The Tea Room Business Plan - First Steps And Start Up Basics

Every venture starts with the first steps and a business plan for a quality tea room is no exception. Well thought out first steps, properly implemented, will pay dividends in the business operations of the tea room in later years

First Steps

• Use a "first steps" checklist. (See Checklist Section of this document)

• Focus on selling a great product or service at a fair price.

• Specialize. Specialists outperform non-specialists.

• Train your employees thoroughly in marketing and customer service skills.

• Consider your suppliers as a source of financing.

• Develop a database of prospects.

• Open quietly to work out the bugs before you schedule the grand opening promotion.

• Include the Internet in your marketing plans with an appealing website.

Start up Basics

Choosing your business name

Find a name that will encompass all areas that you are interested in-tea room, tea party catering, gift shop, tea education, etc. You want to leave room for growth and/or change.

Changing a business name after you have used it can be a problem. If you already have stationery, business cards, etc. printed with a name, you have to redo all of it and that can be expensive. If you are on the internet, you have to forward everything to your new site and that can be difficult.

Before you commit funds and resources to promotion, make sure the name you choose is final.

After you name your business, it is time to register your business name.

Registering your business name

It's important to register your business name because if you don't, someone else could register it and you would lose the right to use that name. First, check the web to see if someone else has registered your chosen business name in your state.

You can find your state's Secretary of State office and locate the business name registration area on your state's website.

Most states' Secretary of State websites have a business name search feature and information on registering your chosen business name in your state.

Go to your own state's office of Secretary of State. Go to the registration area to register your business name.

Another good idea is to trademark your business name and logo for national protection. Go to the "trademarks" section U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Obtaining a Business License

Every state has their own regulations for obtaining a business license. All you need to do is call the city clerk's office listed in the government section of your telephone book... There is of course, a fee and paperwork.

Getting Your Resale Tax Number

Since you are going to be selling food, tea, tea accouterments, etc. you need to have a sales tax number or a resale tax number (they are both the same thing.) You can find your state's department of revenue online or in the state government section of your phone book.

This resale tax number allows you to purchase your supplies at wholesale prices. Some suppliers only sell to businesses with resale numbers (this is also referred to as a wholesale number or wholesale license.)

Opening a Business Bank Account

Have a separate account so you do not mix your own personal money with your business money. The IRS requires you to have a clear distinction between your money and your business' money.

You need to keep a record of your income and expenses.

Tea Room Tip: Do not combine business funds with personal funds. This will only result in chaos.

Location

For a tea room, finding a good location is a critical factor. It cannot be overemphasized; the location should accommodate foot traffic and have adequate parking. Visibility and ease of access are two important elements.

Usually premises are leased and lease negotiations with the landlord are important for the success of the tea room.

Tea Room Tip: Remember, in a lease negotiation, EVERYTHING is negotiable. Do not become emotionally attached to any piece of property. There are always other sites available.

Business Organization

Since you are forming a business, you will require a business entity that has its own identity, name logo and other promotional identifiers. The general forms of organization are:

• Sole Proprietorship

• Partnership

• Limited Liability Corporation

• Corporation.

Each organizational form has different features, tax liability and protection for the individual. Check with a qualified legal advisor on the form best for you and the best state fro formation.

Tea Room Tip: Initially avoid including partners or shareholders in your business. Wait until the business is operating profitably (and you may well conclude you don't need the extra help.)

Licenses and Permits

When you start a business you are operating in the community at large and must comply with issues like business permits, licenses and registration of you trade name and logo may be required. Check with your local Chamber of Commerce or the Small Business Administration to determine the permits and other approvals required.

Go to the health department in your city to find out their regulations. You may have to take a course in food handling. You may have to have a grease interceptor or a grease trap.

Tea Room Tip: DO NOT OVERLOOK LICENSE/PERMIT REQUIREMENTS. Failure to comply with local building codes or licensing requirements will delay the opening of your tea room.

Insurance

A tea room will required liability insurance since you are dealing with the public on your premises or may have vehicles associated with the business is a good idea

• Location

• Initial Funding

Projecting financial figures for your tea room is one of the most challenging and critical undertakings of any consulting assignment. This is because initial estimates must be adequate to pay start up expenses and have a reserve for working capital to fund the business.

If you don't provide for enough capital going in going in, you won't have enough capital to run your business let alone maintaining business operations.

Tea Room Tip: Make a conservative forecast of your capital requirements based upon conservative cash flow projections. You will come up with a number that represents capital required. Then double the capital requirements and fund accordingly.

Tea Room Tip: You must be psychologically prepared to undertake the risks and effort associated with starting and running a business. But the benefits are worth the challenge. Proper preparation before you start will pay dividends later.


Tea Room Tip: If you've put all the necessary thought, preparation and research into how your business is going to run, if you have enough money to make it happen and to sustain you through the initial growth phase, if you have invested in some essential training to equip you to run your business for profit, then you should have every reason to believe you are going to be successful.

Initial Funding

All start up ventures require initial funding to pay the start up costs and other required working capital items.
You must have equity capita (money that is not borrowed) as part of the startup funding in order for the tea room venture to get started. This is a must. Equity capital can be combined with a certain amount of bank borrowings to supplement funding.

Tea Room Tip: Do NOT over leverage or over borrow funds as part of your initial funding. Borrowed funds must always be paid back and if you over borrow you will be "undercapitalized" and this can severely reduce your chances of success.

What's So Great About Feta Cheese?

