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📞 Quick Reference

Everything you need at a glance

📅 Key Dates

🎯 Grand Opening Weekend
Friday, Nov 28, 2025 - VIP Soft Opening (4-7pm)
Saturday, Nov 29, 2025 - Grand Opening (10am-6pm) SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY
Date Event Priority
Nov 3 (Sun) Email #1: "We're Almost Ready!" sent Done
Nov 10 (Sun) Email #2: "Meet Your Book Experts" Week 1
Nov 17 (Sun) Email #3: "Sneak Peek Inside" Week 2
Nov 21 (Thu) Pre-orders go live (optional) Week 3
Nov 24 (Sun) Email #4: "This Week is the Week!" Week 3
Nov 27 (Thu) Thanksgiving - Store closed
Nov 28 (Fri) VIP Soft Opening (4-7pm) Week 4
Nov 29 (Sat) GRAND OPENING (10am-6pm) Week 4
Nov 30 (Sun) Email #5: "Thank You!" recap Week 4

📬 Contact Information

Store Address
15729 Madison Ave
Lakewood, OH 44107
Email
thewanderinglanterncle@gmail.com
Instagram
@thewanderinglanterncle
Website
thewanderinglanterncle.com

📰 Media Contacts

Cleveland.com / Plain Dealer
metro@cleveland.com
Scene Magazine
info@clevescene.com
West Life / Sun Post Herald
editor@westlifenews.com
WKYC (Channel 3)
news@wkyc.com
Ideastream / WKSU
news@ideastream.org

🔗 Quick Links & Tools

Mailchimp Dashboard
Login to Mailchimp
Instagram Scheduler
Meta Business Suite
Image Optimizer
Squoosh.app (WebP converter)
GitHub Pages (Website)
GitHub Repository

📧 Email Campaign Info

Current Subscribers
100+
Send Schedule
Sundays, 6-8pm
Total Emails
5 emails (1 sent, 4 remaining)
Platform
Mailchimp

✅ Grand Opening Day Checklist

Before Opening (9am)

  • Unlock door, turn on lights
  • Start background music
  • Check register has cash/change
  • Put out sandwich board sign
  • Start coffee/tea station
  • Set out cookies/treats
  • Test Square reader
  • Post "We're OPEN!" on Instagram

During Opening

  • Greet every customer warmly
  • Take photos/videos for social
  • Collect email signups
  • Hand out business cards
  • Note best-selling books
  • Capture testimonials/reactions
  • Thank everyone for coming

After Closing (6pm+)

  • Count cash/receipts
  • Note inventory sold
  • Upload photos to Instagram
  • Thank VIPs personally
  • Write notes for tomorrow
  • Celebrate! You did it! 🎉

💬 Your Story - Key Talking Points

What makes you unique:

  • Cleveland's FIRST & ONLY independent children's bookstore
  • Emily's expertise: former teacher + mom of 4
  • Every book is hand-selected and age-appropriate
  • Opening on Small Business Saturday (perfect timing!)
  • Focus on diverse, inclusive stories
  • Community gathering space, not just a store
  • Supporting literacy and a love of reading

Your elevator pitch (30 seconds):

"We're The Wandering Lantern, Cleveland's first and only independent children's bookstore. I'm a former teacher and mom of four, and I hand-select every book to make sure it's age-appropriate, engaging, and celebrates diverse voices. We're more than a bookstore - we're a community space where kids discover the magic of reading. We open November 29th on Small Business Saturday in Lakewood!"

🚨 Emergency Contacts

Square Support
1-855-700-6000
Landlord
[Add contact info]
Tech Support (Website)
[Add contact info]

📊 Opening Weekend Goals

Customer Visits
Target: 100-150
Sales Target
$2,000-3,000
Email Signups
Target: 30-50 new
Social Media Posts
10-15 stories/posts