Coffee Houses or Coffee Chains?

We have talked quite a bit about thinking like your customers and giving them what they want. We have really been trying to integrate these type of ideas into our business planning with Cafe Evoke and we have made it a priority to server our community and our customers. The Entrepreneurial Mind turned me on to a post that was talking about this same thin. Anita Campbell at Small Business Trends offered this post on how independent coffeehouses understand their market. I have shared this feeling for the past year. The great thing about going independent (to drink coffee) is that you have a flexible model and direct contact between owners and customers. There is a friendship created in the idependent setting that is lost in the giants. If you read through the comments that were posted at this site, you will find a great list of things from Valdis Krebs, a social network analysis. He offers the following to remember if you want to start a business with coffee and wifi... For the coffee/wifi entrepreneur... * make the wifi free with purchase * make sure you have plenty of connections/routers[Arabica UC was quickly overloaded when many laptops show up] * have an updated and informative web page * find a good pastry vendor * stay open long hours [6am to midnight?] * make sure you have plenty of outlets for electricity * to rent computers charge reasonable rates... maybe do a special: unlimited coffee&computer over 2/4/6/8 hours for X dollars. * Mix of tables and soft furniture * Invite the bloggers on openeing day Have a great one.. --be bold