During the last recession – what I like to call the ‘big recession’ – in 1990, I was running a coffee shop franchise. People filled the tables and chairs. Muffins were consumed and coffee continued to flow – people were even forcing me to extend the use of my espresso machine by their increasing desire for cafes au lait (soon to be replaced by lattes once the recession had passed – perhaps because of the close association of the poor ‘au lait’ with tough times, I suppose). But I digress. The point is that the recession passed over my business (and those of most of my fellow franchisees) as a non-event. In fact, in some instances, revenues and profits actually increased.

Despite this relative prosperity, we all knew that we were in the midst of a recession – though we were not affected by it. But there was still this general economic downturn and we all knew what we had to do. Tighten our belts. Downsize. Become more hands-on in the day to day operation. This was the smart thing to do. Wasn’t it?

The Coffee Business in Tough Times

“Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time.

Once I built a railroad; now it’s done. Brother, can you spare a dime?

Once I built a tower, up to the sun, brick, and rivet, and lime;

Once I built a tower, now it’s done. Brother, can you spare a dime?”

“Brother, Can You Spare a Dime,” lyrics by Yip Harburg, music by Jay Gorney (1931)

“Brother, Can You Spare a Dime”, was a popular recession era song. It’s obviously about a guy who’s down on his luck and is begging people for enough money. The song never reveals the intended purpose of the 10 cents, but it was widely interpreted to be for a cup of coffee. And this is revealing in that it shows the depth of people’s connection to a cup of coffee served in a diner.

To some extent, this is what happened in the early 90’s. People, forced into cutting back on the larger luxuries, were still able to afford a cup of coffee. And since a cup of coffee or a cafe au lait were two of the few luxuries people could enjoy; and because they were so inexpensive, people increased their weekly indulgence of them. Customers who I was used to seeing only during the mornings, began showing up in the evenings for a decaf au lait. My revenues and profits increased throughout this period; all the while I was putting in extra hours because of the fear of recession.

The Rest of the World in Tough Times

While I had my nose to the grinder, major events were being played out all around me.

In an effort to stimulate the economy, central banks were lowering interest rates. Hoping to save those players that were still in the game as well as attract new players. Interest rates were much lower than when I bought the franchise. On top of that, it seemed that each week brought new announcements of government efforts to help us out. Tax cuts. Small business grants. Subsidies for labor costs.

While this was happening, many of my suppliers froze or cut their prices. Replacing furniture and fixtures became cheaper. As did repairing and replacing equipment. And quite often at terms that allowed as much as 24 months to repay.

And if you didn’t want to deal with a wholesaler, there were always the auctions where prices could be much lower. Our business cousins, the restaurants were falling like flies. Restaurant equipment was everywhere and dirt cheap too.

The Upshot

The recession of the late 80’s and early 90’s was, like all economic bottoms, a time when ‘Cash was King’. If you had cash you could take advantage of the tax cuts, and wage subsidies. You could take advantage of the lower interest rates. You could take advantage of the lower costs and higher unemployment rates. If you were flush, then it was a time for expansion not down-sizing. I expect that this downturn will present the same opportunities. It is a time to be realistic about our personal economic situation and to ignore the negative hype about the economy. I believe that it is a great time to be in(or if you have enough cash, to get into) the coffee business and a time to grab even a greater share of it.

Author: John Takarabe
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Smart cooker

Everything is expensive these days no matter what you decide to do. Starting a business is no exception but you can plan and carefully invest your money so you will not put yourself at the brink of bankruptcy.

Before you even open your doors the first day you need to have a plan for the next six months of business so you will estimate how much everything will cost you and how much you plan to spend. This type of planning is not easy to do and you may need to seek the advice of a business planning professional to help you create the best business plan for you.

In your business plan you need to include how you will obtain the money that you will need to start your new coffee business. This may be through a financial institution or a private lender. You may even qualify for a grant or government loan to assist you in your new venture. Regardless of which way you go, you will need to have a business plan that is well thought-out and organized before any one will consider loaning money to you.

