Challenges and Celebrations: The Journey of Growth
For the past two months I have been working with my team to open a new 787 Coffee shop location in El Paso Texas at 2220 N. Zaragoza.
Opening a new location is a great success for every entrepreneur and for business. It means that our business is growing, customers are loving our products or services, and that we as leaders are creating loyal customers and coworkers. It is definitly a moment to celebrate and appreciate new beginnings.
But, it comes with it’s challenges, opening a new store or expanding your business comes with BIG challenges, it's part of the journey and part of growing. Having to open a new store is not easy, but it's totally worth it. In this BrandON blog, we'll talk about the things me and my team learned about opening the new 787 coffee shop location in 2220 N. Zaragoza in El Paso, Texas.
Being an entrepreneur is an amazing experience, you are making a change in the world with your product or your service and it brings you satisfaction to know that humans are loving what you offer, but not as easy as it looks! At 787 Coffee opening a new coffee shop is always a challenge, even after doing it 23 times! We recently opened our third 787 Coffee shop on 2120 N Zaragoza El Paso, Texas, and thought we had everything under control, legal requirements, safety requirements and other permits that are necessary to open a new coffee shop . The location was perfect, the place was vibrant and the decor was perfect, but there were many challenges on the path, one after another!
Requesting permits and inspections was a difficult process! Just when we thought we had it all under control, another delay or requirement would come up. Of course permits ended up costing more than we originally planned to invest! Changes would be made but then inspectors would come along to tell us we were not meeting requirements, which would stop construction again. It felt like studying all night for an exam, only to fail! Of course frustration would be present among the team, because we had a goal for the opening date and caffeinated humans were waiting for us to be open!.
But with determination and the hard work from our amazing team finally made it happen, our beautiful store was opened! Now, the best coffee shop on 2120 N Zaragoza Road is ready to serve every caffeinated human in El Paso!
What are the main challenges?
Unexpected Delays
Delays happen very often, even when you least expect it! This can be due to construction or permit denials, and can cost you extra money. For example, with the opening of the new coffee shop in El Paso, we had issues with the construction. Things were not coming up as needed, and the changes made were not approved by the inspectors, which meant we had to change them again, costing more money. As a business owner, you must remain flexible with your time and budget for these unexpected delays. Always try to stay proactive so you can make small changes to keep pushing for that opening
Approving Permits and Licenses
Every state has its own requirements that you, as a business owner, need to understand and adapt to. This can be time-consuming and mentally draining because there comes a point when you don't know what permit you are missing until the inspectors communicate this with you. This was the case for our Zaragoza location; we needed so many permits that would cost time and even stop the construction. As an entrepreneur, remain calm! Start the application process as early as possible and ask what exact permits YOU NEED! Keeping everything organized, records, and follow up on applications can help that your opening date is not delayed!
investing more money than expected
A common challenge business owners face when opening a new store is investing more money than initially planned. Even when you think you have everything under control, unexpected events DO HAPPEN that will make you spend more money! Like construction delays, expensive permits and licensing fees, or inventory costs. These surprises can affect your finances, so it's important to have saved money for these unexpected expenses so they don't ruin your business plans!
Hiring a New Team
A new store means NEW EVERYTHING this includes new humans! Your team is an important part of your business so hiring the right humans is very important but it can be difficult finding humans that share the same values as your business. This also means dedicating more time into training which means you are going to need to invest more time than you expected in humans. Investing time in your new team is worth it, as they are the ones who will help your business grow. Take the time to get to know your new team and hire humans who are as motivated as YOU are!
To summarize...
Now, you can have a more realistic perspective of what it is to open a new store, it's not easy! It comes with frustration, challenges, and delays. But it's all part of the amazing journey! Each new experience in your business makes you grow, makes you learn and understand that no matter how difficult the challenges can be, your determination and your amazing team can make it happen! It's a difficult but so worth it moment. Smile, you are growing and getting closer to your main goal! ENJOY THE JOURNEY, ENTREPRENEUR!
You are doing AMAZING, keep pushing for MORE!
If you are in need of business coaching Brandon Is here to help YOU!
https://www.soybrandon.com
You've got this!