Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Cafe Evoke Catering :: An Update
Well, this week has not been so bad, with catering stuff anyway. Even though our meeting got canceled on Saturday, we have gotten a lot done since then. I have made contact with several sales leads which should lead to bookings (meetings with them are about to be scheduled) and I am happy with our progress.
The one thing that concerns me is my ability to enter correct information into our Customer Manager. On my to do list today where 5 phone calls. Of the 5, two of them actually did not provide us telephone numbers and the other few did not connect. I know I have given wrong numbers to people before just in case they had plans of calling me everyday so maybe that is what happened.
I need to be more careful however. I am checking each number in the phone book (on suggestion by my wife) to see if I can find the correct number. Otherwise, I am just going to have to email and send more letters - not the best way but in some cases the only way.
While we have a long way to go still and not much time to do it (Q1 ends in March), we are going pretty smoothly. Calling people is never easy for me but that is what I have to do to survive.
...be bold
The Global Exchange Fair Trade Store is your Online Source for Socially Conscious Gifts |
...a thought by Cafe Evoke Coffee Catering at 2/28/2007 04:56:00 PM
Monday, February 26, 2007
The Coffee and Tea Festival - Now Weekly!
I have decided to make the switch to a weekly Coffee and Tea Festival instead of monthly or whatever it was before. My hope is that this will help this event grow -- with new hosts, new submissions, and great content.
Thanks again for everyone that sends in their posts. I hope that people have as much fun reading all of them as I do. The more we get, the more we can all get to know each other and these great industries. If you find anything that should be included, please pass them along! As always, you can submit your posts with this fantastic little form or click on the ad on the left side-bar of this blog.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.
..be bold
The Global Exchange Fair Trade Store is your Online Source for Socially Conscious Gifts |
...a thought by Cafe Evoke Coffee Catering at 2/26/2007 06:24:00 PM
Sunday, February 25, 2007
It makes a difference..
I was reading over at Fair Trade Coffee News this morning and found a post linking to a story about how Certified Fair Trade is changing lives.
It is a great read for anyone that finds themselves wondering. I know I do from time to time. I really try to have as much confidence in the machine that is the certification program. Stores like this seem to help.
It reminds me of a time when I was listening to a friend speak at Belmont University in Nashville. I wrote about his talk and it goes along well with this.
It is a great article to read over your morning cup.
...be bold
The Global Exchange Fair Trade Store is your Online Source for Socially Conscious Gifts |
...a thought by Cafe Evoke Coffee Catering at 2/25/2007 06:46:00 AM
Saturday, February 24, 2007
..because I'm the owner.
So, later today I will be in a meeting with a hopeful client at my favorite coffee place in town, The Daily Coffee Bar. While normally I would be excited and ready for a nice drink and to talk about Cafe Evoke Catering, today is a bit different. I will tell you why.
I think I have said it before but just in case, I love to be outdoors - skiing, mountain biking, cycling, hiking, whatever. Last night, I went over to my buddy's place, one of the owners of PowderFin.com, to have some beers and hang out. It snowed ALL day yesterday in the valley and probably left us with 4 or so inches here which means probably about a foot or so in the mountains. The talk was of going out today for some fresh powder. Me, however, will have to miss it with business meetings.
I was thinking about and decided that if this coffee catering business is going to grow and become Montana's best catering company, it is going to take sacrafice. That being said, I am going to the meeting and will be cheerful about it. I guess I will have to read all about the fresh face shots over at my buddies blog.
I was told by my wise professor that your business should never get in the way of you personal dreams and goals. In fact, your business should help you reach those goals. While I do look back and see myself working into my "play" hours, I know that we are laying the ground work. I try to leave the weekends open so that we can get outside. This is my first weekend meeting this year and I just got unlucky.
No worries.
