Previous Page

Plan for success, insure against mistakes.  If you plan for low volume, you will have low volume.  If you plan for high volume but get low volume, make sure your insurance is good.  Go to The Well.

Vision is a very helpful tool for the entrepreneur.  If you see the conditions you use to determine success it is far more likely that you will create them.  This is real important in constructing your business and in life;  in my opinion, it is The critical piece.  

See the crowds?  See the people serving the crowds?  Smiling faces?  Entertainers?  See what you want.  Then build a plan in your mind and on paper (paper is for the bank - they always ask for it but never read this paper plan).  Build the plan in your head.  See it.  Imagine what it will look like.  If you can't see it, then maybe don't do it.  Seeing it brings focus, attention, action and a plan.  It is good if you have the vision.

Does your location support this vision?  No?  Get another.

Success is a vital part of business.  Plan for it.  Plan for the crowds, the volume demands that go with it, the staff that is needed to supply it, the money that is needed to supply the supplies and the staff.  Plan for success!  Put the ingredients in place.  You will do this for a good espresso, do it for the business.

Is this Planning for Success?  Trust yourself - Commit

Silly you say.  Why not month to month on the rent?  (Because you are planning on escaping).

Why is a 1 year lease bad (because you are planning on how to get out if ... )?  If you hit a home run (why not) with a one year lease you can bet your espresso you will share your wealth with your landlord, and this can be fatal.

Why not buy? 

Why accept loaner equipment? (because I might not .... or, because I don't have enough money - you need to have enough money).   Plan for success and flexibility.  Freedom.

Have you seen twenty five other sites?  

Have you joined the SCAA?   www.scaa.org

Have you tasted Ethiopian Yrgacheffe? Want to? Yes!  (Send me an e-mail and put in it the subject "send me Yrga Cheffe").

Plan for success and you will be successful.

You will figure out how to fix a Bunn Brewer, but anyway, they rarely break.

There also comes a time when you must stop the planning and go.  Open.  Stop fretting.  Trust yourself, trust your work, trust your vision, open.

My First Store - I ran out of mugs on Dec 17th!

My first store was a mall coffee bar, bean store and gift store in one.  I signed the lease on November 7th, 1990 and I opened November 14th,1990.  One week.  I knew exactly what I was going to do.  I had visited a zillion stores, made arrangements with suppliers, knew the layout, the merchandising, the menu, the baskets, the gifts, the name, and I was working on creating the opportunity when along came a mall and said yes.

I was ready and I said go.  Now I have to tell you that I ran out of mugs on December 17th.  This is not good and you do not want to have this happen.  But the reason I ran out of mugs one week before Christmas was that I was successful.  I sold more than I ever dreamed I would.  I had plenty of coffee and plenty of energy, but not enough mugs.  I had not planned for success in mugs.  So I went to The Well.

This will sound nuts, but I actually went to the local drug store, bought all their mugs for like $3 each, went back to the store and sold them for $6 and made baskets with their mugs, and had a heck of time and I still have one of those mugs on my wall.  I will never forget it.  Remember the mugs.  Plan for success.