Having confidence in your confidence is an important and valuable superpower to have as a small business owner. This means putting the effort into actually knowing your shit (about your craft and how to run a business) as opposed to the bravado of “faking it till you make it”. In a world where bravado is rewarded on social media platforms, recent years have left a number of failed small business owners struggling to understand why they couldn’t make it work when so many others seem to make it look (on social media) so simple. In this episode of the Daily Coffee Pro podcast by MAP IT FORWARD, we explore why this happens as well as some tips to avoid this trap.

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When small business owners and people from corporate structures start having conversations about business, it’s like two people who speak similar languages with different dialects trying to have a conversation. You think you know what the other person means but you’re using different words to explain the same thing but because you aren’t as familiar with that dialect, you totally misunderstand what’s being communicated. I hear all the time from small business owners meeting with larger corporates (interested in buying them out or looking to invest) who feel utterly deflated after meetings with corporate employees who use terms that have left them believing they didn’t know what they were talking about. When the question is phrased a different way without all the unnecessary intimidating language, the small business owner knows exactly how to explain their position. In this episode of the Daily Coffee Pro podcast by MAP IT FORWARD, we’ll explore why this happens and how you can handle yourself to avoid any unnecessary embarrassment.

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As we see a new generation, Gen Z, come into the workforce, we’re coming to see just how different their requirements from their employers are compared to previous generations. Company culture is a big driving force behind how Get Z will choose a place to start their professional career and with the current staff shortages, you’ll need all the help you can get to attract the right staff. It’s also important to understand the potentially damaging (and possibly dangerous) side effects that not having a culture can have on your business. Check out this episode of the Daily Coffee Pro podcast by MAP IT FORWARD to learn more!

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The hospitality industry is under a tonne of strain right now from a number of directions - the pandemic, labor shortages, supply delays, and rapidly increasing costs and labor (i.e. inflation). While some countries seem to be drunk on recovery from a pandemic that many seem to think is almost over, the Delta variant of the virus has other ideas for us all and if we’re not paying attention, we might get "knocked off our barstools” as it forces countries into lockdowns (as it has here in Sydney) when we least expect it. In this episode of the Daily Coffee Pro podcast by MAP IT FORWARD, we explore whether or not we should be preparing for the variant and what that looks like.

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With the Delta variant of the pandemic starting to cause more havoc than we’d like, we’re starting to see a confusing dichotomy between countries that are going back into lockdown while others are declaring the pandemic over and opening up completely. For countries when lockdowns are becoming a thing again, the long-term damage to businesses, employees, and the long-term mental health of business owners is beginning to get beyond the joke! Alas, we somehow have to find a way to persevere. In this episode of the Daily Coffee Pro by MAP IT FORWARD, (available on Youtube and podcast listening apps everywhere) you’ll hear a few key suggestions of what can be done at this moment to help keep your head (and your sanity) above water! p.s. I hope you’re all staying safe and inspired out there! You got this!

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A year into the establishment of our MAP IT FORWARD Mastermind groups, it’s our pleasure to announce the changing of the guard from one fabulous coffee roasting coach to another. As Anne Cooper leaves to turn her attention to her EQMR community we’re proud to welcome Danish national coffee roasting champion, Ante Bikic @bikic.a as our new coach.

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If you’ve had the good fortune of being a barista or a roaster because you loved your job but had the misfortune of working for someone that didn't treat you well or pay you fairly, you would have undoubtedly caught yourself thinking something like “If I ever own a business I’m going to treat my staff so well they’ll never want to leave” or “When I open my business I’m going to pay everyone super well”. Often time, these very same people go on to open businesses only to fall under the same pressures and stress their previous employers experienced and repeat the same cycles. In this episode of The Daily Coffee Pro by MAP IT FORWARD, we’ll explore connecting you to values that will make you proud to work for you as an employer.

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At face value, it seems that the world is returning to normal with recovery being the vodka the world is getting drunk on right now. However (for those taking notice) everywhere you look prices are going up, labor is hard to find, and products are hard to get hold of due to shipping disruptions around the world. This could spell challenging economic times for small businesses over the next couple of years. The important question is, “How do we remain growth-focused as these challenges escalate?”. In this episode of the Daily Coffee Pro by MAP IT FORWARD we’ll explore some tips to consider as these events unfold.

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Our offerings to retail customers are pretty universal across the industry - brewing equipment, roasted coffee, cups of coffee and other beverages, food, desserts, etc, etc. How then do we set ourselves apart from other businesses offering the same products as we do? We’ll take a deep dive into the question that will solve that problem for you in this episode of The Daily Coffee Pro by MAP IT FORWARD.

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That age-old question amongst coffee roasting small business owners, “How much should I be charging for a bag of roasted coffee?” continues to be asked as more first-time business owners enter the roasting space. In this episode of The Daily Coffee Pro by MAP IT FORWARD, we explore how to answer this question and some things to consider that you may not have considered previous to the pandemic.

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We’ve recently been speaking a lot about the importance of creating a customer acquisition plan to bring in new customers and converting them to paying customers rather than just brand admirers. A key part of a customer acquisition strategy is having clarity around the strength of your communication channels. Your mailing list may have some hidden superpowers you’re yet to uncover. In this episode of the Daily Coffee Pro by MAP IT FORWARD, we explore the different strengths your mailing list has compared to your social media.

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“My boss is cheap because he never spends money on new equipment”. “My boss is cheap because she won't let us choose whatever we want off the menu for our staff meal”. “My boss is cheap because they make us pay for our coffee on our day off”. If this sounds familiar, this episode of the podcast is something you may find will give you a little insight as to why your boss may be making those decisions to help make you happy in the long term rather than just in the short term. While you don’t consider that free lunch as a part of your wages, business owners do. The more they give away for free, the less likely you are to be successful in asking for a pay raise next time you ask because the business may not be doing as well as it could be. Subscribe to the podcast on listening apps or our youtube channel to deep dive into this further!

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Now that you’re well aware of the staff shortages in the hospitality industry globally, having a company culture that people will be drawn to will help you attract staff more than ever before. Surprisingly, paying special attention to establishing a culture within the businesses in our industry isn’t something that has traditionally been a priority. Shifts in generational culture (YAY! Shoutout to Gen Z) are encouraging business owners to consider creating workplace cultures that consider the needs of the employees as much of the needs of the business and we think it may not be such a bad thing! Check out this episode of the podcast to find out why!

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Historically, raising pricing for a cup of coffee has been challenging and has lead to back-breaking margins for the last decade. With consumer awareness increasing around the inflation of commodities and a shortage within the labor market, could this be a unique opportunity where increasing your prices will make sense to your customer?

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In recent years, automation has slowly been edging into the mainstream of the coffee industry. Shortages in the labor market across the hospitality industry have seen larger companies that serve companies like McDonald's, Donut King, and the rest transitioning to automation as a long-term solution for an ongoing issue. Is it time for small businesses to consider the same measures to adapt to labor shortages that are likely to continue long-term?

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Over the years, coffee roasting sales teams have used equipment as a way to attract new business. This often came with a reciprocal commitment of exclusivity for some time that meant cafes could not use other roasters during that period. With the cost of second-hand cafe equipment getting cheaper and cheaper due to mass business closures over the last 12-18 months, coffee roasters are going to have to find new incentivize to attract (or keep) customers. In this episode of the Daily Coffee Pro by MAP IT FORWARD, we explore some of the options you may want to explore!

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