...be bold
The Global Exchange Fair Trade Store is your Online Source for Socially Conscious Gifts |
...a thought by Cafe Evoke Coffee Catering at 2/24/2007 07:26:00 AM
Friday, February 23, 2007
A General Store with Specialty Coffee
I just read this in my most recent edition of CoffeeTalk:A gas station/convenience store, Star Fuel's All Star Stores in Oklahoma City, Okla., was recognized for excellence in brewing coffee with the "Golden Cup Award" from the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). The honor is awarded annually to a few select retailers and restaurants whose specialty coffee is properly ground and brewed. To be eligible for the award, the retailer must prepare its coffee according to the SCAA's precise brewing standards. Star Fuel is a gasoline and convenience store retailer with 53 stores in the Oklahoma City area. SCAA is the world's largest coffee trade association with member companies from over 40 countries.
To celebrate the award, Star Fuel executives and team members will personally serve free cups of Bella Supremo to customers on Feb. 21 between 8 a.m. and noon at the Star Fuel convenience store and gas station located at Memorial Road & Western (1101 West Memorial Road, Oklahoma City).
Alan Wilkerson, Star Fuel's chief operating officer, applied for the Golden Cup Award by submitting a sample of his company's water and brewed coffee for laboratory analysis by the Specialty Coffee Association of America. The association chemically analyzed the samples to ascertain the amount of minerals in the water, as well as the ratio of water to coffee. Maybe it is just my opinion but I am very impressed with this outcome. How many gas stations do you know of that can serve coffee up to par with the "Golden Cup Award" given by the governing body of the specialty coffee association? Now, if this was an award given by a group that really had nothing to do with coffee, it would be one thing. But the SCAA?
Great job. This store happens to be down the road from my parents in Oklahoma City so next time I am there, I will be stopping in. Now, for the rest of the gas stations...
(article came from AMOnline.com)
Think I'm kidding? Here is another article about it. And another.
...be bold
The Global Exchange Fair Trade Store is your Online Source for Socially Conscious Gifts |
...a thought by Cafe Evoke Coffee Catering at 2/23/2007 02:22:00 PM
The Coffee and Tea Festival (#??)
 Well hello again and welcome to the latest installment of the Coffee and Tea Festival. How are you? Things have been busy with us and Cafe Evoke Catering which is my excuse for this festival not being posted on time or with any real consistency. I like to keep you on your toes you know. At any rate, we had two submissions (thanks you!) in the past several weeks. This will be a short - but good - festival so here we go..
With our first article of the day, Mimi presents Would you like caffeine in that crumpet? posted at Become's Pocket Change. For me, I do not eat dough nuts very often so it is no matter. But for those that do, would this change the taste? My eating habits may indicate that I do not like dough nuts, that is not true - just do not get to the "shop" very often. Maybe this is an attempt to get people coming back. Maybe this means this shop does not make good dough nuts so they must drug us to come back. Maybe this is the future for dough nuts so you do not have to get your to-go cup sticky and such. Who knows.
In our next post, BirdBarista presents Illegal coffee growing threatens wildlife, Kraft major buyer posted at Coffee and Conservation. This post talks about a situation where robusta coffee is being grown inside bird sanctuaries and where it is not supposed to be grown.
Well, that will do it for this weeks edition. Thanks to everyone who submitted and please keep the posts coming. The more we get, the more we can all get to know each other and these great industries. If you find anything that should be included, please pass them along! As always, you can submit your posts with this fantastic little form or click on the ad on the left side-bar of this blog.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.
..be bold
The Global Exchange Fair Trade Store is your Online Source for Socially Conscious Gifts |
...a thought by Cafe Evoke Coffee Catering at 2/23/2007 10:25:00 AM
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Monday, February 19, 2007
It's Presidents Day
A happy President's Day to you all. I hope - if you got out of work - that this day brings rest or time for whatever else you have been putting off (skiing, hiking, biking, coffee, you know).
