All the quotes below are real reviews from Texas Coffee School former students who’ve gone on to start a coffee shop or help shape the coffee industry in some way:
“Whatever you pay for [Texas Coffee School] could save you several thousand more down the road.” – Aaron P.
“Years of trial and error can be avoided by using the resources taught in this course!” – Alyssa O.
“[Texas Coffee School is] a small investment that will not only save you money in [avoiding] costly mistakes, but more importantly saving you TIME.” – Omar B.
“[Texas Coffee School has] done all the trial and error things that typical entrepreneurs lose a lot of money on when starting a business.” – Dustin S.
Are you beginning to see a theme? As most entrepreneurs come to find out, launching a business can be an expensive, time-consuming journey. That’s why our team at Texas Coffee School has identified key ways that you can save money and time—including by taking our 3-Day Coffee Business Master Class.
Read on to learn how you can maximize savings and minimize mistakes when opening your own coffee shop business.
This article’s featured image is from Texas Coffee School Coffeepreneurs® Beans and Leaves at Silo Square. Check them out in Southaven, MS.
How Entrepreneurs Can Save Time and Money When They Start a Coffee Shop
Right off the bat, there are some basic business principles that will save you time and money in the coffee shop business world. We expand more on these ideas in the classroom, but here are some tips to keep in your back pocket:
- Choose a location with the highest profit potential.
- Learn how to project start-up costs and ROI.
- Get better value in lease negotiations and avoid business-killing mistakes.
- Know exactly what is needed in the buildout to save time and money down the line.
- Research what equipment to buy.
- Project and budget five years’ worth of financials.
- Plan, cost, and price a menu.
- Manage inventory to prevent waste.
- Learn how to hire, train, and retain a great team.
And before you get too far down the road, check out our step-by-step guide for how to start a coffee shop.
Invest in a Coffee Shop Business Education
Think of it this way: Would you ever pick up a 500-page book without first learning to read? Would you DIY install a fan in your ceiling without first learning how to wire it correctly and safely? Would you make macarons or beef Wellington without first looking up a recipe?
Successfully launching a coffee shop business and making it profitable quickly is not as simple as 1-2-3. It has certainly been done before, but for the underprepared, there will typically be years of learning the hard and expensive way ahead. Our goal at Texas Coffee School is to prepare you to face what’s ahead proactively, not reactively. We will teach you every step of opening a coffee shop and making it operate profitably.
The investment in our 3-Day Coffee Business Master Class can multiply exponentially once you start earning a profit. And you’ll save yourself unnecessary expenses, wasted time, and headaches!
Avoid Costly Mistakes When You Start a Coffee Shop
Just as important as taking the right steps are avoiding the wrong mistakes. Here are six mistakes to avoid when you start a coffee shop business:
- Choosing the wrong location based on intuition, not data.
- Not investing in barista training, which otherwise can help your staff offer consistently excellent drinks and customer service.
- Neglecting the shop layout, which otherwise can make the space more functional and profitable.
- Letting operations fall to the wayside, leading to waste and constant manager oversight.
- Not prioritizing cost of goods sold, which can leak out significant money over time.
- Failing to innovate, and therefore falling behind on trends and industry standards.
Have a Vision for Long-Term Growth
Finally, it’s no secret that profit margins tend to grow as a business scales. Just look at Waterbean Coffee, owned by Texas Coffee School Coffeepreneur® Tony Vo. Having launched 14 locations in 10 years, he and his team have the process of opening a new location down to a science. Waterbean’s vertically integrated growth allows them to negotiate a lease, build out the space, roast and supply beans, and market the new location in less than a month from the time permits are issues.
Consider these efficiencies in regards to your own coffee shop, even if it’s still just a seed of an idea. What will be your unique business concept and your coffee shop’s foundation? What is your target market? In what locations might your business concept succeed? Do you plan to roast your own coffee someday? How will you delegate tasks so that you can continue to lead as your business grows?
Looking at the forest instead of the trees can help you save time and money in the long run when you start a coffee shop.
Take the First Step at Texas Coffee School
Are you ready to start your journey? Register for our 3-Day Coffee Business Master Class, no experience necessary! We’ll teach you the ins and outs of creating a business plan, finding a location, making a menu, and so much more. It’s worth every penny.
And if you’re not yet convinced of the value of attending Texas Coffee School, check out these seven things students say about our coffee shop business class.
