Coffee Shop Business Plan B worked for me !
Everyday I am encouraged to hear from people who have re-invented themselves and gone on to run profitable business‘.

When people come to JumpinGoat Coffee Roasters retail store in Helen, Georgia’s Nacoochee Village, often times I have a chance to speak with them one-on-one and I always try to understand what people and their families are experiencing out there.

I want to know what they see, what they feel, and what they hear about our economy.

The most pervasive belief among these folks is that they have no appreciable respect for big business any longer. Big business, and old media  have lost their footing…They have been found out by the American people, and a significant portion of relevance has shifted back to small to medium business. What I see and hear is that the ground is swelling with a new sense of trust in small or “locally owned” business. I am also seeing a sincere interest and curiosity in the rise of entrepreneurial spirit.

My sense is that small business, and cottage industries will see a very strong comeback in the years to come…largely born from job loss. Like my own story seen on ABC International News – Coffee Business Plan B, and CNN Live…people are realizeing that “The Free Enterprise System” is alive and well. I see many positive people rising to the economic challenges that face us all.

Let’s face it, “jobs” are in short supply, but we still have our freedom. I know people who have turned down promotions because they would rather pursue their dreams than money or title. Independence, your independence, is only as strong as you are willing to make it.  People want their freedom back…people want America back.
Trust me when I tell you you will never know greater independence, freedom, or a greater liberty than when you are standing on ground that you have won !

ABC World News executive producer BETH TRIBOLET and Business Correspondent BETSY STARK came all the way from New York City with Cast and crew to tell my story. It’s a story of hope. The story, my story, is not without it’s challenges. Everyone should have a Plan “B”. This is My Coffee Business Plan B, and I hope you enjoy it. Here is the video that aired at ABC<

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A coffee shop franchise, or a license…that is the question !

If you are thinking of opening a coffee business there are many considerations when picking your business model.

Ideally, you want to deploy a successful business model, so strongly consider the advantages of a coffee business franchise vs. licensing a brand.

Many would argue that franchises are expensive, too restricting, and that in many cases you end up paying hefty fees. However, a franchise can help with demographics, location, and the charter is largely a “baked in” model; however, the purchase of a franchise will not guarantee your success.

You may also consider licensing a successful coffee shop business brand. Licensing is often times far less expensive because the onus rest upon the entrepreneur that purchases the license to deploy his or her business.

Some of the most difficult aspects to building a coffee business is ‘branding” and keeping your cost down while mitigating your risk for start-up failure. Wile licensing will not insure your success, it may be a far lower barrier to entry. In addition, licensing a successful and recognizable brand may be far cheaper in terms of ongoing fees, and much less risky than trying to create a “successful” brand identity for yourself.

Ultimately you and your attorney will need to weigh the pro’s and con’s of each opportunity.

Just realize that there are two distinct opportunities: coffee shop brand licensing, or a coffee shop franchise.

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Nacoochee Village, Helen Georgia, North Georgia Mountains, North Georgia Travel, JumpinGoat Coffee Roasters, Habersham Winery, Nora Mill, The Willows Pottery, Unicoi Outfitters, The Red Door, Nacoochee Events, Nacoochee Grill, Nacoochee Cabins

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Some of you out there may have heard the rumor that coffee is actually more helpful to your health than harmful.  And guess what, vast research shows that this may be more truth than rumor.  According to WebMD, coffee may actually help lower the risks of diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and colon cancer.  They even speculate that coffee can be used to treat headaches and lift your mood, as well as lower the risk of forming cavities.  Take Parkinson’s disease for example; the link between coffee and Parkinson’s disease is fascinating. Let’s first take a look at Parkinson’s disease and what it is.  Parkinson’s disease is a disorder that affects millions of people and can be found in all ethnic groups and in both men and women equally.  The disease occurs when neurons lose their ability to function normally in the substantia nigra part of the brain.  These neurons that degenerate contain dopamine, a neurotransmitter.  The degeneration subsequently causes dopamine levels to fall and the balance between dopamine and other neurotransmitters in the brain is thrown off.  The imbalance between the neurotransmitters affects the way muscles work and leads to movement problems, including trembling of the legs and arms, coordination, involuntary movements and speaking difficulties among many.  These symptoms tend to surface after about 80% of the dopamine-producing neurons have been damaged.  There is no known cause of Parkinson’s disease.  While there are treatments to help in controlling the symptoms of the disease, there is no known cure as of yet.  So how does coffee figure in?  In layman’s terms, it’s probably the caffeine of the coffee.  The natural antioxidants of the coffee are a bonus as well.  In more scientific terms, caffeine is part of the xanthine chemical group.  Adenosine is a naturally occurring xanthine in the brain that acts as a neurotransmitter in some synapses.  When adenosine receptors are blocked, the levels of dopamine increase.  Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors and in doing so, increases the amount of dopamine in the brain.  In a nutshell, caffeine affects dopamine levels.  In fact, consumption of caffeine from other sources such as green tea, chocolate and soda all affect Parkinson’s disease; however, out of these, coffee has been recognized by many experts as the number one source of antioxidants, outranking chocolate and tea.  Reviewing some of the studies that have been performed on the link between coffee and Parkinson’s disease, the overwhelming findings indicate that the incidence of the disease is much lower in people (specifically men) who drank coffee vs. those who did not.  While the study concludes that coffee overall impacts men and women in a positive way, there is some confusion over the role it plays in women and how hormone levels in women may affect this.  In one of the studies, it conclusively showed that men who drank the most coffee were the least likely to develop Parkinson’s disease and the men who did not drink any coffee were five times more likely to display symptoms of Parkinson’s disease than those who drank 28+ ounces of coffee each day.  In another study, those who drank 10+ cups of coffee per day had a 74% lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.  If you don’t drink ten cups of coffee each day, don’t fret!  Even those drinking only one cup per day gain some benefit.  While this story absolutely is not meant to take the place of any physician, one must admit that it gives you something to consider.  Coffee therapy, anyone?

• Obama Vs. The Goat
  Posted on Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 in Gourmet Coffee Roasters – Comments: (6)
  For all of you doubters out there who don’t believe social media sites like Twitter or MySpace can be successfully used for marketing your business.. I give you, The Goat. On February 6, 2010, “Can this Goat get more fans than Barack Obama” made its debut on the social media website more popularly known as Facebook. What started out as probably a little curiosity and humor combined has turned into probably the best proof that social media can be completely systemic.
• The Perfect Cup of JumpinGoat Coffee
  Posted on Thursday, February 25th, 2010 in Coffee – Comments: (0)
  Often times when folks take JumpinGoat Coffee home and brew it…they love it, and they realize they have entered a new realm of coffee enjoyment. Stay on your journey to “The Worlds Greatest Cup of Coffee” by learning a few more essentials to a GREAT CUP. If you want to experience the perfect cup of coffee without a lot of hassle, my advice is to keep it simple, and remember that there are really only four essentials to great coffee.