It’s hip to start a coffee shop business of your own. If you have discussed the idea with friends and family, some may try to discourage you from opening one. They will say that there are too many coffee shops already and there will be too much competition. Well, fact is, many coffee shops do open every few months and many also close shop after several months. You can prevent this from happening by marketing your coffee business well.
Don’t let these people discourage you from starting your own business. If everyone thought like them, there wouldn’t be any independently owned coffee houses around. You can start a coffee shop in 6 simple steps. Here are basic tips to get you on track and finally show those people they were wrong. You should have your own business if you wish and no one should tell you that you can’t compete with the competition.
1. Make a summary of your company vision, goals, plans, growth potential and profit projections. Write these in a business plan. A business plan is also necessary if and when you need to take out a loan at a bank for more cash to start a business. Your investors or your banker will want to see a comprehensive plan on how you will start a coffee shop, let it grow and make it profitable.
2. Think of ideal locations for your coffee house. Think of locations with a lot of traffic by foot or car. Shopping malls and entertainment strips are good choices, so are communities with colleges or tourists spots. Another good location would be your local business district. Narrow down your possible locations to 3 and then check zoning laws and building regulations before signing a lease or buying the property.
3. Look for coffee bean dealers, equipment manufacturers, tableware, and uniforms for employees. You also have to look for comfortable couches, chairs and decor pieces to make your coffee place comfortable and inviting. Hang some wall art of pictures depicting coffee themes and place cute lampshades with dim lights. Provide free Wi-Fi for customers and buy reading materials for your shop.
4. When you start a coffee shop business, it will also be a good idea to size up your competition. See what makes other shops popular and try to do better for your own. It will most probably be because of good marketing, fast service and great tasting coffee and food. Take a course at a barista school or culinary school. Market your business aggressively and offer attractive promos to customers.
5. Plan a launching event and announce it on print in your local paper. If you will be open shop near a university, place an ad in their school bulletin. Invite important people like media reporters, radio station DJs, and influential people in your community. These are the people who will be spreading the word about a new hip coffee place in town.
6. Adjust everything you do to your market. If you will start a coffee shop near a university, think of a cool name for your shop and use hip decor. If you will open in an upscale neighborhood, try to make your interiors a bit more elegant and serve good food. If you will open your shop in a business district, make sure your staff will provide speedy service. Start with these basic tips and do more research on how to market your coffee business effectively to attract more clients.
