A Successful Weekend

It was a long weekend and I needed it. We had an event on Saturday evening and one on Sunday morning (both of which were cash bar) that were very busy. We then loaded the trailer, got some lunch, picked up a few more supplies, and heading to our first hosted event. It was an engagement party that was thrown in a house not to far from ours and it went great. I was a bit concerned about it as I was not sure how we were going to get our 200 pound (or more) cart up 3 steps and into the house. My father in law helped us install ply wood on an ATV trailer ramp which will fold and fit in our trailer. It worked perfectly. We found out that it takes 3 people to get it up there as one needs to hold the equipment but it was not bad at all. We are working on some advertising and marketing plans right now that should help us get out and to the community a bit more. My "to-do" list is not huge for this week but it is as follows: 1. Budgets 2. Financial forecasts/Reporting system's 3. Change Corporate Address 4. Marketing/Advertising Plan 5. Gift Certificate Idea/Approval 6. Pick up Brewer and Aprons 7. Talk with Local Roaster about setting up an account 8. Finalize Insurance Situation You will notice that a few of these things were on last week's list. As it stands now, everything we make is going back into the business. While Jenni and I both working full time, we want to be able to make some sort of small leap in the direction of our breakeven point before having to pay payroll. We have not had any outside calls -- other than for the party we did on Sunday -- yet but still have the Saturday and Sunday gigs which will help. I would like to see that bring in a couple of hundred dollars each weekend. We are about half that right now. I am happy with how things are going so far. I have been trying to get our name listed on the websites that feature different catering companies and party planning guides which is taking quite awhile. I think it will pay off in the end, however. I hope that within a week, we will begin having some calls and interest in having Cafe Evoke Catering come to parties across town. ..be bold Tagged: Cafe Evoke Catering, coffee, bozeman, montana,espresso

Have A Great Memorial Day

Have a great Memorial Day today and thanks to everyone who helps make the United States a great place to be. ..be bold (ps. for those looking for the Coffee and Tea Festival, I have pushed it back a week because of the holiday. Thanks) Tagged: Memorial Day, Cafe Evoke Catering, Coffee and Tea Festival

Is It Just Cafe Evoke?

So, let me tell you a little bit about my newest frustration. This frustration occurs in the midst of things going very well with Cafe Evoke Catering which is a drag. As you know, Cafe Evoke (the coffee house) has erupted it's share of hard times and tough situations. Cafe Evoke Catering has been relatively smooth so far which has been fantastic. There is one area that we are having a hard time with, however. Insurance. Here is our situation. We have to have the car and trailer insured by our auto insurance (liability and physical damage). The business and the contents of the trailer -- and the trailer itself -- have to be insured by a business insurance company. The auto policy has been a breeze as the company I have been working with has been the best I have ever seen (thank you Holly!). The business insurance on the other hand has been about as useful as the stuff I clean up in my backyard (after the dog). Here's how it has worked so far: I have been trying to get a business insurance quote from a company here in Bozeman for two weeks now. I called two weeks ago and talked with a lady who told me she would call back in several days. When a week went by, I called back and found that nothing had even been entered into their system for us so I started over with someone else. I explained what a coffee catering company did and always referred to is as our "coffee catering company." She took all of our information and we talked about experience, etc. She said she would get back with me early next week (that was supposed to be this week). I followed up with her today [Friday, May 26] as I have not heard and she says.. "I am confused, you keep referring to your company as a "coffee catering company. I thought you were a catering company?" I told her I was not sure what the difference was and that a coffee catering company went to events and catered coffee -- pretty simple. She says that she thought we were a regular catering company and I asked her to remember our 20 minute conversation about coffee catering. She told me she had sent it out to a few markets but had not heard back. She paused for a few seconds so I asked her if that means she was just going to sit and wait or if she could call and follow up as it has been a week. She said she could probably call and find out what the story is and get back with me. Never happened. At this point, I'm a bit angry about this. Had two different people (one being an insurance company) not recommended this business insurance company, I would for sure be going elsewhere. I will have to work on it on Tuesday because of the holiday and see if there are any other companies in Bozeman that will work with me and actually call back, etc. I know we are a small business that will not bring that much money into their company but if you are going to tell me you are working on it, you better be working on it or I will become that pesky fly that is always buzzing around your ear. I will keep you updated. Total days since I started asking for a quote: 14 business days. ..be bold Tagged: Cafe Evoke Catering, coffee, bozeman, montana, insurance

Where is my Time?

