The History of Cafe Evoke (Part 2)

This is a multi-part series discussing the history of Cafe Evoke -- from the time I started this blog to today. The posts are rather long which is why I am breaking them up into several parts. Let's continue with the history of Cafe Evoke. You can find Part 1 here. During the month of October, we began getting ready for our future by talking with the SBA about funding. We had (and still have for that matter) private financing that will work for the start-up period but thought it would be good to give the SBA a go. It ended up not being any better than what the bank was offering as far as rates and terms. We got our S-corp organized as Conversations, Inc. doing business as Cafe Evoke which was an exciting step. We now had a "real" business name. This was about the time that we begin to run into some turbulence with the lease and our newest future home. What made this even worse was the fact that my wife and I were trying to get this all worked out before heading to Portland and Seattle -- a two week trip for some coffee education. I was excited about the trip but knew it would be difficult closing the lease deal from a hotel room. The day before we hit the road for Portland, the lease was agreed upon and was on its way to Oklahoma City to be signed by our financial backer who would overnight it to us in Portland to sign and get back to the leasing agents. It was a great day and a great start to our 2 week vacation. One the 25th of October, we signed the lease! After 10 long months of planning and sweating, we were going to go back to Bozeman with a location in hand. It was a great feeling. We did not have time to sit around and enjoy it however. We had deals to make on equipment and furniture and also needed to start getting the floor plans finalized and the build-out planned. We planned to make as many deals as we could at the trade show and wanted to have it all going by the first of November when we would be heading back to Bozeman. The first 3 days (1, 2, 3) of November might have been the toughest we have faced so far in our journey towards our dreams. The lease fell through and we were put up against the problem of budgets and finding a new location. By the 15th, the lease had officially been broken. The company tried to say it was because we changed our menu but really it was for Starbucks. Go figure.. On November 22nd, we began looking for new locations. By the end of November, we had a nice little surprise in the publicity column. We were featured in US News and World Report. That was a bit of a pick me up to the end of my toughest month since I began planning the business months before. We still had some tough decisions that needed to be made but I knew that with patience, we would get to our goal. ..be bold Tagged: Cafe Evoke, coffee catering, bozeman, montana, coffee, tea, espresso

The History of Cafe Evoke (Part 1)

This is a multi-part series discussing the history of Cafe Evoke -- from the time I started this blog to today. The posts are rather long which is why I am breaking them up into several parts. Many of you joined me back in January of 2005 as I set out to document our journey and planning of Cafe Evoke -- an art and coffee house. Over the course of a year and seven months, we have had our ups, downs, and turnarounds but have come out stronger each time with more information and experience which help us make better decisions the next time around. I want to give a history of Cafe Evoke with this post. From the very beginning to today -- what we have gone through and what we have in front of us. I hope this helps those of you who are new readers to A Thought Over Coffee. Here we go... This blog began on January 28th, 2005 in Nashville TN. I was a student of entrepreneurship at Belmont University. This was 4 months from the end of school and the time that I began to first put thought -- dreams really -- to paper. I as anxious and excited all at the same time. My professor kept telling us that this was our chance to fail on paper before starting our businesses. I did not want to fail. By February 10th, 2005, we had our mission statement. This was a big step for us as we finally had something to write about. Yes, it took a few weeks to get that down and I think we are in need of a revision of sorts but that is a different post for a different day. On Thursday, March 3rd, 2005, I turned in the rough draft of the business plan and headed to Bozeman for our first market research trip. The idea here was to get more information to help us revise our plans when we returned. We received the first draft back on March 18th, 2005 in better shape than I could have thought. I turned in my final business plan on April 18th, 2005 and presented it on 25th. It went great. I graduated on May 14th, 2005 and prepared myself for the big move to Bozeman. From here on out, I knew everything would be "for real." We had our first meeting with a building owner on May 27th, 2005. This was a space that we had our eye on from Nashville -- right on campus and what we thought might be a great location. This meeting was promising and got us off on the right foot in seemed. After several months of ups and downs, we had to move on and cleared all of our boards in the office in early August of 2005 to regroup and prepare to find a new location. On August 19th, we found a new possible location that we really thought would work for us. We took a lot of the things we learned from the first attempt to lease a space into this one and felt we had a nice position on the negotiations. By September 28th, we had signed the agreed upon terms and the agents were drawing up all the legal documents needed for both parties to make it official. This was exciting for us as we finally had a location -- or so it seemed. ..be bold Tagged: Cafe Evoke, coffee catering, bozeman, montana, coffee, tea, espresso

Problems with Blog (?)

