Are you dreaming of starting your own café?
You have come to the right place!
Starting a café means starting a business, and many of the principles that apply for any other business also apply for starting a café. At the same time, a café is also run in a completely different way than many other businesses, and therefore, there are a number of different things you need to know and take into consideration in order to make your café business a great café!
Starting a successful business is not the easiest thing to do, but it is certainly not impossible to do. Below are our best tips for starting your own café. For additional tips, you can also go here to learn about starting your café more in-depth.
Set a vision
First and foremost, you must set a vision for your café. What do you want to achieve with your café and what do you want it to become? Visualize what you want your café to look like and what feeling and vibe it should mediate,
Is it a bit dark but cozy? Do you have sofas, armchairs, and low tables? Are interiors designed according to a certain feeling or style? Setting a vision for how you want your café to look is important. This gives you a goal to strive for and it also makes it easier to see if a certain site has the size to enable your ideas.
Make a proper business plan for your café
A business plan is a way for you to assess whether your idea is feasible and can work. A business plan is a foundation for all businesses, and starting a café is no different. There are many templates to be found online. The points you should cover in your business plan for cafes include what you offer, who your target group is, why they should choose you, and how you must reach them. An excellent business plan can help you get financial loans from accredited lenders, such as Kapitus, to finance your business.
Get a good POS system
Getting a good pos system is crucial for any café and restaurant as it has a great effect on the efficiency and service of your business. With a good POS system like Poster POS, you can streamline your whole operation by handling sales, manage your inventory, finances, and analytics, and much more.
Create a budget with the costs of starting your own café
Starting a café isn’t free, and there are many different costs associated with getting started.
One of the most important parts of your business plan is the budget. This is where you calculate what your investment will cost and how much you need to earn to be able to run your café. You also need to check what equipment you need and what it costs, such as a coffee maker, cash register, commercial dishwasher, commercial ice maker machine, refrigerator, and so on. Also include costs such as rent, furnishings and anything else you can think of. Some things are one-time costs and others are recurring. However, it is important to remember that this is only a preliminary estimate of how it will go. It can be difficult to know exactly how much different things will cost, or exactly how well your café will perform.
Research your market
Market research can be done in several ways. In its simplest form, it’s about researching which competitors you have, what makes these places special, and what their range looks like. Evaluate the area in which you plan on opening your café and try to understand the competitors in this area. Is the target group large enough for the area you plan to establish? What are the successful cafés in that area doing that makes them stand out? Make sure you do proper market research to get a better understanding of all of these important things before you begin.
Explore new areas with high potential when you start your own café
Part of your market research should also consist of researching different areas. If you have a particular area in mind, spend a day there. Count how many potential customers pass by your potential location. Notice what times they visit. You may find that many people go to work in the morning and many families with children or retirees in the morning. Maybe there are more people or fewer than you thought in a certain area. Understanding the area is crucial for understanding if there is a large enough customer base for opening your café there.
Be aware of any permits required
When you start your own café, there are several rules and permits to know. Are you planning to serve alcoholic beverages? Are you going to play music? Will you rebuild a room so that it is equipped with a kitchen or do you use a place that is already used for café and restaurant operations? Do you want to build an outdoor restaurant during the summer? Do you want to market yourself with signs on the sidewalk? All of these things and many more may require different types of permits, from building permits to outdoor dining permits.
Before you begin, make sure that you research all the permits you may need for your café.
Be prepared to work hard
Starting your own business, especially in the café and restaurant industry, involves a lot of work. Be prepared that your workdays will start early and end late, especially in the beginning when you are trying to make your business work. Once you have managed to get past the first few years, it will usually be easier to run your café. Just be aware that opening a café is not easy and requires hard work, so you know what you are jumping into and are prepared.
Mistakes that many make when starting a café
Some café owners start spending money and time before they have really analyzed whether the café has a reasonable chance of operating as a company. You simply have to sit down and make a clear business plan and see if it is possible to translate your dreams into reality.
Make sure you market your café
Not doing the proper marketing of your café is a common mistake. In order for people to find and visit you, they need to know why you exist and be tempted to visit. Don’t just open their café and hope that people will come by. Your job is to constantly create new activities that make people aware that this is where you are going.
Decorate properly
Make sure that you decorate your café properly so that it is inviting and has a nice feeling for the customers. It should be pleasant, cozy, and nice to visit you so that people want to stay and return. Therefore, decorate correctly so you achieve this.
Have a good menu
A common mistake that cafés have is that they have menus that are too large and difficult to master. Make sure you have good, simple menus that reflect what you are trying to achieve and offer. It’s generally better to have too little to choose from rather than too much.