Naturally, a financial institution will consider any new business as a high-risk business and what they put into that business may never be recoverable. That is why it is a good idea to put on your business plan how you plan to pay that money back. It’s also a good idea to put more than one solution to repayment in your business plan just in case one doesn’t pan out the way you thought it would. This will show the bank that you are less likely to be a bad credit risk and you have everything planned out and all the bases covered.

A coffee business can be a great passive income generator for you. You already know that or you wouldn’t be considering opening up one for yourself. Customers will come to enjoy your coffee everyday once you are open. Your coffee business can potentially make enough money to pay back your loans, pay your employees, and pay all expenses within the first year. You may then start seeing a profit in your accounts. You won’t see a profit immediately so don’t expect it for the first year. As the saying goes, you will need to spend money to make money.

A professional can help you with your initial business plan and then help you rewrite a business plan after the first six months of business to adjust for any changes that have occurred since starting your business. Some business plans do stretch out for twelve months but a six month business plan is more realistic.

A coffee business is a pretty low risk business and may not seem like a huge amount of expense to get started. But the start up expense will depend on a lot of factors including your equipment purchases and rental expenses. You will usually need to prepare the first and the last month lease payment as well as other initial deposits to open your business.

Author: Stewart Baker
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Pressure cooker

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

Starting just about any business takes careful planning and sometimes failure before you get it right. It doesn’t always go smoothly and you may find that you are in way over your head. In order to start off on the right foot you may want to follow the steps below to lead you on the right path in starting your own coffee business.

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You need money to start your own coffee business, and a lot of it. How much depends a lot on which coffee franchise you are going to go with, how much money is needed to get your coffee shop ready and other miscellaneous investments that you will need to make along the way. You can look at an initial investment of $100,000 and more. The total amount depends again on all the expenses you think you will encounter in order to open and stay open for a few months. One great thing about starting your own coffee business is the variety that you have to choose from. You can select a traditional coffee shop, specialty coffee shop, a drive through coffee shop and more. You can make your coffee shop any way that you want to, as long as you have the money.

Another factor to consider is the coffee company that you plan to go with in your franchise business. You may like the taste of a certain brand and that is what you want to go with. That company may cost you more money but you will feel better promoting their coffee product and confidence is everything when you are in business for yourself. If you do not have confidence in your business no one else will either.

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The best ways to determine where to put your new coffee business is to do your research. Some of the things to determine include:

* How many coffee shops are in the area you are considering?

* Which coffee company do they use?

* Do you plan to offer anything else besides coffee?

* What hours does the competition keep?

* Can you purchase any of the existing coffee shops open now?

* How much expected business does the coffee business see daily?

* Is it open on weekends?

When you purchase an existing coffee shop, your expenses may be lower because you pay a flat fee for the entire package. You save time by not having to find a place, figure out all the red tape, find and purchase equipment, hire staff, insurance expenses and more. This has already been done with an existing business.

Whether you start your own coffee business from scratch or purchase an existing one you can personalize it to make it yours and to offer the customers the coffee that you like best. The initial start up of the coffee shop may be expensive but if you plan and run it right you will be there for several years to come. You will have satisfied customers who will return faithfully for a cup from your little coffee shop down the street.

Author: Stewart Baker
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Wordpress plugin Guest Blogger

Before you start your coffee venture, you should do some research and find out all the things about coffee. Let me share some facts with you. There are two main types of coffee being cultivated today. And the two main factors which can deteriorate the quality of coffee are oxygen and moisture. There are many tastes of coffee too. The color of coffee that has been roasted to a certain degree in which the characteristics and faults of the coffee are not masked by roast flavor is also an important point to take note. The safety and quality of coffee are also needed to be assured using sensory and physical criteria, and also chemical and microbiological criteria are required.

And to start a coffee business, you will need to get the right coffee machines. You will find that the top espresso machine and coffee brands in the market are Capresso, Saeco, Rancilio, Illy, Lavazza and Gaggia. Popularized by the launch of the Douwe Egberts Senseo machine, many companies now also offer coffee pods, which includes Starbucks. So this is something to note.

Additionally, there are tools such as the French cafe filtre, an espresso machine and a ‘normal’ coffee machine. The decision to buy which machine for your business will depend on each machine having pluses and minuses, and depending on what you care about the most from your coffee. Do not be too disappointed in your machine if this is the first machine you have tried. With experience, you will definitely make good use of your coffee machine. To speed up the process of setting up your coffee business, you can always order online, and you could be enjoying your new commercial espresso machine or coffee grinder within a few days.