Cheese. Just a mere mention of the word and one would think of sumptuous appetizers or meals served with them. Cheese, when served with wine, depicts impeccable taste and class. Here is but one of the many varieties of cheeses: Meet the Feta Cheese.

Feta (from the Italian word 'fetta' meaning 'slice') is actually cheese curd in brine solution. It takes at least three months to make feta. When it is removed from the solution, this type of cheese dries up immediately. Milk from goats, sheep or cow can be used to make this.

The color of Feta cheese is white. It is usually formed into four-sided cakes that can either be soft or semi-hard. Its salty flavor can be adjusted to suit the taste of the maker.

Traditionally, in Greece, feta cheese is made with just goat's milk or a combination of goat's and sheep's milk. They are first salted as a slab, then sliced, then salted once more before it is subjected to maturation process.

Other countries that make feta cheese include: Albania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Serbia, Ukraine, Romania, Iran, Australia, Denmark, Germany and many other countries. Although feta is called differently in each country, the process of manufacturing it is the same.

The first historic record of feta cheese was during the Byzantine time. One Italian who visited Candia (in 1494) made a vivid description of the brine solution used in making feta cheese. Additional records are those of Balkan peasants who made it either with sheep's or goat's milk.

Nowadays, cow's milk can be used to make feta cheese. The processes involved are: curdling of the milk with rennet, separation and draining of the curd, putting salt on the blocks of curd, slicing the slabs which are then salted once more.

Feta is usually used in making salads and is much tastier when combined with tomatoes, olives and green vegetables. One can store feta cheese indefinitely because of the salt solution. A wise tip: if you want to reduce the saltiness of the cheese, soak feta first in milk or water (just for a few minutes) before eating.

Now here is some important nutritional information: it contains 30-60% fat of which 45% is fat from milk. The caloric content is 100 calories per small slice. Whether that's good or bad for you is a question you need to ask your nutritionist.

There were actually some studies that were done to lower the salinity of feta cheese and how this has significantly improved its nutritional value. The conclusion was, it has good and bad points. The good: it is a superior source of riboflavin, protein, calcium, phosphorus and Vitamin B12. The bad: it has a high cholesterol and sodium content. It comes with high saturated fat.

Another downside to eating feta cheese: pregnancy would not allow feta cheese consumption. Since feta is made from unpasteurized milk and comes in soft, it may contain a type of bacteria called Listeria. Although Listeria registers symptoms like that of the common flu and can be tolerated by adults, it is highly fatal to fetuses.

Could you take another bad news? It is very difficult to get the real thing in the country. Since it is highly consumable in Greece and because of the restriction on importing products made with unpasteurized milk, Americans can have a taste of feta through commercial counterparts. Although the commercial feta cheeses are inferior in most aspects, at least they are the closest we could get to feta taste. If you are looking for the 'original' cheese, then be prepared to pay exorbitant fees!

Enough with the bad. There are more good to this type of cheese than the occasional bad. Feta cheese is used in a lot of sumptuous recipes which stimulate the taste buds and it is highly-incorporated in most Greek meals. Here are a few recipes that you could research online:

1. Chunky guacamole (or Guacamole Picado)
2. Goat Cheese Patties
3. Feta and Ricotta Cheese Fondue
4. Greek Scramble
5. Lamb and Olive Balls
6. Lemony Artichokes with Feta and Oregano
7. Lobster bundles
8. Mediterranean Feta Cheese Dip
9. Leg of Lamb Stuffed with Roasted Garlic, Feta and Basil Leaves
10. Spinach Triangles (Spanakopita)

Aren't the recipes enough to convince you that there is more good to feta cheese than bad? If you're not convinced and would want to decline a nice meal with feta in it, then believe me, you're definitely missing one half of your life!

Espresso Machines: Overview

When it comes to a great cup of coffee, size really does matter. And if you're looking for more muscle in your mug, smaller is certainly better. It really is amazing how much power can be packed into a teeny cup of espresso.

There are all kinds of coffee, made in all kinds of machines. Drip machines, hand brew machines and old-fashioned presses remain popular choices. Pod machines are the newest gadgets taking up space in haute couture kitchens. But if you want the richest cup of coffee, take it from the experts: stick to espresso machines.

Not for the faint of heart, espresso is the coffee of choice for those who prefer a full, rich flavour. As with any type of coffee, the key to brewing success is starting out with coffee beans that have been ground to the proper consistency. In fact, proper grinding is paramount to good espresso. If the grind is too coarse, the espresso will be weak and watery. Too fine, on the other hand, and the result will be a bitter tasting, overly extracted espresso.

In order to obtain the perfect grind, put your everyday coffee grinder away and purchase a special espresso grinder, or use the burr grinder available with many espresso machines. The ideal grind will guarantee the best flavour. Proper grinders work to release the essential oils and flavours from your espresso beans.

Of course, there's more to the perfect brew than just the beans. The brewing process is equally important is creating a delicious cup of espresso. If your espresso machine has a good pump, your espresso will be fully brewed within the suggested 15 to 20 second time limit. Ideally, there will be dark brown foam called "crema" forming on the surface as the espresso is dripping into the cup. Timing is of the essence when removing cups from brewing machines. Be sure to take away your cup before the liquid turns to a whitish-brown, or you will risk spoiling the entire cup.

If brewed correctly, the entire amount of espresso will not exceed one and a half fluid ounces. Any more, and you've likely used too much water, resulting in a bitter tasting espresso.

Now you don't have to go to a restaurant for a great cup of espresso. Anyone wanting a truly rich, robust coffee experience and brew it right at home with a good quality espresso machine.