Business Operations Plan
Operating the coffee shop will require such facilities as offices, customer service section, and kitchen. Given that the amount of capital available is limited, the plan is to rent facilities within reach of the target customers. Therefore, the facilities will be located close to the university since students are the primary target customers for the business. Based on a pilot study, it was found that the existing facilities’ prices range from $14,000 to $28,000 a year in rent.
The production process will require some specific equipment necessary to make coffee, tea, and other drinks and snacks. In this case, the coffee shop will need an espresso machine, grinders, brewers, airports, decanters, satellite services, frappe and smoothie blenders, and dispensers. In addition, the shop will require refrigerators, water dispensers, sandwich prep tables, display cases, and ice machines. Furthermore, a snack production line, which consists of several devices connected, will be necessary for the shop.
All these machines will be obtained through purchase from providers as they are readily available and the shop will need new rather than the old equipment. Each device comes with a manual on how to use and clean, and it will be necessary for workers to learn how to clean and maintain them. A schedule will be developed and provided to the workers to follow, which will show them when and how to clean each machine. In the same way, the manuals contain directions on quality control, which will be mandatory in the shop. It is expected that the business will reach a capacity of serving 200 customers a day in its first three months of operation.
Suppliers, which include coffee, tea, flour, and others, will be sourced locally. Specifically, local private farmers and millers will be contracted to provide raw tea and coffee. Flour and other materials necessary to make snacks will come from local providers such as supermarket stores in the area. Once a customer places an order, the barrister will make coffee or tea within 5 minutes, which will ensure that the clients save time.
Adoption of technology will ensure that the shop stays abreast of new developments in the industry. The shop owner will continuously conduct surveys and online research to determine the latest effects and technologies necessary to drive the business. New products and services are expected to be in development, such as digitalized coffee and tea-making machines. Initially, the company will have seven employees, including two barristers, a cashier, two waitresses, a janitor, and one manager.
Technology Plan
The business will run under computer and allied technologies to achieve its objectives. Therefore, it will need certain shareware and software systems, which will have specific functions. Computers, monitors, servers, routers, tablets, and internet systems will be installed in the shop. In addition, customer relationship management, financial, graphics, and closed-circuit television software systems will be installed in the computers. For telecommunication, the internet system, a mobile phone, and landline telephone gadgets will be available in each section. The business will also outsource technology personnel to maintain the technologies in the shop.
Management and Organization Plan
Since the business is a small start-up, the management will be under one person who will preside over all the activities in the shop. In addition, the manager will be the primary source of motivation for the other employees. It is worth noting that the manager is a graduate of business management with two years of experience as a financial officer in a local supermarket store. Therefore, the manager can run the business and provide relevant leads to the other employees. A professor of business and economics is the primary source of motivation for the company, having introduced the owner to entrepreneurship, business management, and economics of small businesses. The business hierarchy is relatively small, given that it has only one manager and the employees as follows:
Social Responsibility
The Triple Bottom Line approach will be used in this business, given that it focuses on the impacts of a venture on the people, environment, and stakeholders. The idea is to open a coffee shop based on ethical methods of preparation and recycling used materials. “Green Coffee” will specialize in beverages (coffee, tea, and others.) and sandwiches from products acquired from local farmers. Such an approach is beneficial in the environmental plan and aligns with the current trends for mitigating waste and finding ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle (Szekely & Dossa, 2017). Moreover, such branding will attract a particular target customer base interested in participating in the development of companies trying to have a positive ecological impact on the environment.
No matter the company’s goals, unless it is a non-profit, it must consider satisfying the shareholders and paying the employees’ salaries. In the Triple Bottom Line system, the profits are concerned not only with the maximizing the monetary gain from the products and services but by serving the community as a whole (Elkington, 2018). Therefore, using a snacks company as an example, the profit to the company would also be consistent with the health of the community. Although it might be more fiscally opportunistic to sell snacks full of sugar and salt that would get the customers addicted to the product and hence buy more of them, it would be irresponsible towards the community. Hence, the company must strive to create products that are not detrimental to the consumers’ health.
To ensure that the company is taking care of the employees, there is a need for a regular feedback loop. Many employees are overworked and are a part of toxic work environments. It has been proven by multiple studies that sleep is beneficial to the work of the brain, and naps during the day improve brain performance. Therefore, both for the benefit of the company and the employees, rest zones should be provided. Furthermore, employees must have affordable access to health insurance and regular reminders of check-ups to ensure that they are at their best potential.
Lastly, there is a responsibility towards the planet and the environment. Currently, an imminent climate change onset can only be reversed if all large corporations agree to work against pollution (Miller, 2020). As a snacks company, it is likely to use many plastic wrappers. Therefore, for the sake of the Triple Bottom Line Approach, it must commit to finding environmentally friendly packaging and recycling efficiently.
References
Elkington, J. (2018). 25 Years Ago I Coined the Phrase “Triple Bottom Line.” Here’s Why It’s Time to Rethink It. Harvard Business School. Web.
Miller, K. (2020). The triple bottom line: What it is & why it’s important.Harvard Business School. Web.
Szekely, F., & Dossa, Z. (2017). Beyond the Triple Bottom Line: Eight steps toward a Sustainable Business Model. The MIT Press.