Most individuals warm up with a side of coffee in the mornings. Coffee can be considered a necessity of life depending on who you ask. This beverage gets people going in the mornings. It keeps them working on those late-night projects. Coffee is a ritual for most people.
If you are bringing coffee to individuals in your community, there are some things to know when starting a coffee shop business. You want to hire the right people, invest in some content strategists, and more. Here are 5 things to do before starting a coffee shop business.
Look into the location
If you are wanting to reach locals within the community, think about where you are going to open your shop. Look around and see if the potential space for rent has good alarm systems installed. It is better to keep you, your staff, and customers safe.
If the location does not have alarms installed, look into contractors that offer these services. See which one has the best reviews and affordable price within your budget. Making and serving coffee is an art form, treat your shop as such.
With the location in mind, consider the surrounding area. Sometimes owners prefer to be in specific community settings where there are more students. Others prefer to be around communities with more professionals. It all depends on what you envision for your shop and customers.
Add details of the shop
When you are starting a coffee shop business, you want the business to be special. To be unique. You want it to be authentic and your own. Aside from the decor, think about looking to see if there are nearby or if you can add garbage disposals. This can help you in the long run, especially when business gets busy.
Check into the restroom. Often, this can be a mark or break for some customers. Customers who are passing through may stop at your shop and will buy your service depending on the bathroom. Look into sewer repairs if they are needed. Although this can be an additional unforeseen expense, it is best to fix it as soon as you can.
Adding details to your shop can help you set a part from the other shops. Some sho9ps display personal photos of family members. This is a nice touch if you decide to do this. Make your coffee shop based on how you want it. If you want family pictures hung on the wall, do that. If you rather have quotes on the walls, you can also go that route. There is no wrong move here as long as it is in line with your vision of what the shop will attract and stand for. Having a clear description, layout, and goal of your shop can be helpful when figuring out which details to add or limit.
Have your business secured
Anybody who is starting a coffee shop business should invest in a business attorney. Business attorneys can assist you in seeing your business runs smoothly. They can also protect you from any false claims that could come your way in the future.
To get the right attorney, check into local ones near you or ask around. If you know of other individuals who own a business, ask them about their attorney. Reviews and personal testimonies can help you in the long run when conducting this search.
When you are in the middle of business development, the ins and outs can be confusing. One thing to do is to secure your business with a business development consultant. These individuals generally have experience working with businesses.
One thing they can do is provide advice on how to move forward when problems arise. They can help you monitor the business and how it is succeeding or failing. If your business is in a rough spot, these individuals can help you figure out a way to get out of the rough spot.
Having these two individuals in your corner can be beneficial for you. They can take the stress off of you and help you in not only starting a coffee shop business but also maintaining the business.
You want your customers to have the best service. After all, the average American drinks around 11 pounds of coffee each year. That is a lot! Since you want the best service for your customers, ensure that you are getting the best people in your corner to help you progress your business.
Market your business
Social media is a huge platform where you can advertise. The platforms you can advertise your business on are the following:
- Snapchat
- Personal website
- Podcasts
- Yelp
Although this list is not exhaustive, these are great starting points when learning where to market your business.
Another question may arise in terms of how to market. Marketing is a large industry, and there are dozens of freelancers available to help if you rather go with a single individual than with a company.
Companies and freelancers may offer to help you get your business some screen time by creating mobile messaging & sms marketing. Marketing individuals will gain your business with more customers. They can also expose your business to individuals who may not be local. Getting great reviews can help attract these types of individuals.
Do not underestimate the value of marketing. Marketing can ensure the success of your business. If times are tough, marketing can also help boost morale. With the right freelancer or marketing team, starting a coffee shop business will be a lot easier with this load taken off of your hands during the beginning stages. You can focus on your business while others get to focus on the logistics and promotion of your services. Having this will save you time, resources, and research.
Comfortability matters
When starting a coffee shop business, look at the comfortability aspect of the shop. Ensure that you have air conditioning as coffee shops can get hot depending on the season. If not, invest in a commercial air conditioning service. You will want to keep your customers cool while they enjoy their hot chocolate, black coffee, or other drink of choice.