I did in fact get today as a holiday from my other job which gave me some time to get caught up on some much needed Cafe Evoke Catering work. My two main goals were as follows:
1. Get the rest of our sales leads entered into Quickbooks Customer Manager
2. Get media kits out to those with events in the next two months
I am happy to say that I got most of this done. I do have a few more letters to send out but I got a nice chunk completed. I am entering in to a season of sales for Cafe Evoke Catering. I have been doing quite a bit of marketing but now it is time to sell. I will have to admit that I am a bit nervous about how this will go.
Marketing is all about timing. Can you get your name, information, and contact info in front of people right when they need you most? My plan is to send a letter each month to our sales leads and finally follow up via phone or in person at least a month and a half before their event. I have also been formulating our corporate campaign and decided to send media kits out to those accounts we are trying to get (more on that later) and try to set up a meeting with each company so that I can personally present Cafe Evoke Catering to them.
This is crunch time. We are going to be spending quite a bit of money on postage but that is what we are going to have to do to get these leads converted to paid events.
...be bold
The Global Exchange Fair Trade Store is your Online Source for Socially Conscious Gifts |
...a thought by Cafe Evoke Coffee Catering at 2/19/2007 06:49:00 AM
Saturday, February 17, 2007
PowderFin.com/Coffee/Outdoors
One of the things I love (and one of the reasons I moved West) is the outdoors. In fact, I would put this right along side coffee. Mountain biking, cycling, hiking, camping, sking, snow shoeing, snow -- it is all something I love to do. Now, if you are a member of either the coffee community or the outdoor community, you know there are drastic differences between the two. How can I drink great coffee while being outdoors? I don't want to compromise either of my hobbies. I finally find the answer.
 Java Juice Extract Java Juice® is a single-serving pouch of liquid coffee concentrate. A pure coffee extract, Java Juice is made from 100% premium, organic coffee beans and triple-filtered water, nothing else. No additives or preservatives. Java Juice® is a pioneering coffee product designed for hundreds of different uses. Use Java Juice® for making superior organic coffee on the go, at home, for cooking, camping and much more. Rip it, drip it, and sip it.
Java Juice is sealed in individual packets that have a PSI rating of 190 lbs, so they won't break or open until you're ready to use them. Each packet is nitrogen gas purged in a state-of-the-art process that locks in coffee flavor and allows Java Juice® to be taken to the highest altitudes without puffing up or spoiling. For concerned campers who live by the LEAVES NO TRACE credo, Java Juice® is the perfect solution. Tear, mix and drink. Then fold up the empty packet like a gum wrapper and carry it out with you. No filter, or coffee grounds to dispose of. When you are using Java Juice, you are contributing to an entirely sustainable model for agriculture, the environment and commerce. The farmers who grow coffee for Java Juice are paid a fair trade price for their organic and shade grown beans, the manufacturing processes are energy efficient, recycling as much bio-mass as possible, and the final packaging is designed for absolute minimum waste. I carry a pouch or two of JavaJuice in my pack each day and when I am out and about in the mountains. While I like the taste of it better when it is in hot water, it also goes great in my water bottle when I need a little pick me up. It is easy and clean to make and it keeps me from having to drink "cowboy" coffee while I am out.
Check out their press room for what others are saying. I will have to admit that this product has not taken over my french press or espresso machine. I don't think anything ever will. You have to remember, however, that is not easy to take either of these things with you when you are out and about without power so, to date, I have not used or tried anything as good as this.
The extract, or "coffee liquor" as they call it, is a bit bitter smelling when you first put it in the cup. I was expecting the end flavor to taste similiar but it really did not. I was surprised at how smooth the coffee ended up being - much better than the office coffee I normally have to smell at work. The flavor is much like that of Toddy Coffee or, so I hear, an Aeropress. Do not go into this thinking you are going to get a Cup of Excellence winner or some fine tuned brewed coffee or espresso drink. You will get a great flavor and have the flexiblity of being about to be out and about with a good cup.
I emailed this company a few months ago about offering a Fair Trade Certified version but have never heard anything back from them. I will send another and hope to hear some good things back. I do see that many are saying it is made with Shade-grown and Fair Trade beans but I do not see any of this on their site. Maybe I am missing it.
