It is time for running a coffee shop after you have completed all the initial setups for opening a coffee shop. You feel a sense of satisfaction of finally owning a coffee shop. But this is not the time to enjoy yourself. You must be ready to work hard for the day to day tasks of running a coffee shop. It takes dedication and passion to be successful.
Running a coffee shop-What Does It Take?
No1: Offer only quality products
Customers are tightening their wallet and purses in this economy. However, they will still want to spend a little more on small luxury like a good cup of coffee. They know that they have a lot of choices and they are will not be hesitant to go to another coffee shop if the coffee’s quality if not to their taste.
No 2: Customer Service
Besides the products, your customers are going to remember the excellent service that they experienced. So is vice versa. Studies have shown that when your customer is satisfied with your level of service, they will tell two other people. However, when they are unhappy, they will tell seven people. So, as part of running a coffee shop, it is paramount to train your staff to be helpful and courteous.
No 3: Train and manage staffs in the operations process
To provide customers the consistent level of service, it is important to set up standard operating procedures for all the staffs to follow. This involves setting up the coffee equipment in a certain way so that the staff can make them in an efficient way. Do not keep the customers waiting for their orders. To achieve the level of desired efficiency, you need to provide training to your staffs while running a coffee shop. When your business has the traffic to support a lot of staffs, you may encounter staff management problems. This is where staff selection skills come in when running a coffee shop. You want to employ people with strong work ethics. Then, you need to assign them to the tasks according to their strengths. As an owner, you also must be strong in making sure their customer service is top notch.
No 4: Manage cash flow and operations
You may not be able to afford a book keeper in the beginning, so you need to keep a very close eye on the business cash flow. All the collection tiles for the day must be deposited promptly into the bank. Payments to staffs and suppliers are to be planned in advance when running a coffee shop. That means you have to teach yourself inventory management and negotiations with suppliers for credit terms. At every week or month, you need to balance the accounts.
No 5: Minimize disruptions to your coffee business
You also act the role as a crisis manager while running a coffee shop. That means you have to observe Murphy’s Law, which basically states that anything bad that may happen will happen. You have to learn how to deal with crisis. It can something as simple as a barista going on leave and looking for someone to replace him. Or it may be disaster like a fire in the kitchen. You must have a backup plan for any contingency when running a coffee shop which may involve having sufficient insurance or a second coffee equipment.
No 6: Be aware of coffee shop trends
Consumer taste change everyday and so is trends for coffee shop business. You must keep up with the changes and be sensitive to the consumers’ needs while running a coffee shop. Students and professional on the move want a place to work with their notebooks, so you may want to provide a place with Wiifi. You need to balance this against the costs of additional electricity and Wiifi facilities.
Another trend while running a coffee shop to note is the busy morning crowd that needs the morning caffeine. They need a reliable coffee shop that can gives them quality but affordable breakfast. If you can satisfy their needs, they will be your raving fans.
Whatever concept you adopt, make sure that you put your ear on the ground for the latest hot trends while running a coffee shop. This is a good way to stay on with the competition and grow your business.
Conclusion for running a coffee shop
After reading through all the tips, you should be aware that there are a lot of things you need to learn on the job for running a coffee shop business. You have to position yourself as a project manager and be able to multi-task. That means you must be open to learn new things and approach problems in a new way. You must be willing to put in the effort when the trend changes. Above all, have an excellent customer service and be receptive to the customers’ needs.
Resources for running a coffee shop
Find out how you can start your own coffee shop using less than $25,000 or less and none from your own pocket. Check out this book on starting a coffee shop. It also covers on running a coffee shop successfully.
