Ten Good Ways to Fail in Tea Business


What? You wanted to read only upbeat, exciting reasons why you'll make tons of money hitching your life and your money to the "new" explosion in the tea business? You think caution is a negative and that by visualizing success you'll get it? We love your enthusiasm, but business IS business and it is remarkable how many people patently disregard the very skills and habits that can make any business successful, especially one like tea, which takes time to learn, time to educate the customer base, and time to follow through for continued success.
Here then is The Smart Tea Person's Reality Checklist to help you finalize your decision to pursue a business as a tearoom or tea shop owner, or as the owner of your signature tea line.
DON'T DRINK TEA
Hard to believe, isn't it? But, lots of people in the
industry don't even drink tea on a regular basis. If you don't drink the
product, how can you sell the product? The Smart Tea Person understands that
education and hands-on experience are the only ways to learn about tea. Yes,
some teas are an acquired taste and others have universal appeal. You will
have your favorites, and your undesirable brews, however, without ever
tasting many, how will you be able to know that what you bought is what was
delivered? How will you be able to describe the taste to your customers? How
will you know when tea is stale or fresh?
NEVER CHANGE
Impassioned about Earl Grey? Great, but have you tried the
blend with lavender instead of bergamot? Decaf instead of regular? How about
really going out on a limb and trying rose congou or a Ti Kwan Yin? An
organic Nilgiri or a Keemun? A Dragonwell or Spider Leg? A mudan or a
fanning? If you don't know any or even just one of these, get started
studying, reading, and more importantly, tasting. The Smart Tea Person never
stops learning about tea, and understands that nobody knows everything there
is to know about tea.
DON'T VENTURE BEYOND ENGLISH
Afternoon Tea favorites. Despite the more than
225 years since the American Revolution, most Americans never experience
anything other than English or Irish breakfast blends, an occasional Assam,
Ceylon, Jasmine, Formosa oolong or Darjeeling. And, surprise, tea can
actually taste terrific without milk, sugar or lemon. In fact, that's the
way it's supposed to be drunk. The Smart Tea Person, even one who operates a
classic English tea room, samples teas constantly. He/she recognizes trends
but weighs them against the mission of the business, adding and deleting
according to the demands of your market, not the pages of a magazine or the
pleas of a persistent sales person.
DEFY THE LAW
Disregard health and building permit regulations. No one will
ever know. Ha! The Smart Tea Person dots the I's and crosses the T's because
the inspector can stroll in at any time, any day and shut your place down
there and then. The cost to re-do will be infinitely greater than saving a
few hundred dollars on an additional air vent or sink. The rules are for the
protection of you're your employees and your customers. Have a stringent
budget? Release those creative juices. Buy used equipment instead of new;
paint instead of installing costly wall treatments; buy storage containers
in quantity rather than a few at a time; ask for payment or installment
plans but don't neglect buying what you need to do business properly.
Operating on the Internet or wholesaling from your warehouse? Check out the
rules and regulations for your community; ignorance of the law is no excuse.
LEAVE BUSINESS DETAILS TO SOMEONE ELSE,
like your cousin the accountant or
your best friend or beloved spouse. Wrong! No matter how right-brain you
are, anyone can learn the basics of accounting, learn to write a business
plan, and figure out how to mark up your goods and services to be
profitable. No, it's not easy, but it is something anyone can learn. The
Smart Tea Person checks out your local community colleges or adult extension
classes for courses and take them now, before you invest a penny. Yes, you
may hire an accountant or bookkeeper, but shouldn't you know enough to
determine if the job is being done well?
NEGLECT MARKETING
That way, no one can find out you're in business!
Promotion budgets don't have to take a huge bite out of your budget to work.
In fact, some of the most imaginative, creative, and workable promotions
have been done on a shoestring backed by enthusiasm and energy. The Smart
Tea Person starts with the business name? What does it mean? Does it truly
say what business you're in? Cute is fun, but if the name, or the subtitle,
doesn't include tea, then what are you selling? Your name, address,
telephone number, and, if applicable, web address should be on every printed
item you use: business cards, menus, advertisements, flyers, invoices,
product labels, shopping bags, everything! When your customer finishes up
using your product, don't make it difficult for them to re-order. Give tea
away! Yes, offering samples is a sure-fire way to boost sales. Try a new tea
each day and watch your sales rise! Sell food? Do the same with bite-size
offerings off desserts or savories.
HIRE FAMILY AND FRIENDS
to work for you and rely on their common sense to
know what to do. Ouch! You should know that's not right. The Smart Tea
Person writes down the goals of each worker, even if you have just one.
Share your knowledge so they can share it with the customers. Get Specific
about dress, manner, and what to do when things go wrong. (They will.) Play
act scenarios: the hesitant customer who can't make up her mind, the
cheater, the time-waster, the know-it-all, the cheapskate, the late payer.
BE AN ABSENTEE OWNER
A tea shop can run itself, right? Just hire a few
people, and check in monthly to cash in the profit, right? No! The Smart Tea
Person understands that there will be a day when the cook calls in sick, the
waitress elopes with her boyfriend, the busboy is late and doesn't even
call, the food supplier short-changes your scone order, the roof has a leak,
the parking is compromised, the place was burglarized or shattered by an
earthquake, the refrigerator breaks down in the middle of the night and you
have a shower for twenty coming at noon and everything must be bought that
morning and why did your car break down, and, yes, the list goes on. Be a
micro manager; it's your business, it's your money, it's your life.
DON'T MIND CUSTOMERS
Don't bother learning their names, their interests,
their passions about tea. The Smart Tea Person understands that the best
customer is a repeat customer. How do you achieve that? You make an effort,
along with staff, to be both the information source and the product source
for your customers. Don't know what they want? Ask them! Keep track of best
sellers and the duds, and use that knowledge to upgrade your inventory.
Cross-market with business neighbors or within the store between product
categories. Entertain and inform with speakers, events, and tastings that
cover a wide spectrum of tea subjects.
BE A SLOB
Don't dust the merchandise, never repaint or remodel, and use
your hands to touch everything. The Smart Tea Person would cringe at that!
He/she understands that scoops, not hands, are the way to show off your
teas. Got a cold? Stay home, rather than spread it to customers or fellow
employees. Cleaning up is great, but don't leave the cleaning supplies right
next to the scones, put them away. Sweep the sidewalk in front of the shop,
have the windows washed regularly, and dust, dust, dust. Keep stock orderly
and neat. Don't allow staff to wear perfumes and require them to wear clean
clothes or costumes every day. Clear away dining tables immediately after
the customer leaves. Keep your office and your books orderly and accessible.
Casual dress is fun, piles of paper sometimes cannot be avoided, but spent
tea leaves spilling onto invoices send out a message of indifference to your
clients. Expect all those who represent you, from the receptionist to the
sales staff to be neat, careful with your products, and committed to
excellence.
Need more help? Ask an expert. Call or write Diana Rosen at dianalrosen@aol.com or (310) 450-8387. As a consultant to the tea industry, she can help direct you to sources, people, places and things that will make your entry into the wonderful world of tea the success you deserve. Diana is the author of The Book of Green Tea, CHAI: The Spice Tea of India, and is co-author of Cooking with Tea, and other fine books on the world's most popular brew.