 My buddies over at PowderFin.com introduced me to this stuff. They carry a great selection of this organic coffee extract and a wide variety of outdoor gear.
As you know, this blog is about community, small business, and coffee. PowderFin.com is an up and coming outdoor e-tailer made up of employees that actually use the gear they sell. They have a great blog with pictures of the outdoors and posts about the gear that they use.
Take a stop by PowderFin.com and try some JavaJuice and take a look at their gear. I do not think you will be disappointed with JavaJuice, especially when you are on the road or find yourself in a spot where your grinder, press, or brewer is impossible to use.
...be bold
The Global Exchange Fair Trade Store is your Online Source for Socially Conscious Gifts |
...a thought by Cafe Evoke Coffee Catering at 2/17/2007 10:25:00 AM
Friday, February 16, 2007
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Happy V-Day!
Valentines Day is here! I hope everyone is having a great day so far and that you are spending time with those you love. Don't forget to purchase your Fair Trade Certified gifts (even if it is a bit late).
Also, if you are a coffee person like myself and want to see some V-day related stuff, Arizona Coffee has a list of a few things you might want to check out.
Have a great night everyone.
...be bold
The Global Exchange Fair Trade Store is your Online Source for Socially Conscious Gifts |
...a thought by Cafe Evoke Coffee Catering at 2/14/2007 01:09:00 PM
Monday, February 12, 2007
2007 Museum of the Rockies Ball
 Saturday night we set up shop at the Museum of the Rockies Black Tie Ball. This party was a celebration and fundraiser marking the 50th year anniversary of the museum. Katalin Green Design, as always, planned a great event. This year's theme was "parting through the decades. Here is what the event planners themselves say about it...We were once again honored to be the event designers for the Museum of the Rockies Winter Event, this year celebrating with a 50th Anniversary Extravaganza. The question on everyone's mind this year was "How to Party through the Decades". We started where we always start with the Museum events, by building a great team of volunteers, Museum staff, and this year, audio/visual and lighting specialist.
With the team in place, we dove into the process of designing five large rooms in the Museum itself, each themed around a specific decade (50's through the 90's). Our Fifties Room was built around Vegas complete with a poker room, a custom built "Vegas" sign, cigarette girls and our very own showgirl. A large screen played Movies and other iconic images from the decade as guests enjoyed signature drinks from our Martini bar.
From the Fifties, our guests were able to move into the Sixties, complete with Go Go Dancers and a light show. The main hall was transformed from Dino to Disco to celebrate the Seventies. Full scale disco lighting, a sound system to rival any club, dance floor, a large video screen playing period movies (You guessed it, Saturday Night Fever among others) and plenty of sparkle celebrated what made the Seventies so memorable.
Our eighties room featured the Lava Lounge for guests that wanted a quiet place to get away and enjoy a Tequila sunrise, complete with blinking LED ice cubes. Our final decade, the Nineties was built around a custom coffee bar serving a wide array of favorites. All of the rooms featured period furniture that was trucked in specifically for the event and we finished the look with custom linens and specialty centerpieces featuring self contained lighting.
Exquisite catering and full bars, each serving a signature drink specific to the decade theme of the room, completed each room. Following the live auction with guest auctioneer, Senator Conrad Burns, the disco kicked into full gear and guests busted out their best moves under a spectacular light show!
This year's gala was truly an over-the-top event and we could not have done it without the wonderful team of volunteers, Museum staff, Katalin Green Design Staff, Filmlites, Poindexter's, and the numerous others that supplied us with services and assistance. We would like to thank everyone involved for their contribution in making this such a wonderful evening. We would also like to congratulate the Museum of the Rockies on Fifty wonderful years and for allowing us to be part of the celebration! Cafe Evoke had a great response and we were happy to be a part of this great event.
