In Person and Online
At the end of the day, a medical marijuana dispensary is a retail business. It’s a unique retail business serving a specific market, but it still requires top notch customer service. The argument could even be made that the cannabis industry requires higher quality customer service because many customers need education on the product before they can buy with confidence. Set yourself apart from other cannabis dispensaries by offering friendly, knowledgeable customer service. This means hiring the best budtenders and customer service representatives for your store, so vet resumes thoroughly. You can even offer training seminars on medical marijuana topics to keep your employees up to speed. Remember, you need this personal touch both in your brick and mortar store and also on your website. Even if you don’t have an e-commerce store, you need to be available to your customers via email, social media, and online. Consider hiring a web developer or social media manager to offer high-quality customer service online.
Security: High-End and High Tech
While medical marijuana is gaining traction as a safe and legal treatment for many conditions, the fact remains that cannabis has been associated with crime for decades. To set your customers at ease as well as protect your investment, you need top security features like a secure entryway, keyed locks and entry, security lights, and closed-circuit cameras. You can always hire a security service to monitor your store, but there are also DIY options like physical barriers or new wireless security systems. While you may not want to have security bars on your doors and windows, there are relatively cost-effective security measures made for private homes that can also work for your business. Look for wireless communicating security devices such as cameras, door locks, and window sensors. There are systems available at home improvement stores or even online that will create a wireless security network that you can control remotely from a computer or even a tablet or smartphone.
Product: High Quality and Cutting Edge
All the slick branding and quality customer service in the world won’t help you if you don’t offer quality medical marijuana products. You need to know who produces high-quality raw cannabis strains, as well as what the newest oil, topical, or edible cannabis products are today. Follow industry publications or even attend industry events such as 420 festivals to learn which companies and growers are producing the best cannabis products. Stay informed about advancements in medical marijuana and explore innovative products such as CBD oils. New oil blends targeted to different conditions are being developed every day. Customer feedback is also essential, so pay attention to your medical marijuana patients’ needs and concerns. Offer surveys at your store, on your website, and in your email marketing campaigns to gauge what kind of cannabis products your patients are looking for. When you know what your customers need, you can find and stock innovative products that will help ease their pain and improve their lives.
Product Presentation: the Best in Cannabis Packaging
Just like location and branding, how you present your cannabis products can make or break your medical marijuana dispensary. You want packaging that looks professional because you need to emphasize that you’re selling a legal medical product. You also need your packaging to protect delicate plant material from moisture as well as preserve the unique scents and tastes of high-quality cannabis strains. Packaging for edibles also needs to be sanitary and attractive, as well as familiar to customers from similar products like coffee or tea. You can find cannabis product packaging that meets all these needs at greenrushpackaging.com. The experts at Green Rush Packaging have created new cannabis specific packaging to help make your dispensary successful by showing off your products.
