Entrepreneur Tips from Texas Coffee School Founder Tom Vincent
In 2009, Tom Vincent was laid off from his job as a creative director. Facing an economic recession and declining print industry, his lack of prospects sent him spiraling from a cush creative career to rock bottom. He eventually found himself donating plasma and picking up day labor gigs to scrape by.
Tom, a long-time specialty coffee enthusiast, (who by chance got to apprentice several of the most respected minds in the entire specialty coffee industry for two years) spent his last $3.00 to treat himself to a cappuccino.
A few coffee schools can teach you brewing basics, but only the best coffee schools can teach you how to start a successful business. Opening a business isn’t easy: 20% of small businesses fail within the first year. If you’re in the coffee industry for the long haul, how can you increase your coffee shop’s chances of success?
Anything worth doing is worth doing right. That’s why our coffee education courses are designed to help students develop a solid foundation for opening a coffee shop.
We know how much it takes to open a coffee shop. Our students pour their hearts, sweat, time, and savings into bringing their coffee shop visions to life. After so much work, there’s nothing more satisfying than turning on the “Open” sign on your brand new business. Unless nobody comes in, that is.
Before you can successfully open a coffee shop (and every day after), you’ll rely on effective marketing tactics to help you bring customers through your door.
Many of our incoming coffee business students ask us for a successful coffee shop to study as they create their own business plan. In 2020, we shared success stories from some of our former students who have recently opened coffee shops. We showcased the resilience, business savvy, and innovation of small business owners throughout the country. These Coffeepreneurs® did more than keep their businesses alive in a roller coaster year. They found ways to thrive.
Why Veterans Tend to Make Successful Coffee Shop Owners
At Texas Coffee School, we have the honor of meeting all kinds of aspiring coffee shop owners. Many of our students attend our classes when they’re making a career transition. We’ve worked with former doctors, teachers, lawyers, and all types of professionals. But there’s one group of people we’ve watched become successful coffee shop owners time after time: United States military veterans.
It’s easy to confirm that veterans make great entrepreneurs.