 The idea of this event was to get our name, image, and cart in front of a new class of Bozeman community members -- people that may have never heard about us before. I feel that the event was a huge success for us. We met many new people -- caterers and guests -- and had a chance to really show our set up in an atmosphere we feel fits us best - with music, art, formal dress. We served out of nice glass mugs which was a great change from our normal 12 oz hot cups with JavaJackets.
It was a long night but a very fun and successful one!
..be bold
The Global Exchange Fair Trade Store is your Online Source for Socially Conscious Gifts |
...a thought by Cafe Evoke Coffee Catering at 2/12/2007 05:23:00 PM
Friday, February 09, 2007
Google AdWords
We are a new business - a new idea for that matter. So far, our toughest thing we are up against is getting our word out to the community in and around Bozeman, Montana. We know that many people come to Montana to get married and Bozeman is normally right in the center of that migration. We are advertising in Montana Bride to try and get some of that business. But how do we get in front of all the people who are searching for Montana caterers and wedding services who are not living here?
Google Adwords.
I began a campaign in Google Adwords yesterday to try and get people to see our name, our concept, and our service before they click on any other catering companies that come up. For as little as $.15 per lead (or click), I think it is something to monitor.
I have tried to tailor our ads so that people call, not click, as our website is only a contact page at this point. If this campaign goes well, I think our next marketing move will be to at least build a few more pages to our site -- mainly a menu page, package page, about us page, and maybe a few images.
So far, we have had 15 impressions with our ads (people that have searched and seen us) so I hope that we continue to get shown in Google.
..be bold
|
...a thought by Cafe Evoke Coffee Catering at 2/09/2007 05:54:00 AM
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Cafe Evoke Catering :: An Update
Well, I finally completed all of the "thank you's" that I had to write. I think there ended up being 175 or something. While many people said I should have just printed something off, signed it, and sent it, I feel that a hand written note might come across a bit better.
My hope is that it will lead to at least a few phone calls. I have learned that once I can get into a conversation about our service, it leads to a booking. The idea of the letters was to catch our hopeful clients a week or so after they saw us -- just to remind them and hopefully spur them into booking us for their events.
My goal is to get Cafe Evoke Catering to a point where we are booked 8 times per month. This goal would put our fixed costs at 30% of Sales. At this point, our cost per event is just under 10% which I am happy with.
This weekend is going to be a big one for us as we head over to the Museum of the Rockies for their Black Tie Ball. This is one of our last big scheduled events that I call "marketing events." We do these because we get paid to advertise. This event will put us in front of 350 or so Bozeman community members that we feel are a large part of our target market.
So, black tie it is for Saturday evening. I am excited for the event and even more excited to see how this helps us position ourselves in the Bozeman market.
..be bold
|
...a thought by Cafe Evoke Coffee Catering at 2/08/2007 05:46:00 AM
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Millstone -- Some Questions Answered
I received the below email from the company who sent me the samples answering some of my questions from my last post. It is good that these marketing firms are keeping up with those that are talking about their product and trying to answer as many questions as possible.Saw your post on receiving the samples and thought I'd repond to some of your points.
The coffees sent to you - Millstone Organic Deep Peruvian Forest Blend, Millstone Organic Nicaraguan Mountain Twilight Blend, and Millstone Organic Mayan Black Onyx Blend - are actually all double-certified as Organic (by the USDA) and Fair Trade (by TransFair America). These three blends are available in bulk, whole bean verities at grocery stores and retail outlets like Wal-Mart nationwide.
In addition, as you mention, we also offer Millstone Rainforest Reserve Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee and Millstone Organic Mountain Moonlight Fair Trade Certified coffee. These roasts are available in whole bean, prepacked bags at grocery stores nationwide (you can use the storefinder on the Millstone site to see where they're selling it near you: www.millstone.com). I'll be sure you receive samples of these products later this week.
Hope this answers some questions you posed. Let me know if you have others. Because you cannot order any of the Fair Trade Certified products off their website, I took her advice and headed over to site to look up "Bozeman Montana" on their store locator.
