When we bought our coffee shop, like many new business owners, we knew nothing about how to run a successful coffee shop. Except for what the previous owners had taught us. And like most business owners, we thought we were supposed to solve all the problems for the staff, after all we had 17 sixteen-year-olds working for us.

We did our best improving systems but there were some we just couldn’t get to work smoothly. We watched the customers and tried strategies to see if we could grow the revenue. And it was hard. It was a struggle. Along with the day-to-day problems, and there were a lot, we felt like we would just get ahead and then be knocked back again.

Every month I looked at the figures with a sinking heart, wondering what we could have done better or differently. We had tried everything I could think of. And so months passed.

To build team loyalty to the business, I decided to do some one-on-ones with each of the staff. Not sitting at the desk in the office, like boss and employee. But sitting in the coffee shop chatting over a coffee each.

I asked them questions about why they liked working there, what would they change or improve, and what would they do if it was their business. I was speechless at the information I got from these young 16-year-olds.

They came up with suggestions of simple systems which worked. We had been trying to create the ideal handover system but, it just wasn’t working.

They came up with suggestions on how we could please our customers better.

They told us what they would do if it was their business, and we implemented every idea. And gave the team the credit for every new strategy.

We would not have thought of any one of these ideas. And why? Because of the arrogance of the business owner who thinks he or she must solve all the problems themselves.

We took that café from $440,000 turnover to $990,000 without advertising or marketing. We used all internal strategies.

And one last thing I learned. Young people don’t become loyal to the business, but they become very loyal to their team. And that knowledge led me to strategies which helped our business run smoothly with the team organising things for each other. Think about that. What you could do in your business with internal strategies.

If you want to hear how these same strategies took one of my clients from $3 million to $30 million in 18 months, DM me and let's chat





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