Back to Basics

I have spent the past several hours thinking about our next move for Cafe Evoke. In what part of town should we be trying to locate? What type of building do we really want? How much can we afford to pay? All of these things are creeping around in my head as I find myself in some what of a new position. We have been focusing so much on what I am calling "matured planning." What I mean here is that we have been talking to vendors about inventory and what we will serve, we have been talking with people who would like to work with us, and planning our floor layout. These are all great things for us to be doing and we needed to be doing them since we did sign a lease and pay our deposit and first months rent before getting it back 2 weeks later. Where does this leave us? At the beginning. We have not been back at this point for awhile and it is a bit unsettling right now. I do believe we are much better equipped for the journey this time around that the previous 2 times we have begun looking for a space and when we find that right space, we will be ready to go forward with agility and speed. I felt it was time to re-visit the business plan. I spent a good year working on that and have since basically put it aside and watched it collect dust. This is a working, living document that will have to be changed as our experience and education of the coffee industry has changed drastically in the past several months. Not only have we flat out learned more but we have attached ourselves to beliefs and values through this industry that are more important now than ever before. It is becoming more of a passion now that ever. Not just about drinking coffee as an end user but embracing the process of coffee -- from berry to cup. Going back to this document will give us something to stand on as we venture out and find a home for Cafe Evoke. I heard many people say that your business plan is not a final word on your business, but a tool to help you grow and understand what you are truly doing. I agree.. ~~be bold