I have begun riding my bicycle to work each day which is great. I feel more awake and have more energy for the day. It is a nice, cool ride down through the streets of Bozeman and only takes me 15 or so minutes. Everything about it is great -- less gas used (none), better for the environment and good exercise. I have been reading about Green LA Girl's adventure to "de-car" and I think it is great. The major differences about de-car-ing here in Bozeman and, say, LA are as follows: 1. No public transit 2. Only 4 or so warm months to ride 3. Snow 4. TERRIBLE drivers in HUGE trucks One of the reasons this is even harder for me is that I have to run Cafe Evoke Catering and the only time I have during other company's business hours is at lunch. While I could take all of my stuff with me each day and work out of a cafe at lunch, it gets expensive. I have papers all over my office that I need and I have not found a proper method of handling all of it. I am going to continue to ride my bike to work on nice weather days (today not being one of those) and hopefully will find a way to get some work done on my hour lunch break. So, are there public transit plans in the future for Bozeman? Not sure but I would say that they probably will not be until there is a major problem that demands it as it seems we have more of a reactive local government than a proactive one. Will there be a nice bike path through the city that will allow riders to keep off the crazy roads? I have actually heard rumors about this and I want to find out more about it. I would sign something or help promote the idea because I think cities like Denver are great because of the bike path for bikers, runners, etc. ...be bold Tagged: Cafe Evoke Catering, coffee, bozeman, montana, commute, bicycle

The Learning Curve

Well, Cafe Evoke Catering is finally official. Jenni and I took the trailer and cart down to the court house yesterday to have it inspected by the health inspector -- nice guy. We had to uncover everything and pull the cart out but it wasn't to bad. I like to think that it was good practice as I am still not sure of the best ways to do that. Really the only thing left to get done is finalizing the business insurance which is pretty much done. I also loaded the newest version of QuickBooks Pro for Mac last night and -- wow -- do I have alot to learn. I love the idea of being able to print customized invoices for our customer to make it easy for them so it will be worth the reading (have you seen how long that book is?). What I like about this version is that it is compatible with the new Tiger operating system that I have on this computer. It will update my iCal and keep everything organized -- once I know how to use it. Nothing else on the calendar yet except the Saturday event and the two on Sunday. I hope that we start getting calls and that the work Jenni did the other day in getting the fliers passed out really pays off. I think it will. I am also putting Cafe Evoke Catering on the websites that list all the caterers in town in hopes that people searching around will find us. There is alot to learn over the next several weeks -- how to record our finances best, how to use QuickBooks Pro, how to load/unload quickly from the trailer, etc. I hope the learning curve is short in all areas but I know that I will continue to learn things as I go forward with this. ...be bold Tagged: Cafe Evoke Catering, coffee, bozeman, montana, espresso, QuickBooks

Getting Things Done

This week has been rather productive for us and Cafe Evoke Catering. We have been trying to check things off the list we created and get things organized and ready for people to begin booking us. My wife was out yesterday afternoon dropping off our menus and information to party planners, wedding planners, party rental shops, etc. She informs me that many of them set the menus out on their counters and the rest were very excited but could not actually have them out so the menus were put with their catering information. Jenni says there was since of excitement for our services so now we will hope to get some calls from it. We will also follow up with each of them in two weeks to see if they need more information and how it has been going. As for the list I posted on Monday, here is what has been completed: 1. Budgets 2. Website Contract Approval 3. Reports from this weekend 4. Distribute information 5. Discuss current job situation 6. Financial Forecasts/reporting systems We are still working on the financial systems and budgets but for the most part, the ideas are completed. We are now working to get the numbers on spreadsheets and up-to-date. We had a scare in our account as I made some reporting errors yesterday but after some detailing checking, we found the problem. It ended up not being to bad. Tip for others -- make sure that when you enter invoices, you enter them in the correct categories so you don't show expenses as credits. So far, we have 3 gigs next weekend -- two of them cash bars and one a hosted event -- and we are very excited. I would like to see us average 4 or more in the next two weeks. With summer upon us, I think there will be many more parties and events that Cafe Evoke Catering can serve. As it stands now, I will continue to work another job and do the catering as we want to put as much money back into the business as possible and try to break even quicker. So far, each event we have been asked about has been a weekend deal so I think it will be fine until our name really gets out there. I am taking our espresso cart down to the Court House today to be "inspected" by the GCCHD (our health department) so we will actually have license in hand. We were pre approved but the inspector needed to see our set up. We will just have to pull the trailer down there and uncover the cart -- it should not be a huge deal. Other than that, we are trying to get organized and push our services to the community. As Monday is a holiday, I will take some time to organize my office and move some things around so that catering stuff is out and coffee house stuff is to the side. We are still waiting around to see what happens in the Mill District of Bozeman and with the City. We are also monitoring a location that we found several days ago to see if it might be the place for Cafe Evoke. Until then, we are really trying to push Cafe Evoke Catering right now. ..be bold Tagged: Cafe Evoke Catering, coffee, bozeman, montana,espresso

"A Stupid Frat-Boy Business"

