Whether you’re a former student, have or have had a high-pressure job, or you’ve been slaving away in a career that doesn’t quite fulfill you; you’ll be familiar with the sanctuary of the coffee shop. Caffeine, baked treats, and other cafe sustenance will have kept you going on more than one occasion, and will have probably been a regular part of your everyday life. If you’ve reached a point where you’re considering a new path, and want to take your business skills and combine them with your passion for great coffee and food; it sounds like it’s time for an adventure into your own cafe. There’s no time like the present to start doing what makes you happy, and if you feel like you have plenty of hard work and dedication to give a place; setting up your business is an exciting move to make next.

If you’re still reading because you can’t wait to get started; you’ve probably worked in a coffee shop on more than one occasion. They’re great places to help pay your way through college, not to mention an environment where you can get to know your arabica from your robusta. Something (mainly great coffee) will have kept drawing you back to those familiar surroundings. If you know that you can create a successful place, and have strong ethics and an idea of what you want to provide people with; it’s time to start your business plan for your dream cafe. Coffee shops aren’t going anywhere soon, but just like any successful business; there’s plenty of competition out there, so you need to create something that’s both welcoming and unique. The following are some ideas and inspiration for budding caffeine entrepreneurs, who are ready to consider and take those first steps towards running a successful cafe. 

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More Than Drinks

You’ll want each of your visitors to stay longer than it takes to drink a coffee. Encouraging regulars to spend a few hours working, reading, or relaxing in your new establishment will help to attract more customers, and you’ll ensure that you’ll have a steady income. Therefore, there needs to be some food options on your menu as well as the array of coffee and other beverages. It’s worth looking into how you can invest in local produce, and make your edibles onsite; patrons will appreciate the fresh and local approach You’ll also need to research and train in food preparation, knowledge, and hygiene. Even if you end up employing a cook; you’ll need to know every part of your business, from where your source your food grade buckets from, to what’s scientifically gluten-free. Leave no stone unturned, and you’ll be able to ensure that your business begins to thrive.

You’re The USP

Remember that people will be heading towards your coffee shop over one of the large chains around the corner, for something different; you. Your story, ethics, and passion should be visible in your establishment and within your marketing. Make sure that your staff are clued up on how and why your cafe came to be. You’re bound to have the odd teething problem after you've opened, and visitors will be far more forgiving if they feel like they know you, and you’re investing in the local area and community. So, make your new brand identity apparent and embrace your quirks and the things you do differently.

Substance Over Style

Although your coffee shop interior should be carefully considered and planned; it should come second to the quality of your coffee and your food. In an Instagram age, it’s important to have somewhere that people appreciate hanging out and photographing whatever they’ve purchased. However, if they don’t enjoy what they drink and eat in your cafe; it’s unlikely that they’ll return to spend money again.

Invest In The Sourcing Process

Any coffee connoisseur will tell you that a great cup begins at the bean. Therefore, you need to choose your coffee bean supplier wisely. Take a trip to see where and how they’re harvested, sample the finished product, and ensure that you understand the various flavor profiles and what will suit your new cafe. Take the same approach with each consumable element of your business. As previously mentioned, investing in quality local produce is a great way to source things. However, if you do need to go further afield to get the right ingredients; make sure that you’ve visited and tried and tested everything before you buy. Strong ethics and standards will ensure that you’ll be the next coffee shop on the scene, and your business will grow from strength to strength.

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A good jewellery collection is essential for accessorising outfits and it makes a perfect gift but if you want to get good quality stuff, you’re going to have to spend a bit of money, especially if you’re buying diamonds. When you’re spending that much money on it, you need to make sure you’re getting the best jewellery possible. Online retailers have become more popular recently but a lot of people still say they don’t trust them and they’d rather go to a high street jeweller. Both have their pros and cons so if you’re trying to work out which is the best, this article should answer some of your questions. 