I typically write this blog using my Mac and the layout looks great and works great. I have been checking the layout, however, on a Window's system using Internet Explorer and see that the right column moves into the body of the text. Does this happen when you are viewing A Thought Over Coffee? If so, does anyone have an idea of why it does it on IE but not on Safari? Any help is appreciated! ..be bold

The Coffee and Tea Festival (#10)

Hello and welcome to the 10th edition of the Coffee and Tea Festival. This edition of the festival is a bit short but still some great posts. Here they are... Aram presents Coffee that flies over 200 meters! posted at Become's Pocket Change. There has been quite a bit of hype about the new AeroPress and this post is another that gives this newer product well deserved praise. Our regular, Joe Kissell, presents White Tea posted at Interesting Thing of the Day. I am glad to see that tea is making a home here at the Coffee and tea Festival. Have you tried white tea? It is a nice product that really has a soothing feel. This product comes from the youngest of tea leaves but has a nice mature flavor. Chris at Arizona Coffee presents his own list of coffee links for this month. He has included some great ones and also some -- well -- that are of "iffy" product (coffee jello?). I guess I cannot talk until I have tried the stuff. That concludes this week's short but sweet edition of the Coffee and Tea Festival. Thank you very much to all that sent in their posts. I am not posting this festival until I get a few posts that I feel are an asset. With business, I am a bit behind in my blog reading and have not had the time to look for posts myself. If you find anything that should be included, please pass them along! As always, you can submit your posts with this fantastic little form. ..be bold Tagged: coffee and tea festival, blog carnival, espresso, coffee, tea

Montana Bride Ad

Yesterday we got the pictures taken for our upcoming ad in Montana Bride. We are excited to receive the pictures from our friend Erik Petersen who took the pictures. I will post our favorite ones when we have them later this week. We are planning to get some better pictures of our set up in the next several months. We feel we got some nice shots for the ad but know that we can get better ones if we have proper lighting and backdrop. We are hoping to plan a time to get back with Erik and go to the local newspaper's photo studio to get these pictures. I am working on the ad type today and should have it completed by Tuesday so that the pictures and type can go to our designer, Kevin Burr. This will be our first ad and for now our only ad. We are looking into other avenues but do not know yet if and what kind to really go after. Time will tell.. ..be bold

Promote, Promote, Promote

As many of you know, we have been trying to get Cafe Evoke *Coffee* Catering off the ground and going for the past 3 monhts or so. I feel that we have done a nice job in getting our name out there but at times feel that it is not working. People on our board of advisors keep telling me to keep at it and that we will catch people at the right moment one of these days. As I get the 4th letter campaign written and ready to mail, I am again having the feeling that we will not get any response. Today I was over at Business Opportunities Weblog and Dane had a great post about promoting your product -- in our case, our services. This article was written by Rhonda Abrams and originates from the Gannett News Service. Here is a list of 9 things this article says to remember: 1. Ask and ask again. If you’re a small retailer, you may be missing out on thousands of marketing dollars. Ask suppliers whether they offer co-op money to support your advertising. 2. Start small. If you’ve created a new type of pet product, it’s going to be a lot easier to land a promotion in a local pet shop than in a national pet superstore. 3. Start lining up promotions and co-op money well in advance. Promotions are decided upon many months in advance, especially at large retailers. You can’t approach a store in November or even September or October about Christmas promotions. Likewise, it takes time to get co-op money approved. Ask at least six months in advance. 4. Develop a good sales track record. Retailers only want to promote items they’re confident will sell well. Co-op dollars go quickest to those who have sold the most of a supplier’s products. This is a bit of a Catch-22, but you’ve got to demonstrate you can sell. 5. Build relationships. Get to know the people in charge of promos and co-op programs at the companies you do business with. Stay in touch with them. 6. Understand the costs. Promotions are not without costs. First, you’ll typically have to supply the retailer with a lot more inventory — often on a returnable basis or at your expense. The retailer may require a contribution for promotional or advertising expenses. 7. Support the promotion. Make sure you’re doing your best to promote the promo or special offer. Don’t just rely on the retailer. 8. Ask about off-site promotions. Some retailers participate in special sales activities off their store premises. An athletic shoe store, for instance, might have a sales booth at an event for runners. 9. Finally, don’t give up. Like all marketing efforts, success in promotional opportunities and co-op advertising takes repetition and persistence. Keep at it! This article talks about co-op advertising -- advertising or marketing activities where the costs are shared -- which I think is a good thing in the right network. Basically, this type of advertising comes into play when a larger supplier helps carrier some of the costs for others that they work with to help promote their own products. While this sounds like a crazy circle game, it can really be useful for the small business. We are now a part of the Gallatin Valley Independent Business Association (GVIBA) which has similiar program for it's members. As we continue our promotion and marketing programs, we have to follow some of the steps listed above. I think the main one to be sure to follow is the last. The more you do, the better it will be. In the grand scheme of things, our marketing costs are not going to out run our revenues. Just one party will pay for each campaign so we have to keep going on them. ..be bold Tagged: advertising, promotion, coffee, espresso, tea, bozema, montana, cafe evoke, coffee catering, gviba