Well, the final word is in -- Cafe Evoke is a "stupid frat-boy business idea" according to Ramit Sethi of I will Teach You To Be Rich. A stupid frat-boy business idea is an idea that sounds attractive on the surface, but ignores the graveyard of failures before it. It's usually hatched when a few guys get together, drink a lot, and end up talking about stuff that "should" exist. Sometimes the discussion gets entrepreneurial and they talk about a few ideas, which one of the guys will pursue the next day (when everyone else forgets about it). But frat-boy business ideas are expressly started to make money--they're portrayed as "companies"--and they ignore the fact that these ideas hardly ever succeed. If you're going to do something cool, why pick something that dooms yourself to failure? He has a list of businesses that he puts in this category including -- book exchanges, T-shirt companies, coffee shops and restaurants, social networks, and a few others. While I know he is talking about the foundation of these businesses and how many that start them are quick to enter the market, it seems that he is missing the fundamental element of each of these businesses -- business planning. Sethi mentions that the people who are starting these companies -- and if they are starting them over beer and a few friends he might have a point -- are doomed to fail and not make money. Tell that to Starbucks, Peets, or Caribou Coffee who all had to start somewhere. I understand that coffee and tea houses are a tough business to make millions of dollars and maybe that is the platform this student consultant (a profession that I would classify as something that should be on this list) is preaching from but with planning, there is money to be made with the worlds second most popular beverage and one of the most traded commodity on the markets. He even goes into this story about a guy who's cafe ruined his life that I posted about months ago. There was more to it than bad business with this guy. There was no planning. No personal assessment to make sure this was the right business for this "entrepreneur". If the planning is done correctly, it will give you a chance to fail on paper and not put yourself through the pain and suffering of opening a business and having it fail. The coffee business is not for everyone. It is not something that will put in you a Bentley or in a 12,000 square foot house within a few years but it is something that -- for the right owner -- will bring satisfaction and service to a community for years to come (and a decent wage if you do it correctly). The point isn't to mock these ideas. Well, yeah it is. If you're going to do something entrepreneurial, DO IT!! Don't let some guy's blog post stop you. But don't waste your own time. Learn from ideas that have failed and will continue to fail. Of course there will be exceptions, but you should try to get every edge to succeed you can. And if that means taking a few minutes to research your idea before you start, good. And don't ever, ever start a book-exchange company. Take his last advance and maybe spend a bit longer than a few minutes on it. If a book-exchange is right for you and after you have the market research and numbers to prove it can succeed, go for it. And one more thing -- as those who know me well will tell you, I am as clueless about "frats" as they come and far from being a member. (link via Business Opportunities Weblog) ...be bold Tagged: Cafe Evoke, coffee, bozeman, montana, startup, entrepreneurship

Here we are..

My first post at A Thought Over Coffee was on January 28th, 2005. For those of you who have been here reading this blog over the nearly 600 posts since that time know, it has not been an easy or graceful journey to this point. It is nice to say that Cafe Evoke (Catering) has finally served it's first cup of coffee! We are still on the journey of finding the right location for our brick and mortar storefront, but we now have the ability to serve this community and get our name out there and introduce ourselves in tangible form. We still have a long way to go to make this business successful and there are quite a few things on the to do list for this week -- still. I am very excited with the response we had this weekend at our first two events but I have to remember that now is the time to pedal harder and faster. There are letters to be sent, follow up phone calls to be made, and marketing plans that need to be acted on. Here is my list for this week as it looks on my dry erase board: 1. Budgets 2. Website Contract Approval 3. Reports from this weekend 4. Distribute information 5. Discuss current job situation 6. Financial Forecasts/reporting systems This will be a busy week of paper work and planning. We have been hired already for an event next Sunday afternoon just by serving this weekend but we cannot rely solely on word of mouth marketing. There are many banks, real estate offices, and businesses that host events that would suite Cafe Evoke Catering very well so they need to have our information in their hands. We want Cafe Evoke Catering to be the first thing people think when they begin planning their next event. I will be working full time at my current job while trying to get Cafe Evoke Catering up and going. The idea is to try and switch to part time work to free up some time during business hours to work on catering stuff. As it stands now, I will be getting paperwork together in the evenings and putting stuff in the mail the next morning. This has been a great journey over the past several years but not every minute has been enjoyable. I have learned alot and know that I have a long way to go with this business to really get it off the ground. It has been a long road but we have finally reached our first milestone here in Bozeman. ..be bold Tagged: Cafe Evoke Catering, coffee, bozeman, montana,espresso

The Coffee and Tea Festival

The next Coffee and Tea Festival will be held on Monday, May 29th here at A Thought Over Coffee. Thank you to everyone who helped make the last edition the best best one so far. Do you have a submission for next week's Coffee and Tea Festival? Check out the ways to submit your post on anything (recipes, Fair Trade news, coffee house openings, new gadgets, etc) that is coffee and tea related. This edition will run on Monday, May 15th here at A Thought Over Coffee. Ways to submit your posts: E-mail them click here or use the button below: As always, I am willing to let someone else host this festival. If this might interest you, please email me at blog @ cafeevoke.com and I will pass along all the information that you need. Thank you for helping build this festival. Past editions: Week 4 Week 3 Week 2 Week 1 Introduction ..be bold Tagged: Coffee, Tea, Coffee and Tea Festival

