It could be the case that you need to dismiss a member of staff from your cafe, depending on the severity of their actions. If this unfortunate scenario does arise, there are some considerations that you should make first: As you can see, the potential variety of products on a cafe’s menu spans a wide range. You’ll have to make a number of decisions about what types of product you want your business to sell, as well as consider the implications that selling certain products may bring – for example a licence to sell alcohol. Different products will have different profit margins, and this is important to bear in mind, too. Lifestyle – the type of lifestyle that consumers lead can be a good indicator of the type of cafe they may be attracted to. Competition – this is possibly one of the most important factors, as no matter how excellent your cafe’s proposition is, you may struggle to do business if the nearest 50 businesses are also coffee shops. Your upselling technique has to be carefully crafted, as customers will not react favourably if they feel put on the spot or pressured. Upselling should be in the name of improving the customer’s experience, rather than just brashly trying to make more money. Train your employees in the tactic

Because of this, it’s easy to see how cafe owners may find it difficult to know who to consider their core customers. Having a successful cafe or coffee shop is achievable – the key is in thorough and clever planning. Before you open, you’ll have to choose which products you’re going to sell. This may seem like an obvious point, but this can be a more in-depth process than you may have anticipated. For example, you will need to decide whether you’re going to serve a primarily drinks-based menu, or have a full food menu and working kitchen, too. Just some of the products that may want to consider are: DrinksThe world of online marketing is a big one, and tapping into it can produce a number of positive results for your cafe. As it’s likely that you will be doing most - if not all - marketing yourself, this guide covers some of the techniques that are simplest to implement. In the future, it’s worth remembering that employing the help of a professional digital marketer can often be beneficial, once you have exhausted most of the DIY marketing options. In 2014, there were over 18,800 coffee-selling outlets in the UK, which sold over 2 billion coffees to the caffeine-craving British public. As these figures suggest, the cafe culture is alive, well, and rapidly growing in the UK.

Familiarize yourself with the legal requirements. Starting a cafe involves not only the legal "hoops" every new small business needs to navigate, but also the additional health and safety requirements of the food service industry. In the U.S., for instance, you will need to obtain a host of licences and permits (not to mention proof of insurance) on the local, state, and federal levels. Other overheads – make sure you don’t forget about other expenses such as energy, water and insurance. Your cafe’s brand – its name, logo and any other identifying features – is going to be at the centre of any marketing that you do, so it needs to be clear, unique and easily recognisable. You may find that you benefit from a slight tweak to your logo design, or you may want to consider re-branding altogether. When making changes to your cafe brand, be sure to bear the following in mind: Personal injury – yourself, a member of staff or a member of the public could sustain injury on your business premises.Chances are, you won’t be able to find a location that is 100% perfect for all of these factors, and as such, you may find you have to make small compromises here and there. The important thing is that you thoroughly consider how your location will affect your business, and bear that knowledge in mind when choosing your premises. Have you got a robust cafe business plan? Personality – give your cafe a personality, and let that live through your branding. For instance, is your cafe chic, sophisticated and upmarket? Or is it more casual, relaxed and down-to-Earth? Do you want to inject an element of humour into your brand voice, or keep it ultra-professional? One of the simplest ways that you can give your cafe’s business a boost is to upsell products. Upselling is the art of persuading a customer to buy something additional to – or more expensive than – what they were initially buying. For your cafe, this could be selling a large cappuccino rather than a regular, or convincing a customer to buy a muffin to go with their cup of tea. Consult How to Write a Business Plan for detailed information on the process. For instance, common components of a business plan include: