The Mobile Coffee Bar: Journey from Idea to Business Plan
For as far back as I can remember I have always wanted to own my own coffee shop. In high school my nickname was “Starbuck”, some of my most fond, exhausting and rewarding memories involve midnight cups of coffee in the library to carry me through my postgraduate dissertation and in the workforce, my cubicle’s coffee corner was dubbed “Café Calvert”.
Then, December of 2018 marked a milestone setting me on this business path when I purchased the Breville Barista Touch. I had been eyeing and researching models for ages so I finally decided to treat myself with the birthday and Christmas money saved over the years (I'm a saver, not a spender!)
I jokingly said that I should set up a little stand and sell the coffee I made to earn some of the money back from the purchase. After going to a local high school craft fair, I realized that what was missing was a coffee stand to complement the plethora of baked goods. It was then that I thought my silly musing was not such a bad idea.
I got the opportunity to bring Café Calvert to a larger audience in October of 2019 when I had my very own stand at another high school’s fall craft fair. I had such a wonderful time choosing the décor, designing the menu, arranging the setup and baking pies and breads to sell. To my surprise, I did really well and sold out all of the baked goods!
This success only fueled my desire to develop a side coffee business. I had fallen in love with the idea of a mobile coffee bar instead of a brick and mortar store. It seemed the more achievable goal to begin, and as the business grew, it could progress into a permanent café. I had the experience with digital marketing and events but what I needed was time to pull the fragments of a vision into a cohesive business model.
Unfortunately, in my career and line of work, I upheld a jam-packed schedule and was traveling almost constantly. It was in 2019 through January 2020 that I was reaching a breaking point and wished more than ever that I had time to pursue my other goals.
Then before we knew it – we were in the midst of a global pandemic and businesses came to a standstill. Like millions of others, I joined the furloughed club the end of May and set to work, determined to make this dream a reality.
COVID-19 had given me the gift of time and I wasn't going to waste it.
I was encouraged by the reactions I received when talking my plans over with friends and family. One friend gave me the idea to start a GoFundMe page as others like her would be willing to contribute to get the idea off the ground. I was skeptical to put myself out there and ask for supporting funds but I was blown away by the generosity not only of my network but of strangers on the platform!
Since May I have been searching for a perfect trailer along with:
putting together the business plan
building business, audience and content strategies
defining the brand mission, voice and visual representation
keyword research
setting up social channels and building the website (going fully live soon!)
learning about the new world of construction, restoration and remodel techniques from colleagues and YouTube
drawing inspiration and guidance from fellow entrepreneurs, hours of LinkedIn Learning courses and even MasterClass courses by Sara Blakely, Jeff Goodby & Rich Silverstein and Ana Wintour
educating myself on the various company organizational structures, tax requirements, insurance and licensing required
Being an entrepreneur and starting a business is hard work and extremely time consuming when you are trying to start with your best foot forward.
I want to create a unique environment that serves delicious hand-crafted coffee and focuses on the very reason why people drink coffee. We drink coffee when we need motivation to succeed. We drink coffee to recharge and reconnect with ourselves and our loved ones. The Traveling Pheasant is here to provide that fuel and opportunity.
Each day is progress and I am thankful for the opportunity to create and for the support of those around me.
Remember to subscribe & follow me along this journey!
Raising a cup to realizing goals,
Heather
Side note: The GoFundMe campaign is still live and I am happy to anyone who is able to spare any change to help reach my goal! Although my budget contained a contingency fund, I am discovering more things popping up and every bit helps.
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