Carnival of Entrepreneurship

Good Friday morning to you and I hope you have big plans for the weekend. Before it all gets crazy, head on over to BusinessPundit for this weeks edition of the Carnival of Entrepreneurship. This carnival takes the top 7 post according to the host from around the small business and entrerpreneurship blog world. Enjoy this carnival.. I will be hosting this carnival here at A Thought Over Coffee on June 8th so stay tuned! ...be bold Tagged: Carnival of Entrepreneurship, small business, blog carnival

A Starbucks Round-Up

There has been quite a bit of talk about Starbucks and their available coffees. Most has been about how if Starbucks could serve more certified coffees, the benefits to producing countries would be ten fold of what it is now. I have written several times about Starbucks on this blog and have featured reports on the Starbucks Challenge but I have not talked much about what Starbucks really serves and what they have to offer in the organic or shade grown areas that are also important to me. Coffee and Conservation has a nice round up of a few blends and beans that are organic and/or shade grown. Questionable commitment or not, many people go to Starbucks and want to know -- or should know -- about which coffees are their most responsible. Starbucks is doing something with responsible coffees -- just not as much as some of us wish. Keep doing the challenge but please, and I say this often, take the challenge in hopes of an outcome rich in Fair Trade Certified options -- not out of spite for a large coffee company or the barista pulling your drink. The idea is to promote Fair Trade not to bash the barista. Starbucks has done quite a bit for the American specialty coffee industry and have been a leader in introducing people to coffee -- no matter how dark it is. I challenge Starbucks to now be a leader in the quest for global change and support. ..be bold Tagged: Starbucks Challenge, Cafe Evoke, starbucks, Fair Trade

"Local Coffee Education"

Siel over at Green LA Girl has a series that she calls Tuesday Questions. In this weeks edition, she is asking about coffee education: Ric of Groundwork Coffee's said he's looking for ideas on how Groundwork could help educate the LA community about sustainable coffee practices. Some of the ideas I've had so far: 1. Holding occasional in-store coffee seminar type things where people can taste coffee and also learn a lil something about sustainability issues. 2. Organizing reality tours for people to visit countries of coffee origin. This could actually be done in conjunction with Global Exchange, for ex, which organizes these types of tours. 3. Making brochures about organic and fair trade issues avaliable in store. 4. Offering to do an educational seminar for local nonprofit groups like Sustainable Works. Other suggestions? I am interested in this discussion (please go to this post and leave your thoughts for them) because at Cafe Evoke, we are putting a very strong emphasis on coffee eduction. I like the idea of customers understanding why it is important to purchase coffee from a fairly traded coffee house and the importance of the few cents more a pound is to coffee farmers. The idea of Fair Trade Certified Coffee is not just an advertising tool for coffee shops across this country (at least it should not be) but how many shops really explain what that sign in their window really means? We are also very interested in teaching coffee as a process -- the history of coffee, the ways it is processed and roasted, and the best ways to serve it. An educated consumer is a long lasting consumer (if the shop sticks to what they preach). We have a passion for coffee and I think I could talk about it all day every day. My goal is to teach people about coffee so they can better appreciate what they are drinking. I will be following the comments on this post over at Siel's site so if you have anything to add, leave a comment here or -- better yet -- head over to Green LA Girl and join in. ..be bold Tagged: greenlagirl, cafe evoke, bozeman, montana, Fair Trade

When Is The Time Right?

When is it time to move into what they call "full time entrepreneurship"? You hear it all the time across the small business blogging world and in small business magazines. But what does that really mean -- a full time entrepreneur? Is it marked by 50 or more hour work weeks? Living on your ability to market your idea and your business well? Is it when you are already bringing in money with your vision or dream? Here I sit, almost one year into my residence in Bozeman, Montana and only a bit closer to the main goal of opening Cafe Evoke. We have made great strides and fallen 3 steps back several times. Can I call myself a full time entrepreneur? I have worked 40 or more hours a week on Cafe Evoke while working 40 hours a week for a different employer. Can I call myself a full time entrepreneur? I am living pay check to pay check and relying on my business planning and forecasting to help support my family. Can I call myself an entrepreneur? Cafe Evoke Catering and ultimately Cafe Evoke will be serving its first cup of coffee this Saturday. It is a day I have been waiting for more than a year now. I look back on the first posts of this blog and remember where I was sitting -- the same desk, the same chair, the same lamps turned on, even the same candle and coffee mug sitting next to me -- and wonder if I have finally become this "entrepreneur" I have been writing about. Maybe entrepreneurship is a trait, a feeling or goal. If that is the case, I feel that I have demonstrated that well. But when will it be time to truly jump from the dock? To take that first plunge into the deep end of calculated risk? I have so far been holding on to my job and pay check in order to take care of my wife and set us up for a successful future but the time of talking is soon to be over. When will I know that the time has come? I have been feeling the pressures of holding a full time job and owning Cafe Evoke Catering as I have about 1 hour each day to make phone calls and get "stuff" done. It is frustrating to have a "to-do" list that keeps rolling over week after week. My ability to be true to my word of responding to emails and phone messages within 24 hours has lapsed and it is hard for me to put myself to sleep at night. This is entrepreneurship. It is the hard work and determination that will lead to a successful future. The ground work must be done properly and it is not easy. Luckily, we are almost out of that phase for now. When will I quite my job and work solely on Cafe Evoke Catering? I think when that time comes, I will know. Until then, back to work I go. ..be bold Tagged: Cafe Evoke, Cafe Evoke Catering, entrepreneurship, coffee, espresso

