Great Business Opportunity for Coffee-Loving Entrepreneurs
Do you love coffee? Are you health conscious? How would you like to start a rewarding new business? Opening your own coffee shop could be the opportunity of your dreams.
An article in Forbes online says, “According to the NCA [National Coffee Association], 80% of Americans drink coffee, and more than half of the population drinks it every day.” Wow! How often do you find a product that 80% of the population wants, and half of us consume every day? In addition, coffee shops have become the social hubs of our communities. Did you know that a new Starbucks store opens somewhere in the world every day?
Coffee for health
An Arabian legend tells of a goatherd who made a beverage from berries growing on strange shrubs, and after drinking it experienced extraordinary lucidity and wakefulness. The shrubs were said to have been planted by the descendants of the Queen of Sheba, who came from Ethiopia, where Coffea arabica originates.
The Forbes article adds, “Despite earlier beliefs that coffee has negative health effects, it is becoming increasingly clear that the opposite is in fact the case. Coffee consumption is now being linked to the lowered occurrence of cases of certain cancers and chronic diseases. One study, conducted by the Harvard University School of Public Health, shows that the risk for developing Type II diabetes is lower among regular coffee drinkers. There are even studies that link coffee to added endurance during physical workouts.”
Many of coffee’s healthful qualities come from its abundance of antioxidants. The health benefits of coffee include:
–Reduced risk of cancer, especially colon and bladder
–Increased good (HDL) cholesterol; decreased bad (LDL) cholesterol
–Reduced risk of heart disease
–Reduced risk of strokes
–Reduced incidence of kidney stones and liver cirrhosis
–Reduced incidence of Type 2 diabetes
–Reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease
–Decline in levels of depression and anxiety
–Asthma relief
–Relief of malaise associated with the common cold
–Increased speed of information processing, alertness, energy, endurance, motivation, and concentration (with important implications for night shift workers and for drivers, as well as anyone wanting to remain productive on the job after lunch)
–Soothes headaches (caffeine is a vaso-constrictor–that’s why it’s a major ingredient in headache remedies)
–Science has debunked myths that caffeine contributes to breast cancer, bladder cancer, ulcers, indigestion, and osteoporosis
–Harmless during pregnancy; children are no more sensitive to caffeine than adults
–Last but not least, caffeine stimulates metabolism
Not to neglect tea or tea drinkers: according to Tribute to Tea online, “Tea’s rising popularity has encouraged entrepreneurs to open tea shops around the country, even in rural communities such as Newton, N.J.; Carefree, Ariz.; and Anoka, Minn., where people sit for a while and enjoy a pot or a cup. And even in coffee-loving Seattle.”
Tea holds its own in the health department, too: it’s a source of flavonoids; vitamins A and B6, thiamin, and riboflavin; nicotinic, pantothenic, ascorbic, and folic acids; manganese, potassium, and fluoride. Tea is being studied for its benefits in enhancing immune function, lowering LDL and raising HDL levels, reducing blood pressure, thinning blood, reducing the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cancer, increasing longevity, aiding digestion, and promoting dental health.
What about the addiction question? Neither coffee nor other caffeine-containing products are classified by drug dependence experts as addictive. Coffee drinkers do not exhibit the behaviors that define addiction–severe withdrawal symptoms, tolerance, the need to consume the addictive substance at all costs, and antisocial behavior including crimes.
Coffee as a business
An article at Java Bean Review online gives us “The 7 Deadly Sins of Coffee Shop Entrepreneurs”:
–Starting to spend your money and time without testing your business plan
–Listening too much to friends, family, and suppliers
–Choosing the wrong location
–Weak untested brand
–Not knowing how to design your work environment for speed and efficiency
–Poor menu design – too long or too short with an unproven mix
–Poorly trained employees
By opting for a franchise (a pre-packaged business complete with existing brand, business systems, and suppliers), you skip some of the many decisions and loads of work that traditionally accompany a business startup. “A franchise offers you the opportunity to go into business for yourself, but not by yourself and they have already addressed the 7 Deadly Sins,” the Java Bean Review article concludes.
Have the best of all worlds: operate a coffee shop that also serves tea–or vice-versa. Add a drive-through for customers who are in a hurry and aren’t shopping for the social factor.
Besides your coffee supplier, you’ll need a marketing expert. Be sure to find one who loves coffee as much as you do!
Lisa J. Lehr is a freelance copywriter specializing in direct response and marketing collateral, with a special interest in the health, pets, specialty foods, and inspirational/motivational/self-help niches. She has a degree in biology, has worked in a variety of fields including pharmaceuticals and teaching, and has volunteered for many causes including special-needs kids and literacy. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, art, music, outdoor exercise, and all things Celtic and Renaissance.
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