Barista Guild of America

I sent in my membership application and $45.00 to join the Barista Guild of America. The Guild is a group of professional barista from around the world that have a passion for coffee, it's preparation, and it's quality. While being a member mostly gives you access to discounted entrance to barista jams around the country and also through the SCAA, the reason I feel it is a great idea to join is for the community. I like to think of it as having a business mentor. There are many people with quite a bit more experience in coffee than myself. Through this guild, I will be able to receive a newsletter, enter forums, and get to know other baristas around the world. This is a chance for me to gain knowledge and skills in the art of coffee preparation. After I have had a chance to really dive into this guild, I would love to host a jam in the Bozeman area. While I have a lot to learn about what these really entitle, I feel I will learn quickly through this membership. ...be bold Tagged: cafe evoke, coffee catering, bozeman, montana, coffee, tea, espresso, scaa, barista guild of america, barista

An Update...

Well, today I broke down and bought a PC. I went with a Dell special and feel that I got a nice price for it. I also had them install QuickBooks Pro 2006 and the system should arrive sometime this week. This computer ended up being considerable less than the Mac I was planning on purchases and will get the job done for us. The main reason we went with a PC was to run QuickBooks as I feel -- I have stated this before -- that it is a better version than the Mac version. I did not get any of the crazy extras trying to keep the cost down. Once the computer arrives, I will begin setting up QuickBooks and trying to get things customized for us. By that time, my goal is to have our invoices in order from as far back as I can. While I do not have to enter all of the past data, it will allow us to track our spending and generate better reports. With these reports and our future needs assessment project that I have been working on, we should be in good position to really watch our books and figure out where we are over spending. This will be taking up most of my "office" hours. I am also getting ready for our 4th mailing. This mailing will be all about Fall and Christmas parties. I am going to be sending them to furniture stores and galleries. My goal is to have at least 3 events each month from here until the end of the year. We have had 2 this month -- one less than my goal -- and I hope to sneak a third event in before month end. We have one event planned for September and hopefully more to come. ...be bold Tagged: Cafe Evoke, coffee catering, bozeman, montana, coffee, tea, espresso, quickbooks, dell, computer, mac

A Short Break

I will be away from blogging until Monday as we are heading to Helena Montana for the Western Rendezvous of Art. Here is what the website says about the show: Each year for four unforgetable days in August over 50 of the best artists in America meet in Helena, Montana under Montana's Big Sky for the Western Rendezvous of Art. This unique art show and sale is famous for its friendly atmosphere. Art lovers from across the nation gather to meet the artists up close, to watch them create, and to purchase top quality art. The Rendezvous artists'’ work ranges from plein air landscapes, to colorful still life, to impressionist and traditional Western art subjects something for every collector’s preference. This will be a nice weekend to get away from the computer and cell phone and enjoy some time with family and new friends. This will also be the first time that someone else runs our catering set up so it will be a good test as to how well I can train and teach someone how to do it. There is some since of anxiety about someone else running the show while I am gone but I have to get over that. Have a great weekend and I will be back with more on Monday. ..be bold Tagged: Western Rendezvous, art, cafe evoke, coffee catering, bozeman, montana, helana, coffee, tea, espresso, catering