Coffee and Tea Festival #4

Hello and welcome to the 4th edition (well, 3 edition and an introduction) of the Coffee and Tea Festival. This festival is about anything and everything related to coffee and tea and those who love it. We had some great submissions this week -- thank you. I think it is about time to get started. Here we go... Do I hear a debate "brewing"? Kavit Haria presents Get off the coffee, and on the Green Tea posted at Awareness and Consciousness. For over eight years, I haven't drunk normal tea. What I have drunk is lots and lots of coffee. I've always been told that it isn't good, but what I've come to realize over the last two weeks is this: coffee is great for the half-hour you drink it, but then it takes you lower than what you were before you drank it in your energy levels. Ever felt? Nothing makes me happier than a sunny cool day and a cup of Ethiopian coffee. So, nope, never felt it. I have heard rumors that many people do agree with this story so I think it is possible. Speaking of tea... The Tea Guy Speaks about his thoughts towards the FDA ruling on the health benefits of green tea: If you missed it - and it's kind of hard, given all the press it's getting - the agency says, as the Associated Press puts it, "there is no credible scientific evidence that drinking green tea reduces the risk of heart disease". This, on top of the FDA's previous rulings that green tea offers no apparent benefit with regard to certain types of cancer. If you want to read the whole thrilling story, try the link below. I'd recommend that you skip it and have a cup of green tea. I had two. And stop worrying about your health. It's not good for you. I agree. All you tea drinkers out there (myself included) -- just wait until next week when a new scientific study will come back saying that it is good for you again. No worries.... Let us detour just a bit (for those of you in Bozeman Montana, you are used to detours so it should not be a big deal) and talk about some new gadgets. The Bird Barista presents two posts for this edition and starts us out with a great idea for storing and traveling with your new AeroPress. The AeroPress has hit the market running. Even Kenneth Davids has good things to say about it: "When used properly, AeroPress produces a remarkably good straight espresso and an excellent Americano-style taller cup. In fact, it produces a better espresso shot than many home machines that cost twenty or thirty times as much." I will admit that I have not used or seen this new press but think it sounds pretty nice. I do have a french press which I love but maybe I will try this out sometime. Interested in botanical varietals for your daily dose? The Bird Barista explains what this all means: There are many species of coffee (Coffea) in the world, and all are native to tropical Africa and some Indian Ocean islands. Usually only two, C. arabica and C.canephora, are commonly grown commercially. They are described below, along with a few other interesting species, and the most common commerical varieties of these species. Because certain types grow best in the shade and others in the sun, knowledge of these names can be a convenient clue as to how your coffee may have been grown. This post provides a list of names and what it all means. I know there is a lot of coffee lingo to learn -- especially if you are going to be heading to your local mermaid anytime soon -- but it is important and will give you much insight as to what you are drinking. Know where the liquid you are drinking comes from. Did someone mention mermaids? Green LA Girl and City Hippy have launched the Starbucks Challenge 4.0. Starbucks says it'll French-press a cup of fair trade coffee for any customer who specifically asks for a fair trade cup. During previous Challenges, Starbucks admitted it hasn't quite lived up to this policy and promised to work on fixing its break down in customer service. So during the month of May 2006, were asking activists to go visit their local Starbucks and see how easy it is to get a cup of fair trade coffee. The Challenge 1) Visit your local Starbucks this month and ask: Could I get a cup of fair trade coffee? 2) Tell us what happened next. Ideally, the barista should immediately offer you a French-pressed cup of Cafe Estima Starbucks only fair trade certified blend. 3) If your barista gives you a blank look, and you're feeling courageous, try asking specifically for a French-press of the Cafe Estima blend. If the barista says it'll cost you extra, say that HQ told you that you should be able to pay just for the size you asked for. And as always, be nice to the baristas :) I think the important thing to highlight here is that this campaign is about Fair Trade -- not bashing Starbucks baristas. Please be kind to your baristas if you take on this challenge. That is all for the 4th ever Coffee and Tea Festival. Thank you for reading and I look forward to our next edition that can be found here at A Thought Over Coffee on May 29th. We will be taking submissions for the next edition until the Friday before. So if you have something that you would like to include, send it on over. If you know someone that knows someone that has a brother whos mother is a coffee lover and writes a blog -- have them submit something. They can do it in the following ways: E-mail them or.... click here or.... use the button below: Do you want to host this festival? You can use the "email them" link to let me know. I will be happy to pass along the festival to other blogs. Keep in mind, this is a new blog carnival or festival so you might need to look around a bit and contact writers about posting there content. Not a big deal however as you have 2 weeks to gather it all up. Thanks again for reading and for submitting to this festival! Past editions: Week 3 Week 2 Week 1 Introduction ..be bold Tagged: Coffee, Tea, Coffee and Tea Festival

