How to Manage a Coffee House
If you love coffee and want to start your own business, opening a coffee house may be a good choice. But simply finding the venue, hiring employees and ordering products isn't enough. The real work starts after your shop opens, when you'll be responsible for the day-to-day operations necessary to run it smoothly and successfully. Managing a business takes more than a bachelor's degree or even an M.B.A. You'll need to balance any business education you have with the passion to succeed and managerial know-how that can only be acquired through experience.
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Instructions
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Manage your coffee house's employees fairly. You are responsible for handling your baristas' hiring, firing, complaints and problems. Teach them the customer-service basics, from how to prepare orders to what to do if a customer complains about an order. Train them on the products that you offer, and be patient. Learning to make dozens of drink combinations takes time, and no one is perfect. Your baristas will respect you if you guide them with compassion and show that you care about the work that they do for you.
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Maintain your coffee house's product inventory and equipment. Keep a list of the supplies you have and monitor how quickly you use them to gauge when you need to order more supplies. Inspect all equipment in your coffee house on a weekly basis to be sure that everything is functioning properly. If an employee points out a problem with equipment or products, attend to it immediately to ensure that your shop is safe and clean for your employees and your customers.
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Develop a budget for your shop using the inventory records you've kept and your employees' payroll. Stick to your budget as closely as you can. Investing in an accounting software program can help you manage expenses and monitor your budget.
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Plan a marketing strategy for your coffee house. Owning your own shop can be tough if you are going up against successful chain coffee houses. Think about why your customers should choose your coffee shop over a chain and advertise these qualities. Perhaps you offer unique drinks or food that customers cannot get at a chain, or you offer a different atmosphere or better hours. Place ads in your local newspaper and send mailings to local residents to let them know about your shop.
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References
- Photo Credit coffee and coffee-beans image by Dmitri MIkitenko from Fotolia.com