Future "Needs" Assessment Project

I have begun a new project that I hope will guide us through the next year or so with the catering company. I am calling it the Future "Needs" assessment Project. The idea behind this project is to brainstorm and list everything that we will need -- or think we will need -- to expand the business in the future and also explain what would cause us to need that item. We are not listing supplies like cups, steaming pitchers or new tampers. Here is a quick list of things that I brainstormed yesterday: Truck (to pull trailer) Office Computer QuickBooks Pro 2006 for Windows Larger Trailer 3 Group (220v) Espresso Machine 2 Grinders Generator (220v or 110v) Trailer Decals Auto Decals The idea would be to give a description of each on the list above and find out when and why we need them. It will be important to have deciding factors listed so that when the time comes, we know that the item is ready to be purchased or researched, It seems that we are taking a step that we really do not need to take yet but what I feel this will do for us is allow us to know and make better purchasing decisions in the future. I feel that we have been spending to much money on things and that we have not really been taking our time with larger purchases. With the completion of this project, we will know that when certain things are present, it is time to purchase the next thing on the list. This project is also a good way to budget. Prices will be attached to each item so that -- for example -- if we begin to turn down 3 events a week for a consistent 4 week period, it is time to purchase the new trailer and catering set up. We can look at our chart and know what type of money this will take and really plan ahead for it. This is a project that will probably take about a week or week and a half to complete. I will post my final list when I have it. ..be bold Tagged: cafe evoke, coffee catering, bozeman, montana, coffee, tea, espresso, business planning, budgeting

The month so far...

At the beginning of the month, I set a goal to have 3 events outside of our normal weekend routines. We have not reached that goal quite yet but I am not giving up hope. Here is a bit of a summary of our month so far. August 2nd: The Bite of Bozeman --> Cafe Evoke *coffee* Catering participated in the city wide Bite of Bozeman. People from all over the area flood the streets of downtown Bozeman for a night of great food, drink, and fun. There were many vendors there and we had a chance to get our name out in front of over 2,000 people. We have not booked any events from the evening yet but we feel good about how it went. August 11th: Downtown Bozeman Gallery Walk --> Last Friday, we were again at the Grey Fox Gallery for the Gallery Walk. This event goes on once a month during the summer in Bozeman. There is one more left and we have had a great time working with Grey Fox this summer at this event. The next and final walk of the summer is on September 8th so if you have not had a chance to come see all the art in your local galleries, this night will provide you with a great chance. Many galleries serve wine and of course you can some see us for a free latte, mocha or your favorite drink. We had a great night -- again -- and think that we will be able to turn some leads into booked parties from this night. We thought we had one more event booked -- the downtown Bozeman car show -- but that ended up falling through. This is part of doing business however. That means that we have one more event to book before the month is out. I have been doing my best to make calls and send emails and letters to different groups and businesses in hopes to catch them at the perfect time -- while they are planning an event. I still feel that once we get a few events under our belt, we will find that more will begin to come. My main goal for the rest of the month is to get our ad designed for Montana Bride which is to be printed in November (I talk more about this here, here, and here). This will be our first print ad so I want to make sure it is the best it can possibly be. The other thing I really want to get going is the 2006 Parade of Homes campaign. We want to align ourselves with the top builders in the city. This gives us a chance to support art in other ways than just with the gallery walk. It lets us serve our art in a location that was created by the artists that designed the spot. We are trying to get involved in ways that support our values for Cafe Evoke (both the coffee house and the catering company). Art, community, and relationship are all part of that. This month is a time to get a plan together and begin really pushing to get events that fill those areas. ...be bold Tagged: Cafe Evoke, coffee catering, bozeman, montana, coffee, espresso, tea, art, parade of homes, gallery walk, grey fox gallery, montana bride