World Fair Trade Day

Did you know that it was World Fair Trade Day day today? Well, I hate to admit it but I did not -- not until I read about it over at Coffee and Conservation. World Fair Trade Day is an international celebration of Fair Trade internationally, with events organized worldwide. On and around the second Saturday of May every year, IFAT member organizations based in 70 countries, along with Fair Trade shops and networks, host events including Fair Trade breakfasts, talks, music concerts, fashion shows and much more, to promote Fair Trade and campaign for justice in trade. Fair Trade products from marginalised communities in the majority world, including coffee and tea, clothes, jewellery and beautiful handicrafts will be showcased on this day. Many events continue throughout the month of May. There is much more than coffee that can be bought fairly traded. It is worth the few pennies more we -- the end user -- must pay for these products as those few pennies could be life or death for our friends in the producing countries. Take a second to read about Fair Trade and the World Fair Trade Day at the links above. The picture came from their site so take a look and see what they have to say. Fair Trade is a good thing and a win win for everyone. Take a look at the site above and check out what you can do to get involved. ..be bold Tagged: World Fair Trade Day, cafe evoke, bozeman, montana

Carnival of Entrepreneurship

This week's edition of the carnival if up over at CEO Blog - Time Leadership. This carnival picks 7 posts and includes some commentary. Head on over. It looks like a good carnival this week. I will be hosting this carnival here at A Thought Over Coffee of June 8th so stay tuned! ...be bold Tagged: Carnival of Entrepreneurship, small business, blog carnival

Are we having one of those days?

I was reading over at Start-up Guide today and found a post about the good days an entrepreneur has... Every once in a while as an entrepreneur is working on his venture he will have a day where everything seems to just line up and great things happen. Yesterday was one of those days for Invenio Capital. We spent the previous night at MIT listening to some talented young entrepreneurs tell us about what they are working on. The next day we ended up having all sorts of great conversations with people who love our mission and are very interested in helping out. It was a great confidence booster to gain this external support. The road so far has not been easy but the future is looking great. I think Cafe Evoke has seen the part about the road "not being easy" but we have also had our share of great looking futures. At this point, I could not agree more with Dan about keeping focused and working hard. I do believe the work will pay off no matter what type of road you are riding (think of it as riding your nice road bike on the cobblestones -- you still get there, it is just not easy and you might have a pinch flat on the way. Nothing you cannot fix!). I think the hardest thing about this journey we have been on so far is sticking to our vision for Cafe Evoke. When people disagree, say it will not work, or flat out yell at you, the first thing you want to do is quit or change your model. I have found that many people like our idea -- many more than those who do not (so far). As we near the time for Cafe Evoke Catering to begin marketing (next week!), it will be important to really stick to it as this will be the first Bozeman has seen of us (other than on paper). I hope that I have some of those "inline" days soon! ..be bold Tagged: Cafe Evoke, Cafe Evoke Catering, coffee, bozeman, montana, espresso

Not Much Talk

I'm sure some are wondering (even if that is not true, I will tell you anyway!) where we stand with Cafe Evoke: a coffee house. There has been a lot of talk in the past week or so about Cafe Evoke Catering but not much about the cafe itself. Things have not been put to sleep on the cafe but we are in the middle of a re-evaluation. I have been looking at the time line that has been forced upon us by the City of Bozeman and decided that since I have 7 or so months before they even begin to revisit old edits to the zoning, I should take a good long look at our situation. As I have said many times before, community is a major part of our business model. In light of this, we want to make sure that the neighborhood in which we plan to open has some input and say into what we are doing. We made the fliers and handed quite a few out in an effort to get some community response. It did not prove to arouse any comments however. Jenni and I then attended the North East Neighborhood Association meeting on April 17th where I spoke about Cafe Evoke and our missions and values. We had some great questions presented but some very vocal opposition. I wrote the meeting off as a success because we a) got to get our name out in front of the people in the area, b) got to hear first hand what they do not approve of and c) got some great positive feedback (which came after the meeting when we were hanging around to meet people). The catering business is a way to market the cafe but maybe it will turn into more than that. I am still keeping in contact with our realtor, Sarah, and hope to find some news on the buildings we have been talking about for so long. From the last I heard, the building owner is trying to buy more parking to help open our chances to rent from her which is a good thing. There are some important questions we need to answer in the next 6 or so months: 1. Is Bozeman the right place for a brick and mortar Cafe Evoke? 2. Have we found something in Cafe Evoke Catering that will be long lasting? 3. Is there possibilities to expand the catering business and mix it with a small cafe in the future? 4. etc... For now, we are Cafe Evoke Catering. I have in no way put my dream of a Cafe Evoke coffee house to sleep. I want to make sure we still know the face of our vision and the things we need to do to get to that point. ...be bold Tagged: Cafe Evoke, Cafe Evoke Catering, coffee, bozeman, montana, espresso

