Top 10 Questions You Should Be Asking When Buying A Café Business
When it comes to buying a business there are so many things you ‘should’ be doing that you may forget to ask yourself some significant questions. This is where the expert team at Muffin Break® come in, offering guidance and advice throughout all stages of your business venture, from enquiry right through to open day and beyond!
1. Why am I buying this particular business? Before committing to an investment remind yourself why you have chosen that particular industry. With regard to owning a Muffin Break café business, you are immersing yourself in a highly sociable, fast paced industry that holds a nationally recognised status and award-winning reputation. As a café owner you will come to meet a mix of personalities guaranteed to keep your working day varied and exciting.
2. What skills do I have to contribute to the business? It is not always a necessity to start a business within the industry you have previously worked in. However, it is important to look at the skills you will bring. A passion for the industry is imperative along with the assurance that the business you are investing in will provide you with the required skills and knowledge to operate the business successfully; ranging from staff training to store design, marketing, IT and daily store management. Muffin Break are dedicated to providing you with all the business skills and knowledge required to confidently open your own Muffin Break bakery café.
3. How will I manage my staff? Managing a team of staff can be quite overwhelming if you have little experience in the area. As a Muffin Break café owner you will obtain all required initial and ongoing training in management to ensure you hire the right people and subsequently manage them in a fair and supportive way. The Muffin Break operations team are there to support you throughout your journey as a café owner advising on roster shifts along with any other HR tools ensuring you labour costs are effectively managed. Staff training and management tools are delivered via online and in-store training plans. For more information on the training Muffin Break provide click here.
4. How often do I need to develop products? In order for a business to succeed it needs to excel in its core products, which for Muffin Break are muffins and coffee. The ongoing development of products attracts regular custom, an area Muffin Break excel at. Muffin Break have a dedicated product team who are responsible for the development of new product innovations which respond to customer food and beverage trends, for example the latest low carb muffins suitable for diabetics. The launch of this product was supported with training materials and an integrated marketing campaign and has seen strong sales results and positive customer feedback. As a franchise owner you will receive top quality training in the latest product launches which are regularly launched from the Muffin lab allowing you to attract and maintain loyal custom. For more information regarding the Muffin Lab, click here.
5. How can I afford to start a business? Perhaps one of the most significant questions you need to ask yourself is not if you can afford to start up a business but how you will obtain the necessary finances to make that initial investment. With a variety of different investment levels, Muffin Break are an ideal franchise choice for those looking for business opportunities on each end of the scale. For those requiring finance, Muffin Break are accredited with the ‘big four’ banks. Click here to find out more.
6. How much support will I get and is it likely to continue? When starting your own business it is comforting to know that you will receive initial and ongoing encouragement and support, not only from your loved ones but also on a professional level. As a Muffin Break bakery café owner you will receive training from the moment you become a franchise partner, by a range of specialised staff and operations team. First-class training in marketing, management and operations is delivered to all franchisees providing them with the skills and knowledge required to run their very own café business with confidence. In addition to the accredited training, Muffin Break provide ongoing support delivered through a variety of means including conferences, onsite visits, state meetings, eDMs and of course they are just a phone call away. To find out more about the training and support Muffin Break offer, click here.
7. Do I need a loyalty program? Providing a loyalty program is a great way to attract and keep customers, especially those who may visit your Muffin Break bakery café for their daily coffee. As a café owner it is beneficial to have a strong loyalty program in place as it allows your customers to feel appreciated as well as attracting regular custom to your business. Muffin Break have the ‘Muffin Break Club’ loyalty scheme in place, which is designed to both reward and attract customers by making every fifth coffee free. As far as loyalty programs go this offer is extremely competitive and is likely to attract customers from rival cafés. In addition, members of the ‘Muffin Break Club’ also receive member’s only offers including a free muffin on their birthday.
8. What is my business’ message/ethos? As a business owner you need to ensure that your company presents and maintains the right message/ethos. Do you want to be known for eccentricity, fair trade, charity, quality, traditional values, size…The list is endless. It is essential that you agree with your brand’s ethics and values and with Muffin Break’s partnership with family-focused charity Good Beginnings, who focus on building better futures for children in vulnerable communities, you can feel proud to help in supporting such a great cause. Muffin Break has a value that’s about giving back, providing our customers with a ‘feel-good’ factor.
9. How frequently do I need to run promotions? We all know that offering promotions are a great way to attract potential customers, particularly within today’s generation of savvy shoppers, but when are the most beneficial times to run such promotions? As a Muffin Break bakery café owner you are advised on the most beneficial dates and frequencies to run promotions, as well as being supplied with all the relevant marketing materials, providing your business with solutions that work out best for your customers and for yourself. Muffin Break has a dedicated marketing team who develop and implement the annual strategic marketing programs, including national programs as well as consult and assist with local area marketing initiatives tailored to individual site needs.
10. What is the quality of the food/coffee I will serve? As a café owner it is inevitable that you will want to serve the best quality products to your customers, but you must also think about managing food costs in order to make a profit. Muffin Break provide training to all of its franchisees to ensure productions costs are kept to a minimum whilst still delivering to Muffin Break’s high standards. All muffins are baked fresh each morning to ensure high quality whilst Muffin Break’s award-winning coffee blend allows you to serve a signature espresso which has grown to become a favourite amongst customers. For more information on the great products Muffin Break have on offer click here.
