We all know the importance of starting each day strong. The same goes for operating your dispensary. Ensuring that everything is in place for your sales to begin and your team to run efficiently is crucial. Smoother operations will increase the value of your dispensary and work towards growing your business. To help your dispensary start each day right, we’ve put together this handy daily opening dispensary checklist. 

Dispensary Daily Checklist Steps

Store Checklist

1: Do a Store Inspection

This is first for a reason. Security is a major issue for dispensaries and is the first thing that should be addressed. Check that everything is in place and no noticeable security problems can be seen. From there, here are some steps to follow:

• Inspect the exterior of the building
• Check windows and doors for signs of forced entry
• Deactivate alarm upon entry. Note if there are any alarm errors
• If necessary, review security footage 
• Keep your doors locked until business hours

2: Housekeeping

Once you’ve established that your store is secured and there are no issues from the prior night, you’ll need to prepare the store for opening. You’ll want to ensure that your dispensary is clean and inviting for your customers when they arrive. 

• Clean your windows
• Sweep of the sales floor 
• Keep an eye out for anything that may be considered a safety hazard (spilled liquids, fallen products, ceiling tiles, etc…)
• Clean your restrooms and waiting area

3: Turn on Electronics

Starting your electronics and appliances from the onset is crucial as it gives you time to ensure that everything is working and troubleshoot problems. Here are a few things to check:

• Lights
• HVAC
• Electronic displays
• TV and sound system
• Computers, tablets, and other hardware gadgets

Dispensary POS Checklist

Your POS (point of sale) is the heart of your operations. Once you’re finished with your initial preparations of your store, the next thing you need to do is to check your POS system.

1: Turn on Dispensary POS Equipment

Start your POS and make sure that it is booting correctly.

2: Launch Your Cannabis POS Software

Once the system is up, check that your POS is working correctly and that you can access your information.

3: Enter Daily Cash Flows

After confirming your cash float is accurate from the previous shift, insert the till into the register.

Merchandise Dispensary Checklist

Your merchandise is what’s bringing in your customers. Your products and displays have a direct impact on the success of your daily sales. Don’t expect that everything will be in place from the previous day.

1: Aesthetic Fixes

The aesthetics of your merchandise plays a huge role in your sales. Experiment with product layouts and place your most popular products front-and-center where customers can see them.

2:Audit Inventory

Confirm inventory quantities are accurate from the previous shift.

3: Restock 

Products run out quicker than you think. Restock each section of your store and make sure that there is enough product on the store-floor to handle the expected sales for the day. It’s best to limit your time restocking during operational hours.

Staffing Dispensary Checklist

No store is ready for the day without the team on board. Before you open is the best time to review any lingering issues and to ensure expectations are set. Here are a few important things to include on your dispensary checklist for staffing:

1: Review duties

As your store readies for the day, everyone should know exactly what their roles are and where they need to be. Even if staff are well trained in their daily tasks, it can be helpful to refresh what their daily duties are.

2: Check Sales Goals

Your sales goals drive the success of your store. Everyone on the team should know what the target goals are and work towards meeting or exceeding them. Talk to your team about the following:

• Your sales target for the day/week/month.
• Discuss how close you are to reaching sales targets. What else can be done to increase sales?
• What can each budtender do for that day to increase sales?

3: Analyze Performance

Each morning is the perfect time to discuss what worked the prior day and what needs to be improved upon. It is best to suggest behavior modifications in the morning rather than at the end of the day because your employees are refreshed and better prepared to implement those changes immediately. Analyzing your performance will help you scale your cannabis business by learning from your wins and losses.

• What went wrong/right the previous day, and what the staff can do today to improve?
• Were there notable customer interactions or events from the previous day? Review what went well and what didn’t.

4: Update Promos

Your staff need to be up-to-date on new promos and deals such as cannabis loyalty programs or holiday offerings. The morning before your store opens is the right time to review these promotions and make sure they are ready when customers reach the register.

• Talk to your staff on how promotions can be communicated to customers and any upselling opportunities.

5: Review SOPs

Any well-run dispensary will have a set of SOPs (standard operating procedures) in place. While your staff should already be familiar with them, it’s smart to review them on occasion. Good opportunities to review SOPs are the following:

• When new hires join the team
• After an incident
• Before a major promotion or sales push
• When any processes are updated or modified.

Closing Your Cannabis Store 

Closing your store can be just as important as opening. Properly shutting your store prepares your dispensary for the next day and sets you up for continued success. 

Close Displays and Store Products

After your dispensary closes for the day, it’s important to clean up any mess left behind. This means:

• Close display cases and clean glass
• Move products that can’t be kept on the main floor
• Restock empty shelves and products

Address Lingering Issues

In the rush of operating hours, there isn’t always time to fully deal with every issue that arises. After store closing is when any lingering problems should be dealt with. These can include:

• Employee disagreements
• Failing to meet sales goals
• Confusion of job duties
• Customer complaints

Shutting Down the Dispensary

Before you leave for the night, there are a few things left before closing out. These steps are important in securing your store for the next day and preventing incidents overnight.

• Count and secure cash
• Securely log out of software then turn off electronics. 
• Ensure that security cameras are working properly
• Set alarm to away
• Lock doors and windows

How BLAZE can Help

BLAZE software is perfectly suited to streamlining your daily operations. Our BLAZE POS brings best-in-class technology, seamless compliance, and a powerful tech stack, to give our customers all the tools they need to make every day a success. Learn more about how our Dispensary POS is the right fit for your business and book a demo with our team today!