Coffee Shop Business Plan Finding Your USP

Coffee Shop Business Plan Finding Your USP
USP stands for unique selling proposition or point. It is the one thing that really makes one business stand out from another and without a USP your coffee shop business plan is worthless.

For starters, actually go to your competition. I know this doesn t sound like something you re going to enjoy doing, but consider it research. Go look and see how they have their establishments setup. See what kind of menus they have. A coffee shop is more than just coffee. The more competition you check out, the better an idea you ll have of how to compete.

Next, you want to study their ad campaigns. Everybody advertises differently based on their USP, but they all do have things in common. Look for those similarities. There are some basic things that you re going to want to convey to your target market. The primary things are:

The quality of the coffee and food

The atmosphere of the shop

The price

A lot of people say that there s not a big difference between one coffee and another. Those people are NOT real coffee drinkers. Trust me...there is a difference. If you re looking to cater to the guy driving an 18 wheeler on route 9, he s going to expect a different quality of coffee than the guy who has on a $2,000 suit and doesn t buy anything off the rack. You have to know who your target market is and what kind of coffee they re going to expect.

Finding your USP is really as simple as looking at your product, in your case, your coffee shop, and deciding what it is about it that makes it different from everybody else?s.

Now, at first glance, you may not know what this is. Sometimes, we?re all too wrapped up in our business to be able to see the forest for the trees. So you need to take a step back and look at it as an outsider.

Better yet, why not look at another coffee franchise as that same outsider (which in fact you are) and see if you can spot what THEIR USP is. It may be something subtle. Maybe it?s a catchy slogan, tune or even commercial.

Remember the old Dunkin Donuts commercials, ?Time to make the donuts?. This was supposed to be telling us that Dunkin Donuts is so conscientious about their donuts and coffee that their guys are up in the wee hours of the morning making them so you can have them fresh for breakfast.

Take a look at what each coffee shop is doing. Figure out what they?re NOT focusing on and include it in your coffee shop business plan. Make THAT the focus of YOUR USP.

Some ideas;

1. The most exotic coffees from many lands.

2. More than just the best coffee.

3. Coffee and a donut to go in less than 60 seconds.

4. Drink your coffee in the lap of luxury.

5. Where the coffee is always hot.

Think of a catch phrase and run with it.

To your success.


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