I found the Organic Mountain Moonlight that is Fair Trade Certified. They have it available under the "whole been prepacks" section. I decided to find out where they sell in Bozeman and got the following results:Stop by one of the stores near you listed below to explore the many varieties of Millstone coffee. Varieties and quantities will vary by store. Please call each store directly to ensure availability of specific products.
You searched for:
Product: Whole Bean Prepack
Variety: Mountain Moonlight Fair Trade Certified
within 25 miles of this zip code 59718 Bozeman, MT
Search took 14 seconds
2 stores found
New Search? Click here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALBERTSONS 2006
(16 miles) 200 S 23RD AVE
BOZEMAN,MT 59715
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
L & F FOOD FARM
(21 miles) 106 E MAIN
MANHATTAN,MT 59741
While I wish I could say that all the stores in Bozeman carried this blend, only one does. I guess my next step should be to fill out comment cards at each location and try to get more Fair Trade availablity.
I know some people still hound these big companies about their Fair Trade blends available, I have to give some credit. This is a start. I would challenge this company to make more of a commentment however. This is a huge company that could make a huge difference. Global Exchange offered an article talking about this companies entrance into the Fair Trade Market.Procter & Gamble's Millstone brand will immediately offer Fair Trade coffee to wholesale accounts such as universities, restaurants, and hospitals. Millstone will eventually begin retailing Fair Trade coffee in supermarkets nationwide. P&G has committed to a major marketing effort to increase the volume of Millstone's Fair Trade sales to at least two to three million pounds within two years.
Unfortunately, P&G's Folgers brand will not be offering Fair Trade coffee. This is a disappointment for Global Exchange and our allies, since we had hoped to bring Fair Trade to the millions of coffee drinkers who don't consume specialty coffees. Nevertheless, the P&G agreement marks an important victory—not only for farmers—but also for the larger corporate accountability movement.
Procter & Gamble's announcement shows that, when united, citizens can force even the largest corporations to change their business practices. The P&G victory proves that citizen action—the efforts of people just like you—is as powerful as the deepest corporate pockets.
If we keep on these guys, maybe we will see Folger's join in and really put some marketing dollars into this campaign.
..be bold
|
...a thought by Cafe Evoke Coffee Catering at 2/06/2007 06:30:00 AM
Monday, February 05, 2007
V-Day is Coming - Do you know where your chocolate comes from?
Valentines Day is just around the corner and we will all be out buying chocolate, flowers, and other gifts for friends and loved ones. But do you know where your chocolate came from? Global Exchange has the below article talking about the importance of giving Fair Trade Certified Chocolate this V-Day.
Yes, it is long but well worth the few minutes that it takes...
ARTICLE: The Bitter Truth About Chocolate
by: Tex Dworkin, February 2007
Global Exchange Fair Trade Online Store
Website: www.globalexchangestore.org
THE BITTER TRUTH ABOUT CHOCOLATE
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Hershey's kiss, and yet a celebration is hardly in order. Why? Because with each bite, we are reminded that most chocolate sold in the U.S. comes from cocoa farms where farmers work in unsafe conditions, receive below poverty wages, many of them children under 14 years old who are forced to work and denied education.
With another Valentine's Day approaching, happy couples will wine and dine, showering each other with flowers, jewelry, and chocolate. Unfortunately, knowing where most chocolate comes from makes it hard to swallow!
It's 2007, and people are finally starting to question where the products they buy are made and whether the workers who made them were treated fairly. Sweatshop-free apparel is becoming hip, and Fair Trade coffee is at least a blip on the map. Yet chocolate is still being made with cocoa beans harvested by children in Africa working in unsafe conditions, while the average consumer has no idea this is going on.
The truth behind chocolate is not-so-sweet. The Ivory Coast is the world's largest cocoa producer, providing 43% of the world's cocoa. And yet, in 2001 the U.S. State Department reported child slavery on many cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast. A 2002 report from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture about cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast and other African countries estimated there were 284,000 children working on cocoa farms in hazardous conditions. U.S. chocolate manufacturers have claimed they are not responsible for the conditions on cocoa plantations since they don't own them.