With talks about how coffee is healthy for you and all about the great stuff about them, it is no doubt that more and more people are getting interested in coffee. With an estimate that 10 to 12 billion pounds of coffee are consumed worldwide each year, and the unique flavor characteristics of the coffee that produce a vibrant and complex taste to the taste bud, I can assure you that NOW is definitely the best time ever to start your coffee business.

Author: Chris Wen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Guest blogger

Such enormous consumer demand coupled with the growing trend toward gourmet coffee presents an opportunity for the enterprising coffee lovers to take their double shots at generating income while working in an industry which makes their coffee passions percolate.

Coffee-loving entrepreneurs can choose from a wide range of opportunities available to find ones that best matches their tastes. Interested in starting small? Start with a couple machines and a cart. More grande ambitions? Consider a coffee shop franchise.

The Specialty Coffee Association of America’s “Market Report” forecasts that the number of coffeehouses in the U.S. will grow to 15,000 by the year 2006. Will one of those coffeehouses be yours?

You can take a couple different paths can to starting your own coffee themed business. One option is to buy the equipment and supplies yourself, building your own identity and business systems. The other option is to purchase a franchise and benefit from their proven image, proven systems, and established supply chains. Let’s look at some examples of coffee related businesses that you could start for yourself.

If you choose the independent route you can use a wholesaler such as Mr. Churro’s to help get you started. Mr. Churro’s is Miami-based wholesaler of professional grade machines for making espresso, coffee, and hot chocolate. Beyond acquiring equipment from Mr. Churro’s you would need to work out other details of your business details on your own. For example, you would need to find a coffee bean supplier, find a suitable business location, and also learn how to run a coffee business.

For a more turn-key type of operation, The Coffee Beanery, a global franchise based in Michigan, provides franchisees with a wide menu of coffee based drinks as well as an attractive breakfast and lunch menus. The franchisee benefits from a proven image, a proven menu, a fully developed method of operation, and an established supply chain. It might cost more to purchase a franchise, but if you are new to business, the long term benefits might outweigh the short term higher startup costs.

Coffee News USA is a third type of coffee related business opportunity. Unlike the previous two examples, Coffee News USA does not involve making and selling coffee beverages. Instead, Coffee News is publishing opportunity in which the franchisee provides a free local edition of the weekly Coffee News newspaper to restaurants and coffee shops. The franchisor provides most of the content, and the franchisee sells advertisements to generate income.

These three business opportunities a just a few of the coffee related businesses that are available for coffee lovers. Most of the other opportunities are franchises, but not all franchises are created equal. Examining each business opportunity carefully can bring to light some important differences that might lead you to an opportunity that is better suited to you than another.

With over 300 million cups of coffee being consumed daily in the US, a coffee-related business opportunity should be a strong consideration for the enterprising coffee lover. Contact information for Mr. Churro’s, The Coffee Beanery, Coffee News USA, and more than 400 other specific business opportunities is available in the eBook, “Mind Your Business 101: How to Select & Start Your Own Business,” for only $16.98 USD at http://www.LinkertonPublishing.com.

Author: C.S. Deam
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

1. The Coffee Beanery
2. It’s a Grind
3. Cuppy’s Coffee

We’d like to include Starbucks on this list as it would likely be a natural choice for many to review since it is one of the most popular coffee brands out there today. Starbucks coffee franchises, however, are not available currently.

In order to properly evaluate these businesses, let’s look at as many of the principal factors of each: business presence, coffee quality, originality, and pervasiveness of their brand name.

While many will say they focus on quality coffee, honest business, and satisfied customers, the real challenge is also knowing which coffee business is primed for massive growth in your area.

The Coffee Beanery is one of the oldest and largest coffee franchises around. Having 27 company-owned units is a plus for a franchising company since you know they started and tested their business before selling their coffee franchises. They lack exposure in many US states as they are only in 9 states presently with 159 franchised outlets. This could present a problem especially if you want to leverage the brand name in your market which could be undeveloped. This usually tends to increase the marketing investment to generate publicity.

