Wednesday, September 15, 2010

How to Sell a Coffee Roasting Business Pt 1


For months we prayed and talked about life with out the roaster. We have been in the coffee business for 13 years. I'm known around town as Tim the "Coffee Guy" and my wife is "The Coffee Guy's wife". (sexist I know, write them not me, I call her beautiful wife, hope thats okay?)
So, we finally did it. We threw it out to a few close clients and friends by email, then I took the big jump and put it out on Facebook! Let the crazy questions come.
I had hoped to avoid a bunch of them by stating on my profile that "We are not planning on moving" and "We don't know for sure what we are going to do, we are trusting the Lord for that", but I still get all the inquiries. I struggled with putting out there how much we are asking and how much the business is making. But I thought it would also help with the annoying "How much do you want for it?" questions. And for the most part it has.
Now it's out. There is always the thought it will sell in a week and that there will be 5 bidders constantly shooting it out to see who gets my crowned jewel and I end up getting $100k more than I listed it at, and the winning bidder says "I got a heck of a deal, I would have paid twice that much if had to of." That is when I kick myself, "I knew I should have put it up for more!"
But, it has been 2 weeks and not as much buzz as I thought, but yet there is buzz. From individuals to businesses. Some want it all, some only want a part of it. How do you skin this kitty? We will see.

Friday, July 23, 2010

It's all in a name....


"No, it's Roaster not Rooster. "
Even without seeing the rooster, just simply answering the phone people think that our business is Red Rooster Coffee. Some link us to the coffee from years back that was called 'Red Rooster Coffee' and others just subliminally put Rooster after the red without even knowing why. Probably because there is at least one Red Rooster Cafe in every other town in the midwest and it just seems right.
The reasoning behind the name Red Roaster Coffee Co. is for the rooster and the roaster. Our coffee roaster (the machine, not the person) is red and our mascot is the rooster because our motto is 'morning can't come soon enough'. That is the inherent character of every rooster out there and most avid coffee drinkers. So, putting the two together we came up with our ingenious logo. Now you know.