ok want to start a coffee business but one problem i am in 6th grade. what do i do i really want ot start one.

Question

ok i want to start a coffee business. but i can't buy a place but i want to really do one should i put out flyers in my neighbor hood and set a date for people to come and buy coffee. but if i do that should they come in my home or have a litel stand or just sit outside on my porch in my front porch and put a sign saying coffee here? another thing i am doing a dg walkig business and i make 20 dollars a week.anothe thing what else can i do to make money in my neighborhood?like a another small business. but that is not enough to buy a coffee machine is there a place where you can buy a nice cheap one that makes coffee and expressos and lattas? or what else do i need? to do it at home? please help me. if there is a website where i can get a great cheap coffee maker please help em as soon as you can i am begging you.

Answer 1

You are a hard little worker. First problems you will get is licencing and insurance. Coffee is food so you will have to adhere to health laws as well. Do a yahoo search on the licences you will need for your State.

My suggestion would be for your to look at getting a Kart in the local mall. You can advertise your dog walking as well from there. The beauty of this is that you have no long term commitment.

You are going to parental help though for all of this - so talk to them about your ambitions.

Answer 2

I admire your drive. First off, you don't want a bunch of people in your house, it's not safe and they will make more mess than they are worth. If you want to sell coffee, make yourself a stand and run power from the house. You can buy a pretty cheap coffee maker at Target or Walmart. Start simple with just "drip" coffee and then get an espresso machine after you save up. One problem is that your customers will probably want to buy coffee in the morning, much of which time you need to be in school.

Some other ideas for making a $ would be lawn mowing, leaf raking, snow shoveling, painting, cleaning, garden work, almost anything. Good luck, I wish every 6th grader wanted to make a $.

Answer 3

The dog walking business will probably make you more money but if you dream of having a coffee business, you should go for it! You can do anything that you put your mind to. Start out small. Maybe save up some dog walking money for a month to make it easier to start the coffee business. Maybe mom and dad or family will help you start out. I would stick to just coffee in the beginning and see how it goes. Later, you could add gourmet lemonade, chai, hot cocoa...etc.
First of all, never allow strangers in your home so set up shop in your driveway or someplace similar, preferably with parental supervision. You don't really need to be near an electrical outlet as you can invest in a coffee pump style urn to start with. It would be more convenient and less messy. Brew a pot of coffee inside, pour it in the urn and bring it outside. As your business grows, buy another urn and add a daily flavor. If your family already has a coffee maker that you can use to brew, just buy the urn. They generally cost $15.00 at walmart. Here's a list of supplies that you'll need.
Table
coffee urn
napkins
2% milk and half & half
disposible coffee cups with lids
stir stix
sugar container with a pour spout
sugar substitute packets
disposible spoons (some people like to measure out their sugar)
small white eraser board to write down what you have

You'll also want to spread the word. Tell all your friends and family and tell them to tell their friends and family. Then put out some posters around the neighborhood if possible. Make sure that your signage and posters tells people where to find you and what you have to offer and what your hours of operation are. You will need to be consistant. Be there when you say you are going to be.
Okay, now you will really need to put some thought into what kind of coffee that you are going to brew and serve. Never start with a cheap coffee. You want to give your customers something really good so that they keep coming back. Maybe some adults that you know can tell you what they think is a good coffee. Personally, I would buy a pound of freshly roasted whole bean coffee at a specialty shop and have it freshly ground. If all else fails, suprisingly "eight O'clock french roast coffee" that can be found in grocery store very reasonably priced is pretty good. But if something like this is not available in your area, just try to go with a tasty coffee.
Now...you're probably thinking...what do I charge for a cup of coffee? I would suggest not pricing it really low because if people are paying a really cheap price for coffee they tend to think it's of lesser quality. I know it sounds silly but it's true. Charge appropriately and take into consideration all of your costs (sugar, cups, napkins, etc.). My suggestion is to charge a $1.50- $1.65 "donation" if you have 10-12 oz cups.
If you can get some donuts or baked goods from a local bakery by the dozen, you could offer a coffee and donut special for $2.00-$2.25. The rule of thumb, is that you charge double what your costs are. Coffee is relitively inexpensive so you should make a profit. It can be hard work dealing with the public though. No matter what be friendly and serve each customer with a smile.
I hope that this helps.
I wish you all the luck in the world.

Answer 4

I dont think you can really work legally until you are 14 in most states. So coffee would need a food handlers permit unless you would be selling it on a street corner like lemonade. You would have to work at something under the table like lawn care or something else around the neighborhood. Also try to introduce yourself to the elderly, seriously, most of them are loaded and just looking to give away their money. You can get them groceries, run to the post office for them or just a light caregiver to keep them company. I am not sure what else you can do being in 6th grade. Unless you sell on ebay or something.

Answer 5

American law sucks for that sort of think come and start one in the UK.