QuickBooks Seminar Wrap-Up

Last night was the wrap up session at the QuickBooks Seminar I took. The course was a 3 night event that ran from 6:00 pm until 9:00 pm at the MSU Great Falls Tech Center in Bozeman. Going into the class, I did not really know what to expect. I knew that I had no clue how this program worked and I was just hoping I could keep up with a class of working professionals -- most of whom used QuickBooks in their offices already. I am happy to report that I now feel that I can walk through QuickBooks with training wheels. There is still quite a bit to learn but I feel that I caught on pretty well. I realized that the program has a great help section which should get me through things that I am uncomfortable with. I am hunting down a Window's version of this program which I feel is quite a bit better than the Mac version and also a PC to use as our office computer. Dell has a great looking system as a special this month which I am interested in but I am not quite sure if I am ready to spend $450.00 -- even if it is $250 off right now. This program is going to allow us to really figure out where the hole in our pocket is. It will allow us to create a budget and really manage where money is going out and how it is coming it. We can also track which vendors we are spending the most money with and keep track of our customers and their events. I like the ability we will have of tracking each job. Currently, I run a post event report on paper and file it away. This program will basically allow me to track it all together and keep it electronic. The school offers a few other classes that I am interested in taking when the time comes: 1. QuickBooks 2 -- a more in-depth look at the program 2. QuickBooks Payroll -- this is a class dedicated to just the payroll aspect of QuickBooks We are not ready to have employees that will require us to use the payroll function -- maybe myself -- but it will be good to have a handle on it for when that time does come. Most of our employees -- probably all of them for now -- will be 1099 employees which will be good for us. I was happy to be back in the learning environment. Hopefully in the future, I will be able to take more classes and expand my knowledge and ability to lead Cafe Evoke *coffee* Catering and any other venture I set out on. ..be bold Tagged: MSUGF, QuickBooks, education, bozeman, montana, accounting, management, cafe evoke, coffee catering

Downtown Bozeman Gallery Walk -- Tomorrow Night!

The Downtown Bozeman Gallery Walk is tomorrow night and Cafe Evoke "coffee" Catering will be at the Grey Fox Gallery serving the finest in fairly traded and organic coffee and espresso drinks. If you are in the Bozeman area, come on out and have a FREE latte, mocha, espresso -- whatever -- and participate in this great event. GREY FOX GALLERY 23 WEST MAIN ST. BOZEMAN, MT 59715 Here is what the calender of events has to say about it: 6:00 PM until 9:00 PM Downtown Bozeman Twelve historic downtown Bozeman galleries stay open late to showcase a featured artist or a new show. Many offer complimentary hors d'oeuvres and beverages. More Information: 406-586-4008 If you have not been down during this time, you are missing great fun and community. Come say hi! ...be bold Tagged: gallery walk, bozeman, montana, grey fox gallery, art, coffee, tea, espresso, cafe evoke, catering, coffee catering

The Coffee and Tea Festival (#9)