Chocolate comes from cocoa, and the cocoa supply is controlled by a small number of companies worldwide that are allowed to function with limited accountability. Hershey's and M&M/Mars alone control two-thirds of the $13 billion U.S. chocolate candy market. The result? An industry marred with child slavery, unsafe working conditions and a cycle of poverty with no end in sight for cocoa farmers. Chocolate companies are not held accountable for sourcing practices, and despite their knowledge about the travesties that occur on cocoa farms, they lack the will to change.
The U.S. chocolate industry has faced multiple deadlines requiring new protocol, and yet little has changed. Under pressure from Congress, in the Harken-Engel Protocol, the U.S. chocolate industry agreed to voluntarily take steps to end child slavery on cocoa farms by July of 2005. This deadline has since passed, and the chocolate industry has failed to comply with the terms of this agreement.
So in July 2005, International Labor Rights Fund filed suit against Nestlé in Federal District Court on behalf of a class of children who were trafficked from Mali into the Ivory Coast and forced to work twelve to fourteen hours a day with no pay, little food and sleep, and frequent beatings. What was Nestlé's response to court questioning? "We are only buyers of a product.”
There are a plethora of examples of company leaders who were publicly criticized for selling clothing lines manufactured by sweatshop workers, Kathy Lee Gifford and designer Jessica McClintock to name a few. Chocolate companies should be held accountable for the conditions of cocoa producers they buy from.
Consumers can hold chocolate companies accountable by choosing only Fair Trade Certified chocolate. It's easy to do. Simply look for TransFair USA's Fair Trade logo on the package. TransFair is the only third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the U.S. Fair Trade Certified chocolate ensures that no forced or abusive child labor was used. If consumer demand for Fair Trade chocolate increases, perhaps chocolate companies will alter their practices. Thus, buying Fair Trade chocolate can put an end to the disastrous cycle of poverty and child endangerment.
It is estimated that Fair Trade chocolate represents less than 1% of the world's roughly $60 billion chocolate market. According to the Chocolate Manufacturers Association and National Confectioners Association, in 2005 more than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate were sold for Valentine's Day. How many hours of exploited child labor went into those boxes of chocolate?
So what's a chocolate lover to do? Choose Fair Trade chocolate this Valentine's Day, a sweet deal for loved ones and cocoa farmers. If you click the banner above (or below), you can buy Fair Trade Certified V-day gifts that will not only be a huge hit with your loved one, but will also help a a child in a poverty stricken country.
So many times we hear about Fair Trade Certified coffess but there are many other things that you can purchase through this network. Take a look around and remember to buy Fair Trade this V-day season.
..be bold |
...a thought by Cafe Evoke Coffee Catering at 2/05/2007 05:00:00 PM
Keeping Track of our Customers
One of the big things I have discovered Cafe Evoke Catering needs is a customer database program. A program that, in the least, would...
1. Keep track of names and contact information
2. Allow us to include notes
3. Set remainders of special events (birthday, weddings, etc)
4. Created mailing lists
I have been searching around Google for programs that would help us keep track of this type of thing but nothing really seems to fit our industry. Many have so much extra stuff that comes with it which drives the price higher than what we can afford.
What we need is something simple, clean, easy to use but that flexibility and possible the ability to expand.
I would love to be able to send a bride a "good luck card" a month or so before her wedding. This not only helps her remember Cafe Evoke Catering, it also helps us add a personal touch to our business.
This will also help us organize our sales leads - not only with past clients but also with our hopeful new clients. If we are going to really get into the corporate world, it will be important to keep sending out mailers, making phone calls, and stopping by. At some point, this will lead to events and good networking opportunities.
Does anyone know of any customer database programs that might fit this bill? I did find out that attaches to Outlook but am not sure how flawless the program is.
Thank for your feedback!