If you are tired of coffee shops which place too much emphasis on current fads and trends for both their atmosphere and their products, you may be ready for the It’s a Grind opportunity. They have not lost sight of what is truly important in the coffee world – good coffee and ambiance. If you think about it, that’s the main point of drinking coffee – enjoying every cup.

A good coffee company is only as good as its coffee. It’s A Grind does not need the kinds of odd creations you may find in other coffee shops, because quality coffee does not need to hide behind frills. Instead, you will have the finest and tastiest coffee to be found anywhere. They import coffee from around the world, resulting in a nice variety of coffees from which you can choose your favorite or try something new. Their selection of coffees give each a classic taste that is memorable and delicious. As each stage of the roasting process is carefully overseen to ensure perfect quality and taste, every cup of coffee will be a delightful experience.

Although shops have been opened in many areas around the United States, It’s A Grind still maintains it’s originality. You can find plenty of trendy coffee chains nearly anywhere you go, but you will not find anything quite like them. The emphasis on presenting the very best coffee simply cannot be matched.

In addition to appreciating the high-quality products offered by your coffee house, your customers will become regular customers because it will be unique to your location. Unlike some coffee chains, which you can see a number of in any city, their coffee houses are not mass-produced. If you choose to open and operate one, there will not be others to compete with in your area. Starbucks, on the other hand, has aggressively opened stores around the US causing cannibalization of their own outlets which leads to underperformance overall. The policy of allowing only one franchise in a specified territory is greatly beneficial to the success of your coffee business. Sometimes, less is more.

Cuppy’s Coffee approaches their business from a unique angle. They emphasize delivering your drink, whether a smoothie or blended coffee “in under a minute”. For those in a hurry, this may be a good approach. For other customers, fast may not matter to them. It will cater to that niche of impatient, “gotta-have-it-now” crowd that seems to be growing in numbers.

Cuppy’s is established in USA, South Africa, and Canada with around 375 outlets in all. With just 49 franchises, they have a large number of corporate-owned outlets and can be considered a late player in the coffee franchise business entering the market in 2006.

The standards of a good coffee house are primarily based on presenting high quality, good tasting products to its customers in an environment people enjoy visiting. When you decide to open your own coffee house outlet, you will be able to put these values into action while gaining all of the benefits of a profitable business venture.

Franchising is a great way to get into the business and you’ll see franchises sprout up for a variety of industries. This is a testament to the popularity and success of franchising as a proven model to get into a business you may not have any experience or training.

If you decide that a certain franchise is for you, all three coffee franchises will provide all of the training and support that you will need to make your business venture a success. Even if you have not had any prior experience in retail coffee sales, your motivation to do well and your determination to succeed can make a coffee house franchise the opportunity of a lifetime. With the franchisors’ ongoing support and systems, you will increase your probabilities of success.

Author: Stewart Baker
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Coffee shops are a good investment just like any other food product is. Undoubtedly the most important aspect of setting up a coffee shop (like any normal business) is deciding on a location. It really depends on your preference but if you ask me, you would want your coffee shop to be around people who take the same path on an everyday basis or around college campuses. Why there? People on the go usually don’t have time to brew coffee anymore, if you’re there, they turn to you for their everyday fix. Coffee shops around schools seem is a good idea because students need that little quiet place to study. Libraries don’t allow drinks and food and most of these students would need pick-me-uppers to get through their studies. It’s simple. It’s logical.

Get your business plan straight. It does not cost much to actually start a coffee business if you would stick to basics and drop gourmet coffee. Leave the fancy coffee to the big players, work on your niche. Offer something unique and make names for your coffee. Know how much goes to production, to services and to lease if you’re renting out the place. It is important to see where your money goes and how it comes back to you (and to make sure it comes back).

Do not hold back on equipment. It is of great importance that you have good, functioning equipment if you’re going to run a coffee shop.

Here’s a neat trick – hire one professional barista and then make him train the other less-experienced ones. You’d be saving a lot in cost.