Hello and welcome to the 7th edition of the Coffee and Tea Festival. We only had two submissions this week which will be featured. There is also a special dedication section to a dear coffee industry friend -- Ward Barbee. Let's get started. Our first post is from Joe Kissell -- a regular submitter here at the Coffee and Tea festival -- who presents The Grolla posted at Interesting Thing of the Day. This traditional Italian bowl lends itself to a friendship ritual that involves drinking a mixture of coffee and grappa. It may also have been inspired by the Holy Grail. I like this post about this tradition and the friendship ritual. It's a neat idea. In our next post, Ruth presents Lets Have A Coffee Break! posted at Eating Fabulous. Coffee is not going to hurt you and if it does, at least you will enjoy yourself on the way. This article is about the health factors of coffee. Now lets take a look around at dedications for Ward Barbee. First, a bit about him: Ward Barbee is Fresh Cup Magazine's publisher and head honcho. As he ushers in the magazine's second successful decade, Ward still delights in penning his monthly column, keeping tabs on the coffee industry and cheering on the University of Oregon Ducks. It is amazing to read about him all across the web. It makes you think about what impact you are making in the community around you. Here are some links to some dedications: I posted On A Sad Note... at A Thought Over Coffee Matt posted Ward Barbee 1938-2006 at Viva Barista GoffeeGeek has a nice forum called Ward Barbee passes on.. The SCAA posted a press release on their site AboutCoffee.net has a post from the people at Coffee House Magazine Bruce Milletto tells us his thoughts at the Bellissimo Blog Portafilter.net also has a little something Fresh Cup Magazine has a post about their founder and editor. Please find it below as it is the somewhat "official" anvoucement. It is with our deepest sadness that we give the news that Ward passed away on August 5. We will miss him for countless reasons, not the least of which were his generosity of spirit and raucous laughter. We will never forget all he had to teach, share and give to us. A celebration of life party will be held soon. Details will be posted here once final arrangements are made. Fresh Cup co-owner Jan Weigel and Fresh Cup's staff ask that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the AIDS charity of your choice in honor of Ward's brother, Stanford. Some well-respected AIDS organizations: Cascade Aids Project (a Portland-based education and advocacy organization): http://www.cascadeaids.org/donate.html Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center (Research to find solutions to the AIDS epidemic): http://www.adarc.org/resources/index.htm International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (Working to speed the search for a vaccine to prevent HIV infection and AIDS): http://www.iavi.org/viewpage.cfm?aid=23 That concludes this week's edition of the Coffee and Tea Festival. Thank you very much to all that sent in their posts. The next festival will be in two weeks right here at A Thought Over Coffee. As always, you can submit your posts with this fantastic little form. Please leave your comments or links for dedications to Ward Barbee. Have a great week. ..be bold Tagged: coffee and tea festival, blog carnival, espresso, coffee, tea, ward barbee

MAC vs PC

We have all seen the commercials: The MAC guy in the box -- the PC guy in the box. I always seem to believe everything the MAC guy says. Maybe it is my attempt to be "cool" and "hip" but I would like to think that it has more to do with the fact that I feel MACs are just easier to use. After the class last night, I headed home and decided I should begin setting up our business in QuickBooks to make sure that I did not have questions that needed to be asked tonight. I opened QuickBooks Pro for MAC and discovered that -- for the first time -- I like the Windows based version much better. Here is why: 1. The Windows version has a template designed especially for caterers and food service 2. There are many more short-cuts and quick adds on the Windows version 3. It is easier on the eyes 4. The layout is nicer and it is easier to get around in We have not yet purchased an office computer as we are waiting until we really needed it. Because I am more comfortable using MAC computers, I was not going to purchase a PC. I really hate all the preloads that are on those computers when you buy them and all of the extra set up that is required. What we need, however, is the best computer to run our business. If the applications are better on a PC then I feel we should purchase a PC. I am first going to look around the MAC version some more and try to really get a handle on it. Hopefully I will figure it all out and will not need to find a Windows based version and a PC. As I talked about in my last post, we covered the set up process all the way through how to collect money last night. Tonight we begin to talk about making deposits and other features in the program. It is really amazing how much the program does. I really had no idea. More to come on this later. ..be bold Technorati tags: Quickbooks, MSUGF, accounting, business, cafe evoke, bozeman, montana, MAC, PC, windows

Live Blogging -- QuickBooks Seminar

I am currently attending the Quickbooks Seminar here in Bozeman. We have been at it for just over an hour and it is amazing what this program has to offer. I cannot image trying to learn this program on my own. Tonight we began with how to set up a new company. I believe by the end of the first 3 hours (this is a 9 hour course), we will get through making deposits. After this 3 day course, I hope to be able to set up accounts on my home office computer. I did learn tonight that QuickBooks has a template for caterers which should prove to be very helpful as I go forward with getting Cafe Evoke "Coffee" Catering set up. I will post a wrap up after each evening course. ..be bold Tagged: cafe evoke, catering, business plan, marketing plan, marketing, coffee, tea, espresso, bozeman, montana, quickbooks

Coffee and Caffeine Says "Good-Bye"

Well, Klintron over at Coffee and Caffeine has decided to turn off the lights and the music on his blog. I have enjoyed reading this blog for over a year now and I am sad to see it go. Thanks for some great blogging! ..be bold

On A Sad Note...

