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Billaboing

New Member
So i'm in the early early stages of starting a business which means that i basically know that I want to start something soon but I want to read as much as I can first. So I guess i'm in the intial research phase.

The only book I've read to date is The Wal Mart Way by Don Soderquist which I've actually found to be a very very good one to start with!

Does anyone have any other helpful suggestions? :confused:
 
I have heard that Guy Kawasaki is the guru of all things start-up. I haven't read any of his stuff yet, but these are sitting on my shelf waiting their turn.

The Art of the Start
Rules for Revolutionaries
Selling the Dream

There are also a number of great blogs pointed toward small businesses and startups out there.

Good luck.
J
 
Bought the Iacocca autobiography a month ago. I've been aiming to read it, but I always find something that is just as, if not more so, interesting. There are some great "How to write a business plan" books out there. I've been interested in starting a coffeehouse of my own, I've been eyeing a few and hope to utilize them within ten years.
 
I guess billaboing is not going to come back????

So SFG75...coffeehouse...elaborate....I've thought of a coffee franchise....but where I live there's a million and a half Dunkin Donuts. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a D.D. Then there's 7-11's and Wawa's selling coffee. (Wawa is just like a 7-11). Many gas stations now have a small convienience store type section that sell....you guessed it...coffee. Starbucks and Brew Ha-ha's are around too. Krispy Creme too.

I'd bet that in a 10 mile radius of my house I could buy coffee from about 50 different places.

How much room is there for more places to buy coffee? I know coffee is one step away from heroin on the addictive scale, but what can you offer at SFG75 CoffeeHouse that can't be gotten anywhere else? How would you set your place apart from the others? What will be your competitive advantage?

These are the questions I run through my mind everyday. What can I do that others can't? How can I set myself apart from the others? How could I make my place more attractive to customers than a Dunkin Donuts?
 
I'm coming back. I'm just a little slow...sowwy. :(

I wanted to try and open a coffe shop (how ironic moto kid!!) in ny where i live. Upstate NY so not the big city. Early stages for me really is trying to read everything I can about it to make absolutely sure it's what I want to do. Or can do.

So nothing fancy like a big corporation. Just a little place. To start with anyway.But it looks tough because there are SO many places out there. Especially the small ones. But i thought it would be a fun idea anyway...
 
Motokid said:
I guess billaboing is not going to come back????

So SFG75...coffeehouse...elaborate....I've thought of a coffee franchise....but where I live there's a million and a half Dunkin Donuts. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a D.D. Then there's 7-11's and Wawa's selling coffee. (Wawa is just like a 7-11). Many gas stations now have a small convienience store type section that sell....you guessed it...coffee. Starbucks and Brew Ha-ha's are around too. Krispy Creme too.

I'd bet that in a 10 mile radius of my house I could buy coffee from about 50 different places.

How much room is there for more places to buy coffee? I know coffee is one step away from heroin on the addictive scale, but what can you offer at SFG75 CoffeeHouse that can't be gotten anywhere else? How would you set your place apart from the others? What will be your competitive advantage?

These are the questions I run through my mind everyday. What can I do that others can't? How can I set myself apart from the others? How could I make my place more attractive to customers than a Dunkin Donuts?
Click to expand...


My thoughts exactly!! I mean I've seen everything too. Books and coffee, food from dinners to deserts and lunch, tea, alcohol. I don't know what you could do differently honestly. umm..indie films?? But that would only appeal to a certain crowd so i guess it depends on your demographic. etc etc
 
do a search on coffee over in general chat...there's a thread there on coffee...

I'd love to know more about your thoughts....size of the place...food or no...employees, how many...hours....drive thru....take-out....bar...tables....internet access...smoking or no....
 
Motokid said:
I guess billaboing is not going to come back????

So SFG75...coffeehouse...elaborate....I've thought of a coffee franchise....but where I live there's a million and a half Dunkin Donuts. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a D.D. Then there's 7-11's and Wawa's selling coffee. (Wawa is just like a 7-11). Many gas stations now have a small convienience store type section that sell....you guessed it...coffee. Starbucks and Brew Ha-ha's are around too. Krispy Creme too.

I'd bet that in a 10 mile radius of my house I could buy coffee from about 50 different places.

How much room is there for more places to buy coffee? I know coffee is one step away from heroin on the addictive scale, but what can you offer at SFG75 CoffeeHouse that can't be gotten anywhere else? How would you set your place apart from the others? What will be your competitive advantage?

These are the questions I run through my mind everyday. What can I do that others can't? How can I set myself apart from the others? How could I make my place more attractive to customers than a Dunkin Donuts?
Click to expand...


Oh dear, forgive me Moto, I haven't been back to visit the thread until tonight. Some five odd months later.:eek: I can be a bit scatter brained that way I suppose. I have to chuckle about the references to Dunkin' Donuts. They are definitely on the rebound and with some new leadership at the HQ, they are doing a great job of reviving business. Our coffee-house will be in a league of it's own. We are coffee-snobs Moto, our drinkers wouldn't be caught dead with a cup of the Dunkin' swill in their hands. We are the $3-$4.00 latte providers who will offer superior beans and will provide thorough training to our underlings who will create a drink literally from the gods. Yes, every gas station has those machine-punch-the-button crap, but the folks who drink that garbage aren't our consumer base. Quite frankly, to heck with them!. We may not be the Ford or Chevy dealer, but we are the BMW dealers of the coffee-world.

Motorin' Ed's & SFG's coffee-house:cool:

Our drinks:
Kick Start my heart Triple shot mocha
Burnin' 250 CC motokid's espresso shot w/whipped cream top
Granny's Honda scooter(Premium Colombian coffee by itself)
Race track wipe-out(wet cloth squeezed coffee & espresso from the bar)

350CC
After that, we will create hybrid stores. I'm thinking that we can sell premium sports bikes and cigars. Perhaps we'd offer that if a person buys a Kawasaki Ninja, they get a free box of Macanudo cigars. :D
 
SFG75 said:
Motorin' Ed's & SFG's coffee-house:cool:

Our drinks:
Kick Start my heart Triple shot mocha
Burnin' 250 CC motokid's espresso shot w/whipped cream top
Granny's Honda scooter(Premium Colombian coffee by itself)
Race track wipe-out(wet cloth squeezed coffee & espresso from the bar)

350CC
After that, we will create hybrid stores. I'm thinking that we can sell premium sports bikes and cigars. Perhaps we'd offer that if a person buys a Kawasaki Ninja, they get a free box of Macanudo cigars. :D
Click to expand...

Hehehe, you crack me up :D :D :D
Great ideas though, not really interested in the cigars, but the coffee sounds delicious! :D
 
JimMorrison said:
any other suggestions?
Click to expand...

Donald Trump's book Surviving at the top written in 1990. Interesting how successful business people view things when the chips are down. A good read, epsecially telling about how media folks and politicians are not to be trusted around those who are truly productive in our culture.
 
SFG75 said:
Donald Trump's book Surviving at the top written in 1990. Interesting how successful business people view things when the chips are down. A good read, epsecially telling about how media folks and politicians are not to be trusted around those who are truly productive in our culture.
Click to expand...

thank you. i will see if my school library has it.
 
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