So you just started your coffee business, now what? It’s estimated that people consumed approximately 169.34 million bags of coffee in 2019/20 worldwide. Impressive right?! That’s right, coffee is a big business and its probably why you started other than just the love of your favorite brew. Yes, coffee is clearly the beverage of choice for millions of people all over the world, and its one of the reasons why we started our amazing magazine. But you can’t solely rely on popularity alone to help your coffee shop or coffee business get off the ground and thrive!
The coffee industry is enormous, take a look out these coffee statistics by the numbers.
For a budding entrepreneur, these numbers may present the illusion that great opportunities exist, unfortunately this is far from the truth. The market is tough, even more so after the impact of the pandemic. Apart from competing with similar businesses, coffee shops also compete with chain stores and instant coffee brands.
The struggle is indeed real, which is why we have created a guide on how to start your own coffee shop wherein we emphasised the need to do extensive research of your coffee niche, assuming that you have passed the phase of selecting the product you are selling, the packaging, and now all you have to do is sell right? The next part you have to execute is an effective marketing strategy! We know how important costs are right now during your startup phase, which is why we are going to give you some simple tips on how to make your coffee business stand out from the rest, and no we are not going to tell you to create an online presence, use social media or work with influencers. Though that is important too, you need to differentiate your coffee brand from the rest. Below we have set out 5 secret tips (well not so secret after you read this), that could very well set you on the path to becoming the next Costa or Starbucks.
- Creating a customer experience
The best form of marketing is your customer themselves, they will tell your story which is the crux of experiential marketing. How are you treating your customers? Are you making them wait longer than 3 minutes for their favourite cup of java? So even if its in your sampling strategy, provide a level of excellence which allows your consumers to experience your brand and what you intend to stand out for as a brand.
- Experts in the field
Accountants and lawyers sell their expertise in the market… why aren’t you Mr or Mrs Coffee Entrepreneur? Do your staff know the difference between a cappuccino or a latte? Building a brand through your expertise allows you to create an inherent demand so that your customers are chasing you because you make them feel better. Become the coffee expert in your market!
- Creating an environment which excites the market
In our article on coffee after the pandemic we shared some amazing tips on coffee trends, Starbucks provides free wifi for their customers, what are you doing to make your environment exciting for your customer? Creating safe places, or innovative spaces for the youth are smart niches. Obviously its dependent on the market you are in but you smart enough to figure it out.
- Make your recipe pop!
Other than your service, you need to ask what sets you apart from the coffee shop down the road? Well it may be important to have innovative recipes. Our coffee re-treat section of our magazine has the best kept secrets in the market on coffee right now, but don’t let us tell you. Surprise the market, from a normal cuppa with a honey topping, to something new like bubblegum flavored coffee, make your coffee brew pop to draw in that untapped market.
- Consistency is King
They say you must not be scared of change, that’s true, but a lot of times your customers are. So ensure you are consistent across the board when it comes to your operations, recipes and customers experience. People are creatures of habbit, if they like you they come…. Everyday if they can and if you decide you are going to change this consistency, ensure that they know what that change is and engage them, especially those coffee vip’s of yours.
Now that you have our secret tips the rest is up to you! Share your story with our editorial team and we may just feature you in our digital magazine. Please also sign up to our newsletter for amazing coffee content like this as well as potential discounts from our partners.
