Cheap Cars

So, You’ve been bitten by the coffee bug. It all began when you walked into a Starbucks and said to yourself “I can do that!”. You looked at a shiny machine that pushed steam through something you learned was called a ‘portafilter’. You saw syrupy looking coffee called ‘espresso’ slowly stream into a cup that was then filled with steamed milk. The barista added a flavor or two or maybe nothing, put a lid on it and asked for more than three dollars for a drink you knew cost a mere fraction of that. You did the math and thought, “No wonder they’ve made billions of dollars!” On top of that, the relaxing ambiance, the happy customer who just treated herself to a hot and tasty beverage (or maybe a cold one) all added up to something that made sense and got you excited to start your own coffee business.

Yes, Starbucks is an amazing success story and following their model or something like it appears fairly simple and very profitable. In fact, the gourmet coffee business is one of the fastest growing in the food and drink industry. In more than a few magazines, starting a coffee business has been suggested as one of the best choices as a successful business to start. Compared to other food and drink businesses, the startup costs are one of the lowest. Training is relatively simple and while espresso machines aren’t inexpensive (a typical three group espresso machine can cost around $15,000 and up and a grinder runs a few thousand) machines with good reputations (the best are made in Italy) will last for many years without needing to be replaced if they are properly cleaned and maintained.

The biggest issue to consider isn’t what brand of espresso machine to buy or whether you will buy coffee beans from a roaster or roast your own. The number one consideration is whether you will create your own business or buy a franchise. After you’ve logged dozens of hours on the internet, bought a few books, read dozens of magazines and worn out your walking shoes at a couple of tradeshows like Coffeefest or SCAA, it might seem that you’re ready to do this without help. But don’t be fooled. There is more to do than you can imagine in getting a coffee business off the ground and franchises are a fast track to getting there. In fact, franchises offer much more than a nice logo and a training manual. If you are on your own, making your business profitable in a short time frame is time consuming and costly. Lenders are much more willing to lend money to a proven model and a good franchisor will help you to get the financing you need. While they won’t offer the funds and can’t promise anything, their business model as well as connections and proven track record are great ammunition when asking for big bucks to start a business. Franchises also have worked the bugs out that you would have to work out yourself if you go it alone. If they are worth their salt, franchisors have tested the equipment, provide operations manuals as well as barista training and offer a big headstart to your marketing needs by having built brand equity – something that small business people overlook. It is true, with patience, perserverance and a little luck, you can develop a business on your own that is successful, but in today’s highly competetive specialty coffee industry, having a visible market presence off the ground gives you an edge and with that edge, the time it takes to become profitable can be much shorter.

If you’ve read this and still decide to go it alone, the best of luck to you. If however you’ve decided that buying a franchise is a wise business decision, you now have the daunting task of choosing one among a number of strong coffee franchises. My suggestion is to choose a franchisor with a great support system as well as a flexible franchise agreement. Many franchisors in a wide range of industries are strict and don’t allow the franchisee to put their personal touch on the business. One franchise that offers great support with maximum flexibility is Sonoma Coffee Cafe. There are many to choose from and doing your homework can’t be stressed enough, but choosing a solid coffee franchise like Sonoma Coffee Café can get you where you need to be in less time than if you do it yourself.

Author: Randy C Anderson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Make PCB Assembly