Who is selling their roasted coffee

[WatVentu]

Trini. Yes I am traveling to Guatemala!!! I was waiting your reply on your trip to Bogota, but i see you have called me out on the forum. I am open to new experiences traveling and observing different cultures always. I have been Stateside for over two and a half years without a vacation, after living in Thailand for over ten years, absolutely looking forward to this experience in the highlands! Good luck in FLA.

 

[WatVentu]

Hahaha (555 Thai translation)!!! My camera is beans, but i will do my best to take some interesting shots. And while some of these adventures might be familiar to some on this forum, it will be new sights and experiences for me and sure to educate my novice pod.

 

[MSBailey]

Please....Guide me to the light.....

I don't understand how to perfect my roast on a Behmor, in order to sell, to save money, to buy a commercial roaster, to perfect my roast.
People try to encourage me. They say... start by selling at a farmer's market. Fine. That all sound great and fun. But, I cannot rely on what I'm producing with this home roaster.
I would like some serious input here. What if I got a lease with first 2-3 months free and put the roaster in and roasted away. Is it unrealistic to expect I will be ready...I know it is really high risk. I have roasted on several different roasters before...at the guild conference last year. What I'm not familiar with is the packaging and operating a retail business. But so many people do it, I don't think I will have trouble learning. Especially with ALL you people ear to help.
PLEASE talk o me!

 

[Cafeciteaux]

Look guys, if you are worried about not making it, then you are worried about the right things. But to make the jump from hobbiest to professional you gotta be worried, paranoid, and never complacent in your current situation. The second you feel like you've made and slack off, you're going to fail. I've been at this for a while now, it's easy to make the jump. If you have friends that want you to sell your coffee, ask them to invest. Get the money, it's really not that difficult. Buy a used small wholesale roaster, there are some deals to be found. The hardest part of this whole jump is dealing with your state and local health regulations. Selling is the easy part. If your coffee is good, it will sell itself. We are on the verge of the next big thing here, this will be very similar to the craft beer movement. People are craving local. People are craving taste. People are craving traceability, it makes them feel warm and cozy on the inside. Take the risk, it will pay off. Stop talking about passion, it doesn't pay the bills. Passion has it's place in business but it can't be the primary reason your in business. Rant over......

 

[Bardo]

I have made the first jump, from roasting on my grill to a purpose built roaster that I built myself based on other roasters I have seen. I have established the business entity, branded it, and am now producing about 20 lbs a week, which I sell to friends and local folks who contact me via Facebook or my web site. I have not made the leap to selling at the farmers markets yet because of the time commitment on the weekends, but am thinking to do so this summer. Do I have dreams of going full time? You bet, and I have a plan, which after all is something from which to deviate! As an owner of other small businesses over the years, I agree with all of the cautionary tales, but do feel that hard work, homework, and book work, fueled by passion, will produce a living for anyone who cares about quality and chases every penny in his/her business.

 

[keppa837]

Hello Michael, thnx for your most grateful reply, just arrived in Miami and on a cruise to Cozumel, Mexico then to the Tulum Mayan ruins, and learning more about the coffee biz, it is very interesting and a lot to learn but I am also being successful because I have passion and I want to make it great. I am sure that your experience in Guatemala is the best thing that can happen to you, just like with me in the family coffee plantation ,easy to learn the process and practice makes perfect, I am lucky the family grows coffee in Colombia , now in the next step to make the biz grow here in the U.S. and everywhere else , when you have the best how can you go wrong !! Enough for now and until next time ENJOY ,OK.Can´t wait for your photos !:lol:

 

[WatVentu]

Wow, Cozumel! Looks beautiful and not far from Guatemala. Any photos?