Starting a coffee shop business is not as hard as it looks. Like in any other business ventures, you need to cover the basics first. Get a credible supplier for coffee beans and other ingredients, get good equipment, get efficient manpower and make sure you have a good location. To further entice customers you can join in the campaign that promotes coffee as an excellent source of antioxidants. Bank on the fact that coffee does not only keep you up in the morning, it has also been linked to a lot of health benefits, including protection against liver and colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease, according to some recently published studies.

Health buffs would be all over that but of course they know that already so aside from the health benefits, another angle to consider is the kind of warm environment that your place offers. It’s the secret of coffee shops. The ambiance it offers makes people go back.

Kristel Nicole Eniego is part of VONCORE’s creative writing team. If you want to learn more about call centers in the Philippines or want to find out about outsourcing companies in Asia you can check her profile and give her a message.

There are many things that make up a successful business, when it comes to operating a coffee cart. Having the right equipment is needed, as well as high quality coffee and the ability to serve your customers with convenience. However, all of those things combined are not as important as one single factor, that will determine your success or failure.

That factor is location. The best cup of coffee in the world at the cheapest price is no advantage if nobody is aware you offer it. This means if you’re going to investigate into any coffee cart franchise business, or start your own business, you should first secure your location before spending any other money.

While this seems to make sense, most people do it the other way. They invest in the franchise opportunity or the business, and then they are left with a very unfavorable location, because they weren’t able to get the location they thought they could. It is essential that you are able to negotiate your location in advance before you even dream of doing anything else with your business.

After your figure out your location, then other things can be taken into consideration, such as how you plan to maximize the return on your investment, what type of equipment you will need, the design for your cart, what you will serve and so on.

If you’re thinking about investing in a franchise opportunity, then there are many choices available to you. When evaluating between the different franchise opportunities, there are certain things you need to take into consideration.

First, you have to know what your budget is, it and how much you have to invest. Keep in mind that you have to do more than come up with the initial capital, but also cover the franchising fee and any other ongoing fees that may be associated with the opportunity.

Second, you have to evaluate the franchisor itself. There are many franchises that offer you a so-called “turnkey solution” that is anything but. In fact, if you have any problems or need help with your marketing or training, you might find it is impossible to get ahold of them for such support. Make sure any franchise opportunity you invest in will also offer you support. They should, considering the fees they charge for the rights to the franchise.

The coffee cart business can be very lucrative and simple to run, if you do the right amount of work. Make sure to secure your location first, and then investigate the right opportunities, and you will do well.

Want to learn more about Coffee Franchises? Steven Ross has written a comprehensive set of articles on the topic at http://www.coffeefranchise101.com

Selling food

I cant tell you much about selling food in Internet Cafes. I didn’t sell much food. I had pre-packaged food such as danishes, candy bars, and potato chips. I also sold water and soda. An interesting observation was that Coca Cola and water were the two main sellers. I could stock the fridge with 30 kinds of drinks. At the end of the day, it was the Cola and Water sold. I just sell Water and Coke now. If you have a long term lease, I would suggest opening a food portion to your internet café. Be sure to go to your local health department to find out all the rules in setting up your café. Also, be sure to look on eBay for your kitchen equipment. You can usually find restaurant equipment for 20% of the price on eBay.

Where to buy cheap PCs

We advise business owners to purchase their PC’s online. There are a great line of refurbished IBM PC’s on eBay. Its important that once you start out, you purchase the same PC’s, if possible. You’ll understand why shortly.

How to limit technical work

In the olden days, when we had PC problems we used to remove the PC, reinstall windows and all the software. This would take about 1-2 weeks before the PC was replaced. It was very annoying, it would takes hours of brainless work. Then we came up with the idea of removable hard drives. With this system, you must have all the same PC’s. You have a master copy of the hard drives. Then you use a program called True Image (www.trueimage.com) and clone your master hard drive. The cloning takes about 4 minutes. In 4 minutes you have a new drive with all the settings and no viruses. Your PC’s should also have a removable hard drive slot, you can purchase these online. You should make 5 extra clones of hard drives. If a computer is acting up, you simply take your key, open the hard drive slot, remove the old hard drive, and replace it with the new clone. That’s all. Your up and running. Once the system is set-up, maintaining a network of 10 or 1000 PC’s is effortless.

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