Catering Update

Last week was a big step for us and Cafe Evoke Catering with the delivery of our coffee cart and equipment. The final pieces of serving equipment we have been waiting for will arrive at the warehouse in Bozeman today (so they say) which will complete that waiting process. We have been working on the following for the past several days and all are either completed or just about to be: 1. A logo for the trailer (completed) 2. Menu/marketing tool (in finalization stage) 3. Bid sheet (for internal use) 4. Contractual letter that will be sent to each customer The bid sheet and letter have been drafted and are entering the revision stages. Once we get them looking like we want, we will send them to the attorneys to make sure they include everything we need them to. This will be important as we will need to make sure we are covered if people cancel or decide they do not want to pay us. We tested the set up a few days ago for the first time and it went great. We then noticed that the corner of the cart -- closest to the waste tank -- was leaking. I could not find where it was coming from but did see that it was very wet beneath the tank. I emptied it and refilled it with water to check it -- nothing. We cleaned the rest of the equipment and decided to try again. We did try again and used the sink quite a bit and there was not a leak. I think it was a loose hose connection. We will keep an eye on it for the next week or so. We were in the trailer last night installing the wheel stops and tie downs for the espresso cart and stainless table. Once we have the tie down straps (today), we will have it completed. I will then try to find out if we can afford to put the logo on the trailer. I think it needs to happen so we will try and work it into the budget. I have always thought that it was important to do things right the first time. Our set up and equipment needs to look professional and clean so I feel that the logo on the trailer will really tie everything together. We are about to transition from the planning stage to the "we are in business" stage -- finally. We have already begun the word of mouth marketing with stickers and business cards and the business phone line has been set up. We are just waiting for the rest of the marketing tools and the new cafeevoke.com to be up and going to really get our name out there. ..be bold Tagged: Cafe Evoke Catering, coffee, bozeman, montana,espresso

Coffee and Tea Festival is Coming!

Well, the time has finally come for another edition of the Coffee and Tea Festival. This festival has a few posts ready to go and I plan to have some updated links to add to the list that I have already started. Do you have a submission for next week's Coffee and Tea Festival? Check out the ways to submit your post on anything (recipes, Fair Trade news, coffee house openings, new gadgets, etc) that is coffee and tea related. This edition will run on Monday, May 15th here at A Thought Over Coffee. Ways to submit your posts: E-mail them click here or use the button below: As always, I am always willing to let someone else host this festival. If this might interest you, please email me at blog @ cafeevoke.com and I will pass along all the information that you need. Thank you for helping build this festival. Past editions: Week 3 Week 2 Week 1 Introduction ..be bold Tagged: Coffee, Tea, Coffee and Tea Festival

The Equipment Is Here -- And It Works Great

It was a great surprise to see that the installer actually showed up yesterday -- not that we at Cafe Evoke ever have bad luck or rough roads to travel with our business ideas. The guy's name was Adam and he did a great job getting the stuff hooked up and also knew his coffee and espresso well. He will be the same person that will install the equipment in Cafe Evoke when it opens and will be our maintenance person as well. It is good to know that our equipment is in good hands. ..before installation... ...after installation... We tried out the set up last night and it works great. I was worried about the power and steam abilities of our MAC 2000 but it seems to be working without flaw. There is only one thing that I do not like about this machine. The steam wand and lever seem to be designed for a right handed person. I am right handed but must steam milk backwards. I have always held the steaming pitcher with my left hand and turn the steam on/off with my right. Now, I have to learn to hold with my right hand and turn the steam on/off with my left. Not a huge deal but you would be surprised at what habit will do to you. The next step is to pick up the stainless steel table that we purchased and install tie downs in the trailer so that this equipment does not get knocked around. That will be done in the next day or two and we will be ready to go -- as far as equipment is concerned. The website is taking a bit longer than expected but I hope to get that taken care of by early next week. The menu/marketing tool should be ready by the end of the week as well. We are still testing the endurance of our set up to find out what it can really handle. After a few days of testing, we will be ready to serve. Things are going well and we are extremely happy with our business plan and model so far. ..be bold Tagged: Cafe Evoke Catering, coffee, bozeman, montana,espresso