(from Fresh Cup Mag): It is with our deepest sadness that we give the news that Ward passed away on August 5. We will miss him for countless reasons, not the least of which were his generosity of spirit and raucous laughter. We will never forget all he had to teach, share and give to us. A celebration of life party will be held soon. Details will be posted here once final arrangements are made. Fresh Cup co-owner Jan Weigel and Fresh Cup's staff ask that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the AIDS charity of your choice in honor of Ward's brother, Stanford. While I did not have the chance to get to know him as well as others, the very brief convesation I had with him in Seattle last October was great. The industry lost a great friend. ***Update*** My buddy Matt at VivaBarista has a touching story about Ward. If you did not know him, this post will give you a hint at his impact on people and the industry. ..be bold Technorati tags: fresh cup magazine, ward barbee, coffee, tea, espresso

New Coffee in Bozeman

While I thought Cafe Evoke would be the next coffee house to enter the Bozeman market, I think I was wrong. Yesterday, our realtor told us that another coffee shop was working with an agent in their office and was going in on the east side of town. She could not tell us much more than that so we are left on the edge trying to make since of it all. Has anyone heard of this new place or have an idea where on the east side they could be going? We have been keeping an eye on every location possible so we are thinking that this must have been one of those things where they knew the space was going up for lease or sale before it actually hit the market. So where does that leave us? I am not sure. It really depends on what this shop is like and where it is. I will be keeping a close eye it so that I know as soon as possible. This might mean that Cafe Evoke will have to wait until the market is more mature or it might not change our plans at all. Only time will tell. ..be bold Tagged: cafe evoke, coffee catering, bozeman, montana, espresso, coffee, tea

Back to School

Education, learning, and training are all things you must keep up with as you grow in business -- and in life for that matter. I am heading back to school -- in sorts. As Cafe Evoke Catering gets more and more busy, it will be even more important to keep a handle on our books. Entering invoices, paying bills on time, making sure customers have been invoiced and receipts sent, and keeping tracking of our accounts and credit card are vital to our success. We are using QuickBooks Pro which has proved to be a great program but we are not getting as much out of it as we should. In fact, I would say that I really do not know how to use this program. So, off I go to MSU Great Falls (in Bozeman)'s training center to learn the set up processing and general functions of Quick Books. They have other classes that I will probably take in the future that will cover more indepth QuickBooks and also Payroll. This class will be from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm August 8th, 9th, and 10th. I am excited to really dive into this program so that I can get organized with our financial situation. This will also help me create better budgets and keep track of our progress towards our break-even point. I feel a bit disappointed in myself for doing most of this "planning" after the fact and I know my professor would probably have some things to say about this but at least now is better than never. I will post on how this class goes each night. I am actually looking forward to learning more. (I know I know, once you are out of school, you always want to be back in.) ..be bold Tagged: cafe evoke, catering, business plan, marketing plan, marketing, coffee, tea, espresso, bozeman, montana, quickbooks

My Apologies

...for the lack of posts and decent content over the past week. My "high speed" internet connection has been less than quick lately. I am going to be talking about this with the provider today in hopes that we can get it taken care of. Once that is complete, I will begin posting again. Thank you for your patience. ..be bold

Bite of Bozeman -- Tonight!

Every year, the Sweet Pea Festival brings Bozeman, Montana art, food, music, and a time to get with others in the community. Tonight is the Bite of Bozeman -- somewhat of a kickoff to this event. The annual Bite Of Bozeman is the ultimate outdoor dining experience. Stroll along the entire length of Bozeman's historic Main Street and celebrate the culinary arts of its local restaurants by sampling foods from a number of different vendors. Cafe Evoke Coffee Catering will be involved in this event so come see us! When: Tonight from 6:00 - 9:00 in the pm Where: Downtown Bozeman -- our booth is on the SW corner of Tracy and Main We are bringing our full menu: Brewed Coffee, Espresso Drinks, Chai Teas, Choice Tea, bubble tea, botanical ice tea, Italian soda, etc. If you are out and about tonight, come by and say hi. We will be in the white tent directly in front of Miller's Jewelers who graciously allowed us to use their power outlet for tonights event. We look forward to see you tonight! ..be bold Tagged: cafe evoke, coffee catering, bozeman, montana, espresso, coffee, tea, bite of bozeman