There\u2019s no such thing as a bad experience, with a lesson to be learned from every mistake or success. When it comes to running your own coffee shop, caf\u00e9 or deli, there is plenty of advice to call on.<\/p>\n
Boost your own business plan with the top 10 lessons coffee entrepreneurs and independent business owners say they wish they had known before they opened their doors\u2026<\/p>\n
1. \u201cCreate somewhere you would want to visit\u201d<\/strong> James Dickson, the founder of\u00a0Workshop Coffee,\u00a0created a new customer experience: \u201cWithin our flagship store we make a name for ourselves by conducting on-site roasting \u2013 a first for London\u201d.<\/p>\n 2. \u201c\u2026But don\u2019t fall for trends\u201d<\/strong> 3. \u201cDo a few things, but do them well\u201d<\/strong> Jorge Fernandez, of\u00a0Fernandez and Wells, says he believes in \u201coffering a limited range of simple yet quality products. A good example would be our coffee range, which is very small.\u201d<\/p>\n 4. \u201cThere is no replacement for quality products\u201d<\/strong> 5. \u201cTreat suppliers well\u201d<\/strong> 6. \u201cEmploy the right team\u201d<\/strong> Evan Farmer of Cuppa says selecting the right candidate comes from determining if you share the same values. \u201cFor our business, you really have to love coffee and love educating people about it… There are questions I’ve learned to ask to gauge that.\u201d<\/p>\n 7. \u201cErgonomics is vital\u201d<\/strong> He advises placing bean storage, bins and bar fridge milk in easy-to-access locations and keeping the till location within earshot of the barista for quick service at busy times.<\/p>\n 8. \u201cGet on the front line\u201d<\/strong> 9. \u201cDon\u2019t fear the competition\u201d<\/strong> What\u2019s more, you can learn from the other independents around you. Team up with local business owners to swap advice.<\/p>\n 10. \u201cDon\u2019t wing it\u201d<\/strong> Based in Manchester, MCM are happy to discuss your business insurance arrangements to find the right protection for your coffee shop, caf\u00e9 or deli. Get in touch on 0161 786 3150<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There\u2019s no such thing as a bad experience, with a lesson to be learned from every mistake or success. When it comes to running your own coffee shop, caf\u00e9 or deli, there is plenty of advice to call on. Boost your own business plan with the top 10 lessons coffee entrepreneurs and independent business owners say they wish they had known before they opened their doors\u2026","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2015,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/mcmgroup.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1611","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/mcmgroup.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/mcmgroup.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/mcmgroup.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/mcmgroup.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1611"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/mcmgroup.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1611\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2017,"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/mcmgroup.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1611\/revisions\/2017"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/mcmgroup.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/mcmgroup.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1611"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/mcmgroup.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1611"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/mcmgroup.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nThe buzzwords in the coffee shop industry have long been \u2018artisan\u2019 and \u2018indie\u2019, with certain popular aesthetics becoming commonplace. Dare to make your establishment unique by focusing on creating something you\u2019d enjoy as a customer – whether it\u2019s the products you offer, a unique business idea or even just a style you haven\u2019t seen around the area.<\/p>\n
\nTrends can give you great inspiration, and offer what the people want can promise short-term popularity. But ploughing all your capital into the latest coffee grinding machinery, or refusing to offer something popular because you don\u2019t consider it \u2018cool\u2019, is an easy way to lose profits and alienate customers.<\/p>\n
\nThere\u2019s no need to sell everything under the sun, as an extensive product offering can mean compromising on quality. Whilst some choice is appreciated by customers, you can\u2019t be all things to all people, so choose what you\u2019re best at \u2013 a smaller range of drinks and food, or dishes in a signature style \u2013 and continually adapt your offering based on what is most popular.<\/p>\n
\nConsumers today are more discerning than ever, especially coffee lovers. Sourcing good quality stock is vital. \u201cIndependent does not necessarily mean \u2018good by default\u2019,\u201d warns Alex Galatino of La Bottega Milanese.<\/p>\n
\nDon\u2019t burn bridges, especially if you\u2019re new on the scene. John Richardson, known as one of the Coffee Boys, says, \u201c\u2026in the early days at least, you need the great suppliers more than they need you. Treat them well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nThe voice of your business, hiring the right staff is vital. Employees should be well-informed, trained and a good fit with your customer base. In return for their service, treat your team well. Fostering a friendly, caring work environment will generate positive feelings and create a relaxed atmosphere.<\/p>\n
\nHaving established and managed more than 15 coffee shops, Australian businessman Peter Baskerville tells Forbes success is all about layout. \u201cMake sure the coffee workstation and layout is such that the barista hardly moves their feet in performing all their coffee making duties, and they are not competing for space with other staff members.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cBe willing to do all the dirty work yourself\u201d, advises Randy Weiss of Studio Cellar. Running any kind of catering establishment is hard work, and for understanding the hard work your team puts in there is nothing like serving on the counter or washing the dishes yourself.<\/p>\n
\nJust because you\u2019re a small business, it doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t compete with larger chains. Customers are often looking for something new and exciting. David Abrahamovitch, CEO and co-founder of\u00a0Grind & Co, says, \u201cEvery year more and more people are seeking out a better coffee, as well as going out of their way to avoid the big chains\u201d.<\/p>\n
\nWhen it comes to the important stuff, such as tax, insurance and regulations, seek out professional advice and ensure all your legal documentation is up to scratch.<\/p>\n