The Coffeepreneur is Back    Coffee Talk : July 2008

Hugh invented a new member of the team last year who is essential to coffee profits. He's back for the Summer.

We all know its always about the people and a fantastic goal of a really effective business is to Entrepreneurialise every job. In a big company these people are called Intrapreneurs and there is merit in applying these principles to small businesses too and merge with the traditional Entrepreneur.

Think its all about the Barista ? Well here is the 2007 updated Top 20 for all Coffeepreneurs ;

The Coffeepreneur understands that quality is the price of entry and the ability to produce consistently great tasting coffee is the key to his profitability.

The Coffeepreneur knows exactly where he is going and will enjoy the journey. This means that he is guided by his strategy rather than dictated by it. The secret is that he has one.

The Coffeepreneur knows his coffee and is very discerning about his Origins, Blends and Roasts. He realises he cannot be all men to everything and does not need to be an expert so he is particularly shrewd about his partners.

The Coffeepreneur knows that his espresso machine is the engine of his business and is not only fussy about what he buys but who he buys it from because he is very aware that the equipment is only as good as the person who technically sets it up and looks after it.

The Coffeepreneur loves drinking coffee and is always tasting everybody else’s to benchmark his own. It is this process that teaches him to evaluate and respect fine coffee and he never buys on price.

Coffee business suppliers are challenged to change the way they think about how they market their products. Those that can rise to this challenge are rewarded with the loyalty of The Coffeepreneur

The Coffeepreneur is not in a hurry and because he is focused and well organised he has the patience that will make it happen. He knows very well that time is not money, time is everything and has the ability not to confuse this important principle with too much quick fix behaviour. He is a well balanced individual.

The Coffeepreneur respects his customers time and wouldn’t dare waste it. He communicates continuously that great coffee takes a little time and creates the desire ….. faster than the next guy.

The Coffeepreneur is sensual. He appeals to all the senses of his customers not only maximising his opportunity but creating a fabulous total coffee experience – It looks, sounds, smells, tastes and feels great.

The Coffeepreneur loves what he does and does what he loves. He is focused on doing what he is best at. More importantly he knows.

The Coffeepreneur pursues innovation. Innovation is kaizen, continuous improvement, for customers. He knows that every business must innovate meaningfully while creating value.

The Coffeepreneur understands the power of location and particularly locations within locations. He always is lucky enough to be on the ‘right side of the road’ because he has gone that extra mile researching the opportunity and has asked the right questions.

The Coffeepreneur operates according to his plan. He is disciplined and organised and always does what he says. He is also flexible and able to re-prioritise based on his objectives and not somebody else’s.

The Coffeepreneur is results driven and not into growth for growth sake. He does not make false promises or go into badly thought out diversification of his core expertise. He is too focused for that – and too smart.

The Coffeepreneur has the right attitude. He also has the insight to know that the right attitude has to be apparent in every communication. This is why his customers like him and the bottom line is that we do business with people who we like.

The Coffeepreneur gets emotional and is sometimes unreasonable. The essential difference between emotion and reason is that emotion leads to actions while reason leads to conclusions.

The Coffeepreneur is a team player and he understands that his business is dependent on many people – customers, employees, suppliers, business partners and mentors. He is well aware of the power of synergy and the principle of 1+1 equalling 3.

The Coffeepreneur is enthusiastic and passionate because he cares. This positive approach recognises that life is not always a bed of roses and he is capable of removing the barriers that prevents progress keeping his perspective and sense of humour. This spreads to everyone and is contagious.

The Coffeepreneur is a realist. He grasps current reality and measures and evaluates things on what is happening as opposed to what should be. He lives in the present ….. understands the past and is excited by the future.

Of course one of my favourite mantra’s is the 80/20 rule. 80% of your effectiveness comes from 20% of your actions and The Coffeepreneur is very clear and naturally applies this to everything he does. Big isn’t beautiful, small isn’t beautiful its simple that’s beautiful for today’s Coffeepreneur.