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Coffee smells great, tastes great and it’s also profitable. Yes, you can make money doing the thing you love the most…making coffee.
Here’s how you can start your own successful coffee shop business and start making coffee…and cash.
Learn From Others
Before going it alone, learn from the pros. Interview successful coffee shop owners to see how they got started and to learn how they got to where they are now. Talk to as many people as you can and you’ll be able to piece together a rough road map for success.
Take notes, learn their struggles and how they overcame them. Your path will be different, but it doesn’t hurt to have a little guidance to get you to the end goal.
In addition to talking to those who’ve done it, educate yourself on the industry. If you’re going to get into the coffee business you’ll need to become an expert.
Subscribe to coffee magazines and blogs, sign up for industry webinars, attend events. You’ll also want to learn all the details of the coffee suppliers you’re considering using, so you make an educated decision.
Find the Right Building in the Right Location
If you’re looking into how to start your own coffee shop then you’re probably familiar with what makes them so popular. Yes, the coffee counts but the ambiance matters too.
People don’t just come to coffee shops to drink coffee, they come to socialize with their friends, they come to work, for meetings or to simply pass the time.
When you realize you’re not just selling coffee, you’re selling an experience, you’ll realize how important the location is.
Look for a spot in a bustling part of the town, something that’s easy to access and inviting to those who may just be wandering and spontaneously stop in for a drink.
Consider the parking situation too. The easier it is to get to your business the more customers you’ll get.
If you’re not familiar with the area, hang around the building you’re considering and people watch. This will give you insight into your future clientele.
Create a Business Plan
You’ve done your research, you know what the pros have done to become successful and you’ve scoped out different locations and know where you want to open up shop. Now, you need your coffee shop business plan.
A business plan is going to include your mission statement, or why you’re doing what you’re doing, your financial goals, and who your target audience is.
It should also include a rundown of competitors and their marketing activities such as social media, blogging, and advertising. Find out where they are and make sure you’re in those same places and more.
Promote, Promote, Promote
If you build it they will come…but only if they hear about you. Your marketing should begin before you open your coffee shop doors. You want to get people excited about your grand opening and have a line waiting for you on opening day.
To do this, you’ll need to start your marketing efforts well in advance.
Now that you’ve got your building, stop in at the local businesses and drop off your card or flyer and give out free samples of coffee. You’ll also want to set up your social media accounts and post consistently.
Start email marketing and growing your list and enticing people to subscribe to stay up to date on all events and special offers.
You can use direct mail to send coupons to surrounding neighborhoods with incentives for those who refer their friends.
And don’t forget the power of the press release. When starting a coffee shop your grand opening is an event, create a stir and you may be amazed at the outcome.
Blog About It
This goes hand in hand with promotion. Blogging is one of the best ways to stand out from your competition and ensure that potential customers find you on Google. The more consistently you can blog the better your chances of making it to the coveted first page of Google.
However, it’s important not to blog just for the sake of blogging. Share your love of coffee with your audience and use your blog as a platform to show people what makes you unique.
The more you do this, the better your audience will connect with you and it’s more likely that they’ll stop in for a cup of “joe.”
Outsource What You Don’t Know
Just because you’re opening your own business doesn’t mean you have to go it alone. If you don’t know how to do something, or can’t do it well, then don’t. Outsource to the experts.
For example, if you aren’t good at handling finances, hire an accountant. This will save you a lot of headaches trying to attempt to do it all.
If you need help marketing and running your social media channels or advertising, outsource those tasks.
Or hire a consultant who can provide direction and input into these tasks and help assure you that you’re on the right path.
Success in Starting Your Coffee Shop Business
As you can see, when starting your own coffee shop business there’s a lot of work that goes into the process even before you open.
These tips have given you a guide on how to start a coffee shop but it’s up to you to put them into practice and make it work.
Now that you know how to open a coffee shop and what to do to make it successful, take the first steps in becoming an expert and then use what you know to promote your business and keep those customers coming back.
Now, grab a cup of coffee and check out more of our blog posts to get other tips for entrepreneurs!