It's The New Thing

The deeper I get in the catering planning, the more excited I am. I know this is getting popular in other parts of the country but when you "google" coffee catering, not much comes up. We are riding the wave of this trend which feels nice. I was reading the May issue of Fresh Cup Mag -- "the voice of the specialty beverage industry" -- last night and found an article about coffee catering in their Nine Bars section (this is not online so for those that read this magazine, it is on page 63). I guess this is getting more popular than I thought! This article gives some great points as to what equipment, systems and set up that you will need to cater and serve specialty coffee on location. Because I did not really have many people to talk to about this, I feel I have had to create a lot of this information myself. The great thing is that I do not seem to be far off. The thing that has sent me through the ringer more often is the pricing. With a 110v espresso machine, you are limited to the amount of drinks you can serve. The thing that is setting Cafe Evoke Catering apart is that we are serving brewed coffee, biscotti, a selection of teas, and chai. This is more than most caterers are doing which is raising our prices. I sent the "final" pricing strategy to our web designer to put on the site which had a tiered system. For every 30 people at the event, we charged an extra $20.00 per hour (all with two hour minimum plus a set up fee). We can only serve about 30 people an hour with our machine so what I think needs to happen is that we charge a flat hourly rate -- two hour minimum and set up fees -- and require more hours for bigger events. There is also a limit to what you can do at these events. This article puts it this way: If they {host of event] want everyone to get their drinks and sit down in 15 minutes, they may have the wrong beverage in mind. If they have one hour but 700 people, they have to think of a different kind of service. This is what we will be working on until the website is up and the menu/marketing tool is completed. We need to answer the following questions: 1. What is our max and min parties? 2. What will our hourly rate be to make it worth it for us to be there? 3. Will be bid out our services to people or have a posted price sheet? Once this is complete -- this week -- we will be ready to hit the ground running. I mentioned yesterday that the installer made a mistake on the install date. He fixed it and will be here later today to set everything up. There is a lot to get done in the next several days but I am very happy with our progress so far. ..be bold. Tagged: Cafe Evoke Catering, coffee, bozeman, montana

We are in the final stages!

While in Williamsburg, we had the chance to finish up the final planning for Cafe Evoke Catering with my dad who is also our financial planner and business advisor. Some of the things that had to be considered were big picture -- future -- type stuff and some would fall into the "nitty gritty" category. There was also some research that was done at some local cafes in the area (which is something Jenni and I try to do wherever we go). I believe we have talked before about the menu/marketing tool that we are working on. Well, the design is in progress and we should have them printed in the next several days. What we had to work on is what this handout would say. We wanted to make sure it was clear that we were offering a full service espresso bar and that this bar would be able to serve the finest in fairly traded and organic coffee and tea at "your" next event. While on the trip, we talked about how to best market this business as there is nothing in town like it right now. We need to be direct about our services but want to keep with the atmosphere and style that we have stuck to with Cafe Evoke so far. Here is what we came up with -- for now: Be original. Be unique. Let Cafe Evoke Catering help you throw the party your friends will always talk about. Cafe Evoke catering is a full service coffee and espresso bar and can serve the finest in fairly traded and organic coffee and tea at your next event. As it stands, it is less than I had first thought it would be as far as description. There may be more added once the design is back but we think this is simple and sweet. A few other things that had to be discussed were payroll and help. This business is something I am doing for the most part as my wife is focusing and working on her own project. I am also working a full time job and the decision will need to be made at some point to quit that job and work full time with Cafe Evoke Catering. When should this be? How much can I afford to pay myself? Much of this is still unknown and will not be clear until we have had a chance to work some events. I am keeping an eye on it, however, so we can make a educated decision on when the best time for a move into full time "entrepreneurship" will be. Once this is decided on, we will also need to figure out if we will hire someone part time and for certain events or if Jenni will have time to work some in the meantime. (On a side note, here is a post via Business Pundit that talks about what to do while you wait for your business to take off.) The last few things that were discussed were as follows: 1. Storage (we have 40 cases of cup sleeves coming with only a small garage to keep them. We are looking for a storage unit right now) 2. Insurance (this has to be business insurance for the trailer and contents as well as for equipment at our home office -- computers, etc) 3. Marketing strategy 4. Pricing 5. Products (we found some great products while we were there which we hope to use in the future) We also took some time to talk about the future of Cafe Evoke Catering and also the future of Cafe Evoke: a coffee house -- what our plans were, how we were now approaching both businesses, etc. I will have a post in the next day or so talking about the status of the coffee house as much has happened since my last update. There are also some fun growth opportunities for the catering business that might even encompass both businesses. More on that to come. At this point, we are just waiting on the rest of our equipment to come in (should be this week) and the espresso machine and grinder to be installed. This was to be today from what the manufacture told me and scheduled with me but when I called the installer last night, it seemed that they were not planning to install until next week. We are working on that today to make sure that gets installed ASAP. Hold on.. here we go. ..be bold **Update: Anita Campbell at Small Business Trends weighs in on the Busniess Pundit article I linked to above with this post. Tagged: Cafe Evoke Catering, coffee, bozeman, montana