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The Quality 

The quality is one of the most important things and the main people that people have with buying online is that you can’t be sure of that until you’ve paid for it and it arrives at your house. But if you go into a jewellery store, you can see it up close before deciding whether to buy it. The thing is, you aren’t a diamond expert so you’re always taking the seller’s word for it either way. When it comes to online shops, some are good and some are bad. James Allen is probably one of the best, there are cheaper places to buy jewellery but the quality won’t be anywhere near as good. Check out this review of James Allen to see what you can get: http://yourdiamondguru.com/reviews/james-allen/. They’re a reliable online retailer but there are plenty out there that aren’t so always check reviews of the sites thoroughly before you buy anything, that’s the best way to get an idea of the quality. 

Expertise 

The expertise of the seller is one of the major benefits of buying in-store. When you get a piece online, all you’ve got to go on is the information on the website. If you’ve got more questions about the jewellery and how to look after it etc. you might be able to email them but you may not get a response. There is also a lot of confusing terms about the grading and quality of the diamonds that you might want explained. If you visit https://www.lumeradiamonds.com/diamond-education/index you can get a bit of an idea but it’s better to have it explained by a professional. If you go into a shop to get it, you can ask them right there and then. However, it’s worth mentioning that if you go into a big chain store like H Samuel, the people in there aren’t professional jewellers, they’re just salespeople who have limited knowledge of the jewellery. If the expertise of the seller is a big priority for you, you’ll want to go to independent jewellers where you can speak to an expert. 

Price 

A lot of decisions come down to the price, so which is cheaper, online or in-store? Well, there’s no definitive answer here because both online and in-store, there is a big range in pricing. As you’d expect, if you go cheap, you’ll get worse quality jewellery so it’s better to go for the mid-range places. If you’re buying in-store, the big chain shops are usually more expensive than an independent jeweller, who will be more willing to negotiate on the price a bit as well. 

Overall, it’s down to personal choice but if you’re concerned about the quality of the jewellery and speaking with an expert, it’s better to go in-store. 

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No matter the time of year, there are always gifts to be bought. Sure, you have to buy a lot more during the Christmas period, but once that’s over, you have to think of something for Valentine’s Day, then Easter, and then every other birthday, anniversary, and other special occasion that pops up until Christmas rolls around again. Giving people gifts makes them happy, which makes us happy, but that doesn’t mean that finding the perfect gift is any less stressful. To make your life a little bit easier, here are five tips to help you find the perfect gift for anyone. 

1. Remember What They Need

Before you even think about saying it, just stop; Regardless of what you might believe, everyone needs something, and it’s your job to figure out what this something is. If your brother is heading off to university soon, then put together a little student survival kit for him. If your mum has been having a tough time at work, then help her relax with a spa day or a hamper of bath bombs and other fancy toiletries. If you think outside the box, you’ll soon come up with something. 

2. Think About Their Interests

If you really can’t come up with anything they need, then think about some of the things that they might want. If you know someone interested in music, then concert tickets are a great gift, and a kindle is perfect for an avid reader. You should make a long list of everything your giftee is interested in and come up with an idea for each interest. Then, choose a few of the best ones and wrap them up. Your loved one will appreciate how much thought you’ve put in. 

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3. Do Some Digging

If you’re having trouble thinking of ideas yourself, then do some stalking and steal a few of theirs. Check out your giftee’s social media pages, and see if they’ve mentioned anything they might want as a gift. If not, you could log into their Amazon account and see if they’ve got anything stored on their wishlist. Most of the time, there are plenty of things that people want, they just won’t buy them for themselves, so it’s up to you to do it for them. 

Source: Pixabay

4. Consider Something Handmade

If you’re struggling to think of a gift personalised to your giftee, then personalise it to you instead by creating it. Handmade gifts are a great idea for those that can’t come up with something to buy and are often seen as more special than other gifts, as you’ve taken the time and care to make something with your own hands, rather than just buy it. Blankets, mugs, scarves, and paintings are all great ideas, so consider where your talents lie and get crafting. 

Finding the perfect gift for someone you love is very rarely a simple task, but that doesn’t mean that it should be impossible. With the tips and advice above, you should find the process a whole lot easier.

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If you want to travel and you want to ensure that not a second of your time spent doing so is wasted, you need a travel bucket list - a document that includes all of the places you want to see, and all of the places and attractions that it is commonly agreed are must-sees. Although I can’t help you with the former, I can certainly help you with the later…