Aside from this, think about getting a business digital phone system installation. Having a business phone in the office or in the front can really help you with customers or individuals who wish to host events at your shop. Events are a part of marketing. Some individuals prefer to email about this, while others make it personal and call.
To avoid missing any big events that can help your business, place the phone where you know you will be able to answer it. Put it where it best suits your choice.
Ensure safety
Think about installing fire rated glass in your shop. Many business owners tend to overlook this when starting a coffee shop business. This type of glass can help protect a fire emergency from worsening. For instance, if there were a fire in the shop, the flames would not spread as fast if this type of glass is installed in the shop. Safety is a priority for not only you and your employees but for your customers as well.
Be sure to have all your employees up to date on the emergency evacuation plan in case one arises. Have a fire extinguisher just in case you need one. The best thing to do is to do a drill of the plan when first starting a coffee shop business. This will allow you and your employees to be confident in the knowledge and routine of the plan if it were to arise.
Having a safety map located somewhere in your shop can also be beneficial. This can be very helpful in the case you are not at the shop. If a lead manager is in charge and they are fairly new, having the map can help other customers take charge of your lead manager. Having individuals help one another can save damage and time in the case of an unprecedented mishap.
Add colors
Do not be afraid to check out local competition. See what other coffee shops are doing and think about how you want to be different from them. Some coffee shops go with darker tones, while others have brighter colors outside or inside to stand out from the other shops on their street. No matter the color, think about investing in commercial painting services
If you sell products at your shop, such as coffee beans, think about your packaging. More often than not, brighter colors tend to catch individuals’ eyes first. If you want something to sell, think about the color of the packaging. This goes for the inside decor as well.
This is not to say that your entire coffee shop should be a bright yellow inside and out. Feel free to have a different outside than inside and vice versa. Colors can make individuals feel a variety of feelings such as:
- Happy
- Sad
- Salm
- Peaceful
- Anxious
- Interested
- Love
Although this list is not exhaustive, the power of colors is powerful. Think about the mugs you will be using and what your look is. Some individuals go for a variety of looks such as:
- Vintage
- Modern
- Preppy
- Artistic
The options are endless. The best way to start to design your business is to use a journal. Jot down what draws you to other coffee shops. Then, look at what individuals prefer. You can search for coffee shops social media and see what posts get more likes. You can also see what drinks are more popular. Keep in mind, this is different for every business, so take the findings with a grain of salt.
Despite the fluctuation in findings, these can be starting points for you on how to design and add color to your shop.
Have fun
This is one–if not the–most important thing to do before, during, and after starting a coffee shop business. Too often, business owners can get stressed pretty early on in the process of creating their business.
Tell family and friends what you are doing. Support goes a long way in any beginning journey. When you feel as if the business is going slow or it will not influence individuals to stop by, seek counsel from not only the professionals in your corner but from family and friends.
Having a secure support system can make the process fun. One thing many business owners do not do is record the start of their business. To do this, think about investing in a memory journal. With this, you can:
- Put photos of the opening day of your business
- Write down the steps it took you to create the business
- Track short-term goals
- Track long-term goals
- Maintain a log of current marketing strategy ideas
- Keep the contact information of professionals for future use
- Write down your favorite quotes to keep you motivated
With this journal, it is not only a memory journal but a success journal. Sometimes, we have to look back to see how far we have come on the journey. Celebrate the small successes along the way, whether that is:
- Hiring five employees
- Creating social media platforms
- Getting your first big sale
- Being asked to do an interview for a local paper
- Making your first perfect coffee
- Having your first customer
The small success examples are endless. Coffee can open communication and hearts worldwide. Coffee is diverse, tasty, and offers warmth. Your business does this through its service. Be sure to celebrate that success along the way.
Bonus Tip: Change is always welcomed
As your business grows, changes along the way will be made. Some unforeseen circumstances may arise. With the support system, change can be made easier. When change comes knocking on your door, open it with open arms. Embrace what is to come. Sit back, drink some coffee, and envision a brighter future. You can and will succeed in starting a coffee shop business if you take these tips into account. The journey may be difficult, but it will be worth it.
Every business comes to challenging times, but with support from family, friends, and professionals, they can get through it. Never doubt yourself and the dream you have. Coffee shops are essential to bring communities together. You will help do that through the services you provide.
