# Really need some help..Im taking the plunge into a coffee shop !!



## kaffine (Sep 7, 2011)

Hi , What a great forum, really impressed with the level of information on here.

Right where do i start..

Im in the process of planning my coffee shop, I have the idea of what I want which is to make it a simple as possible.. Im planning a coffee shop which serves great coffee using coffee from monmouth and good quality tea, serving home made locally sourced cakes , bread and preserves, home made soup .. I plan to have a simple yet rustic style with a large communal table plus smaller tables, odd chairs and a comfortable yet friendly atmosphere.

Of course there is more to it than just that and Im bursting with ideas.

BUT.. I need to raise some finance and sort out a business plan which is pretty daunting and this is where I need your help as I have never got past this stage .

I plan to lease a shop, and maybe purchase a good quality coffee machine. i also am looking at roasting my own beans.. but im still looking into it..

My background is one from a catering industry in which i worked in it for 10 years and then I moved onto to become a police officer which is my current job, but I have now done 16years and I have come to a point in my life where I cant do it any more, the police service has completely lost its way and hence I now want to work for myself , something I have wanted to do since I was 18!!

So back on track.. Please please can someone help me turn my dream into a reality and provide me with some advice to get thru the business plan and to get me into the world of coffee.

All advice is good and IM EAGER TO LEARN

Thanks in advance


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## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

It's really such a big undertaking that the best advice I can give is to read some of the many books out there on the subject. Here are a few. I'm planning to start up something along the same lines as you... or at least I was, but I'm finding that it's mostly somewhat of a cliche these days and I'm trying to find some new USPs. At least we're both looking at roasting, which I think is still a growth area and a bit different. Anyway, these books should answer a lot of questions and get you moving. I've read em and they helped me.

Good luck!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coffee-Step-step-Setting-Managing/dp/1845283279

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wake-Up-Smell-Profit-Guaranteed/dp/1845283341/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Start-Sandwich-Coffee-Small-Business/dp/1845283333/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Anyone-Can-Do-Real-life-entrepreneurship/dp/1841125792/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315428811&sr=1-4


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## CoffeeMagic (Aug 7, 2011)

The right frame of mind is important and very much so in the present climate. Books can prepare you in that regard and the second one on Mike's list is one of my favourites - another is Brilliant Start-up. However, there is nothing like the help and advice you can get from a good consultant. The cost can invariably pay back in dividends. They should be able to cover the many areas of importance in creating the 'right' shop for you.

The fact that I'm a consultant (IT), myself, doesn't bias my recommendation, only the fact that I have had some valuable help from a coffee consultant in the past.


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## kaffine (Sep 7, 2011)

Thanks guys, will have a look at those books..

Any other advice gratefully received.. any example business plans??


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## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

kaffine said:


> Thanks guys, will have a look at those books..
> 
> Any other advice gratefully received.. any example business plans??


If you PM Glenn he has a template that can be used, but the truth is it's very VERY difficult to get hold of real life plans or data, either at an individual shop or at an industry level.

Have a look HERE ... I think Business Gateway (which is Scotland's equivalent of Business Link, but better IMO) is very useful for people needing some structure in their startup preparations.


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## Coffeelogicuk (Apr 30, 2011)

Hi, sounds exciting and nice to see you looking into many different ideas to make your place stand out.

The main thing I can advise here is not to get too caught up with a huge and expensive coffee machine until you know the kind of footfall you would expect to catch in the site. Leasing is one of the most common options for our customers but we do also offer short term rentals from 6 months which give you a great chance to try a machine out and if its not right you can swap it out easily and without hassle. There might be other companies offering the same kind of deals but I am not sure off the top of my head.

Fresh food and snacks are a great way to get customers into the shop, as are wifi services in addition to a good cup of coffee but I would avoid trying to roast your own beans at the start as you have more than enough to deal with at the start!

Hope some of this helps a little.


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## Pjordan (Feb 6, 2011)

Hi Kaffine

I have recently setup my own place and the advise so far seems spot on.

Don't get caught up buying an expensive machine, we got ours second hand from somewhere which has barely used their Astoria gloria.

Look at your costs and find a cheap place to source everything, furniture doesn't need to be too expensive, and don't expect to take too much out of it for the first year or so.

Try to appear professional, don't try to be rustic, if what you're doing comes out that way, people will get it, but dno't push that too hard, is what our brand manager has told us, seems to be working.

Social networking also seems to help us a lot, brings in new customers all the time.

Fliers are better advertising than newspapers, more cost effective and bring in more hits, sampling cakes has also worked well for us. We were on the front page of the biggest local paper and mostly just brought in elderly people, as most people don't really read local papers.

Hope this helps!

Paul


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## RolandG (Jul 25, 2010)

I found this one a good read:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coffee-Step---step-Setting-Managing/dp/1845283279/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315689017&sr=1-1

Also, when you've got some practical details in place, don't be afraid to contact your coffee roaster, tea supplier, etc. -they work with lots of great shops and will be able to provide valuable advice and recommendations.

Lots of good advice to be had here, but I think the main thing is not to let it overwhelm you. It sounds like you've got a vision for the shop - that's probably not going to be an issue if you love coffee - so the area to focus on is the practicalities and systems. This will help reassure any financial backers that you're realistic, and, more importantly, the success of any coffee shop isn't just dependent upon serving good coffee - it's the customer service of a smoothly running coffee shop that gets customers coming back day after day. Good luck!


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## daveb (Dec 31, 2009)

Firstly,

Best of luck with it.

There is a great local roaster in Ross on Wye called James Gourmet Coffee Company. They sell all the equipment and roast their own beans from ethical sources. They are fairly close to Monmouth too. They seem very knowledgeable and expert!

The other good thing to do is think about joining the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). They give unlimited legal advice from qualified solicitors and can provide free for life business banking, discounted credit card processing and cheaper business insurance, plus lots of other useful business related deals and support - and they are not-for-profit.

Let me know (pm me) if you want to know more about the FSB as I am on the committee for one of their branches.

All the best.

Dave.


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## CoffeeClassics (Apr 19, 2011)

Hi Kaffine

Good luck with your venture, can't help you with business plans, but might be able to help you when you come to looking for equipment and product. We do both new and refurbished machines.

All the best

Clare


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