..be bold
|
...a thought by Cafe Evoke Coffee Catering at 2/05/2007 09:36:00 AM
Friday, February 02, 2007
Millstone Coffee -- An Email
So, as a "coffee blogger" I receive many emails from companies wanting to send me samples. I am sure I am not alone in this and I would bet many other coffee related blog authors do as well. I received the below email a few days ago from a company that works with
Millstone Coffee:Jason,
I was reading about the Coffee and Tea Festival on your blog, and I thought might share some info about a product line that might be of interest to you given your dedication to fair trade and organic lines. I work for Fleishman-Hillard, and one of our clients, Millstone Coffee, has an organic product line that you might like to check out.
Their line-up includes the Rainforest Reserve Rainforest Alliance Certified, 100% Organic Mountain Moonlight Fair Trade Certified, Organic Deep Peruvian Forest Blend, Organic Nicaraguan Mountain Twilight Blend, Organic Mayan Black Onyx Blend.
Given your penchant for coffee, if you're interested, I can send out a sample. Please feel free to e-mail me if you'd like any additional information or would like to try out a sample. I am always up for trying coffees -- no matter the blends -- but companies that put out certified coffees interest me even more. So, I emailed her back and said I would love to try some of their Organic and Fair Trade Certified coffees. I was impressed to see a box of coffee (stuffed full and with one bag spewing beans all over the place) in my mailbox today.
I opened up the box and found the following blends:
Organic Mayan Black Onyx Blend
Organic Nicaraguan Mountain Twilight Blend
Organic Deep Peruvian Forest Blend (all over the inside of the box)
I checked each bag and a Fair Trade Certified blend was not included -- to my disappointment. While I am a big fan of Organic Certified products, Fair Trade is more of my "movement". I checked their site to see what Fair Trade's that had and found that they do have one, Organic Mountain Moonlight Fair Trade Certified, but it was not even available online so who knows where they are actually selling it.
My next step is to try them out and post a review of what I think. I am going to use a method that was just talked about over at Arizona Coffee. Why not, you know? There has to be a bit of method to this madness I call reviewing.
Do you know anything about Millstone that I should not before reviewing? I plan to read up on their website but I know some of you know alot about corporate culture when it comes to their values, beliefs, and goals as a company. Share them with me so I know what I am getting into.
Have you ever had any of these coffees? Let me know your thoughts as well and I will work them into my review.
Yes, these are both questions that you can answer by leaving a comment -- if you would be so kind.
..be bold
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...a thought by Cafe Evoke Coffee Catering at 2/02/2007 05:41:00 PM
Thursday, February 01, 2007
The Cafe Evoke Catering Press Kit
While I covered much of what has been going on with Cafe Evoke Catering during the month of January, one of our big completions was our press kit. I am happy with how they turned out but have some great ideas for the second run.
These press kits are designed to be not only a marketing tool but a reminder to our future clients about our business and what we are are all about. Each press kit is made up of...
White two pocket folder with our logo (above) on the front
An introduction letter saying thanks and what to expect in the packet
A list of organizations that we are a part of (Bozeman Chamber of Commerce, GVIBA, and the SCAA)
A list of about 10 references
Two of our brochures
A guide to all of our package options
and a business card
We have had great response from these press kits from clients and other vendors alike. It is a good idea for us to have something to hand out to people or put in the mail as it gives the customer something to look at while we are talking about their event and what package will work best for them.
We also have nice postcard sized "thank-you" cards that we hand write and send to people after a referral or for coming to our booth at any of the bridal fairs we have attended. I talked about these yesterday as well. I really think this will be a nice touch to the rest of our presentation and hope that it shows that we are a personal company providing personal service.
I think these kits will be even more important as we beginning the marketing strategies for February as we will be focusing on the corporate market in Bozeman, Montana. There are about 3 large scale companies here that people always say I we should contact. I have sent information to them but these kits will have more of an impact.
...be bold
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...a thought by Cafe Evoke Coffee Catering at 2/01/2007 04:49:00 PM
