For most people, drinking coffee is an essential part of their daily routine, especially in the morning. If they want to start the day right or simply keep their mind and body awake during office meetings, coffee is the answer.
Many entrepreneurs see this as a great opportunity to start a coffee shop business. Whether people brew coffee at home or order from a local cafe, both options are favorable for business owners – to sell coffee. Are you a coffee lover or someone who wants to sell coffee online? If you are either or both, turn your love for coffee into a profitable business.
You might think that starting a coffee business from scratch is a tough journey. We say it’s a bit of everything you can think of. Like any other business in its early stage, your coffee business may encounter challenges. With proper knowledge of the industry, you can never go wrong to start a coffee shop business.
Image taken from System2Coffee website
Understanding the Trend of Coffee Shop Business
Looking at the trend of the coffee business these days, it has grown bigger than it used to be. Many coffee shop business owners have introduced modern cafe themes and styles. From an ordinary cafe, they designed it according to their customers’ lifestyles and personalities. They know a certain group of people go to coffee shops such as office workers, college students, business owners, and travelers. Most of them are busy and exhausted, that’s why it’s easy to give them what they need and expect in your coffee business.
It’s amazing how coffee can help lighten up our mood and get us recharged in performing daily activities. As a cafe owner, you can design a coffee shop with a comforting ambiance for your customers. Make your customers feel good and refreshed when they visit your shop. Remember, the reason why people go to a coffee shop is to relax, chat with a friend, and sometimes catch up on their errands. It’s a perfect place to take a break and rest their minds. It’s the same reason why you have to weigh important things first before asking how to start a coffee shop. The answers to your ‘hows’ can be related to the ‘whys’. If you understand why people need coffee every day, it will lead you in the right direction to start a coffee shop business.
The trend of the coffee shop business these days is focused on providing a stress-free environment where people can do several things over a cup of coffee. Some coffee business owners have transformed their cafes into office-style serving unlimited coffee. Remote work has never been this fun with the trendy coffee shop business.
Social media platforms have a vital role in the trend of the coffee business. Since the younger generation finds coffee shops a perfect place to hang out, they even talk about it on Facebook or Instagram. No wonder we see posts from friends holding iced or brewed coffee every time we check our feeds. For some, it may seem petty but millennials think it’s trendy.
Aside from the physical coffee shop business, you can also start drop shipping. Sell coffee from home and create your online store. It’s one of the growing trends in the coffee business, especially during the pandemic. People order the finest coffee beans online and start brewing coffee at home. You can think of unique ways to sell coffee and you will not run out of ideas. Start a coffee shop business and make it a trendy online cafe. But first, you need to get things done properly to nail your dream business.
Image taken from Lever & Bloom Coffee website
Things You Should Prepare to Start a Coffee Shop Business
Whether you want to franchise, acquire an established coffee shop business, or start from scratch, there are things you need to prepare first. They will help you run your coffee shop smoothly and profitably.
1. Conduct Research on Your Target Market
2. Decide How You’re Going to Sell Coffee
3. Find a Supplier for the Coffee Products You Want to Sell
4. Create a Coffee Business Plan
5. Develop Branding and Marketing Strategies
6. Build a Coffee Shop Business Website
7. Promote Coffee Shop Business Online
1. Conduct Research on Your Target Market
Knowing your target market is an essential foundation of all your marketing strategies. Conduct customer research about to whom you want to sell coffee. Customers’ interests and preferences vary from one another. You need to get their feedback directly or indirectly. There are simple ways to know your customers personally. Some cafe owners are very hands-on in running their coffee shop business. It allows them to chat with customers and give personalized recommendations. It adds value to your brand if the customers will feel you care about them. Conducting customer research on your target market is a must.
2. Decide How You’re Going to Sell Coffee
Do you want to run a physical coffee shop or sell coffee online? Why not try both? It’s a brilliant idea that most cafe owners do nowadays. While running a coffee shop, you can also take orders over the phone or online and have their coffee delivered to your customers’ homes. Some people may not have the pleasure of going to coffee shops. You can work with food delivery services or have your staff deliver coffee nearby. What’s important is you have alternative options for your customers to enjoy their coffee effortlessly.
3. Find a Supplier for the Coffee Products You Want to Sell
You need a stable and reliable source of the coffee products you want to sell. Find a supplier near you that offers a reasonable price without compromising the quality. This will help establish your coffee business, especially if it's a startup business. It is best to buy wholesale coffee products to save some money. Many suppliers offer discounts on bulk orders. Once you find a supplier, it will be easy to take the next steps to start your coffee business.
Image taken from Lever & Bloom Coffee website
4. Create a Coffee Business Plan
Create a written business plan which might not sound exciting but it’s essential to achieve your goals. A written business plan includes how much you want to sell your coffee, the initial costs of purchasing product supplies, and estimated sales. Make sure to make your coffee business plan flexible. The coffee shop business provides unique and unexpected opportunities for business owners. Therefore, you must be prepared in case your cafe booms in a few days after opening. Have a written plan on how you can make improvements and enhance the quality of your products and services.
5. Develop Branding and Marketing Strategies
Build a solid brand image with proven-to-work marketing strategies. Your brand should create a good and long-lasting impression on your target customers. Whether you sell coffee online or offline, it’s ideal to have a brand logo your customers will easily recognize. Have a remarkable brand identity for the type of coffee business you want to establish. Let’s say your target customers are office workers or business owners, make your branding look professional and stylish. For the younger generation, you can think of creative ways to get their attention. You can host giveaways or contests on social media and start a ‘Buy Me Coffee’ challenge. These are effective ways to promote brand awareness and implement your marketing techniques.
6. Build a Coffee Shop Business Website
Most online users believe that when a specific business can’t be found online, it does not exist at all. Well, it may not be true, but the trend of the coffee business these days might say so. As an entrepreneur, you know it’s important to make the most out of every opportunity. With the growing number of online users, you can’t simply set aside a wide range of audience.
Image taken from Strikingly
Strikingly is a website builder platform with over twelve million users worldwide. We’ve helped startup business owners set up online shops and run their businesses on the go. Our best web services and features can level up your brand’s online presence. You can easily set up a Simple store, add a blog, create custom forms, accept online payments, and share content on your social media pages. It’s ridiculously easy to start a coffee business website with us.
7. Promote Coffee Shop Business Online
A business website can be a great opportunity to share your story about how you started a coffee shop business. Strikingly can help you set up your website like an expert. No need to specialize coding skills because we have customizable templates for stylish online shops to suit your taste. Design your coffee business web page with a drag and drop editor. Once your online coffee shop goes live, keep track of website traffic and updates with Strikingly mobile app.
After you have prepared the things you need to start a coffee business, it’s time to market or promote to your target customers. Inspire people with interesting blogs about relaxation and stress management tips. Don’t forget to associate it with the benefits of drinking coffee to freshen up and make them feel energized. You can successfully market your coffee business if you know your customers personally.
Social media is one of the best places most people hang out online. Encourage your customers to post on your social media page, make them tag your coffee business, or send you a review. Make people talk about how cool your coffee business is. It’s an organic way of promoting your brand online.
Remember, your passion is vital to your business success. Turn your love for coffee into something profitable and enjoyable. Running a coffee business is like welcoming many visitors to your home. You must always keep it that way. The same thing we welcome you here at Strikingly. Feel free to start your coffee business website with us today.
