Taking the first steps towards achieving any goal can be daunting, if not downright terrifying. In some cases, the fear of failure stops people in their tracks, before their dream can even begin. As specialty coffee roasters, we understand exactly how you feel; we’ve gone through the same exact emotional roller coaster as you! In fact, we bet that every single specialty coffee roasting company had to get over its very own doubts in order to achieve success. One thing you should keep in mind is the simple fact that you’re not alone. In fact, guidance and support is all around you!
Delve Into Publications That Focus on the Specialty Coffee Industry
There are countless communities and online publications that provide answers to anything from roasting tips to opening your coffee roasting business and everything in between. Perfect Daily Grind is one such online publication. It’s written by specialty coffee enthusiasts for specialty coffee enthusiasts with new articles being published on a daily basis. Perfect Daily Grind’s mission statement sums it all up perfectly, “We believe the coffee world is better when knowledge is shared.” You can find articles ranging from anything and everything relating to specialty coffee roasting, farming, trade, brewing, and even how to run a successful coffee shop. Since these articles are written by or focus on coffee professionals, the information portrayed is always relevant and accurate. Subscribe to Perfect Daily Grind’s newsletter to receive a fresh batch of specialty coffee-related articles in your mailbox every five days!
Another great source for roasting is Roast Magazine. Known as “an essential source for the entire coffee industry,” Roast is a bi-monthly technical trade magazine that focuses on “the success and growth” of the specialty coffee industry. Within its issues, you will find articles and stories covering the entire spectrum of specialty coffee. You can subscribe to the magazine and have issues delivered to your door. If you prefer digital journalism, then you can check out for Roast Magazine’s Daily Coffee News. As its name suggests, Daily Coffee News provides readers with daily articles that focus on the specialty coffee industry. You’ll be able to find columns from industry professionals, as well as articles on retail, roasting, origin, and industry. The entire site can be translated to Spanish, as well! There’s no shortage of publications that focus on all aspects of the specialty coffee industry.
Finding the Right Roaster
Now that you’re full to the brim with knowledge, it’s time to find your specialty coffee roaster. Finding the right roaster can be difficult, especially since they’re such a big investment. But if you’re prepared to step into the specialty coffee roasting world, then it’s best to do as much research as possible in order to make the right choice.
Your first roaster will be the vessel that will take you on your journey towards becoming a roastmaster. You don’t want to invest in a subpar machine that will break down in a few months. In order to find that “Goldilocks” roaster, choose the San Franciscan Roasting Company. Our roasters boast old-world charm with modern-day materials so you can get the unmistakable feel and design of classic roasters along with reliable, high-quality components.
We also strive to provide all the necessary guidance you may require in order to become the best coffee roaster you can be. Once you purchase a roaster from us, you’re welcome to visit our factory in Carson City, Nevada to get acquainted with your roaster. Our training is all about familiarizing clients with their machines. We teach basic maintenance and let our clients see the factory where their machine was built.
If you’d like to gain even more knowledge and insight, you can enroll in the Coffee Roasting Institute (CRI) in Boone, North Carolina. CRI—Blue Ridge Campus was established when the San Franciscan Roasting Company teamed up with Bald Guy Brew Coffee Roasting Co. As an SCA-certified premier training campus, CRI—Blue Ridge Campus provides students with the necessary skills they require in order to run a successful specialty coffee roasting business. CRI—Blue Ridge Campus courses range from beginner to professional. So, no matter where you find yourself in your coffee roasting journey, CRI—Blue Ridge Campus will have something for you!
Become Part of a Community
It’s possible to delve deeper into the world of specialty coffee roasting by becoming part of a community. Thanks to the rapid growth of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, coffee roasters from all around the world can interact with each other.
Although there are countless specialty coffee communities online, Facebook groups can be a great way to get started and immerse yourself in the online community. Simply scroll through any specialty coffee-related Facebook group and you’ll see plenty of posts asking questions, be they incredibly specific or delightfully general. You can spend hours reading the responses from amateur and professional coffee roasters. This is just one of the many examples of how supportive the specialty coffee community can be.
Instagram is the social media platform of choice for many specialty coffee roasters and coffee houses alike. Coffee is a very photogenic drink, after all, and the entire specialty coffee process (from farm to cup) can be easily documented with a smartphone and uploaded to Instagram. In fact, this is how many specialty coffee roasting companies reach their clients. A great picture, an interesting caption, and a handful of relevant hashtags can place your brand in the hands of potential clients or future business partners. It couldn’t get much easier than that!
One particularly relevant hashtag is #shestheroater. Their mission is “to promote and encourage self-identifying womxn in the coffee industry to become professional coffee roasters.” A simple hashtag has gone on to become a guiding force in the specialty coffee roasting community. Their goals, which include increasing the diversity of the roasting community, creating safe spaces for self-identifying womxn and allies in the industry, and offering financial assistance to self-identifying womxn for roasting courses and to become roaster instructors, have made this simple hashtag a guiding force for many. #shestheroaster is something that could only take root and flourish in this day and age, and the entire specialty roasting community is all the better for it.
Get Your Company’s Name Out There
Lastly, we’d like to go over some simple tips on how to use the Internet in order to market your coffee roasting company. Not only is the World Wide Web great for community and support, but it’s also fertile ground upon which your brand can grow to become successful. There are many affordable (as well as free) website builders. Wordpress, Wix, and Squarespace are the three most popular options. Wordpress and Wix are somewhat similar, both in price range and in options available while Squarespace stands apart as the most costly option (although Squarespace website themes are some of the most beautiful and aesthetically pleasing ones out there). Whatever you have in mind, any one of these three website builder options will surely help.
If you’d like to use your website as a digital storefront, consider looking into options such as Shopify and Bigcommerce. These two options make creating your coffee shop’s site as easy and fun as possible. All the website builders mentioned offer free trials so you can test them all out before committing to one. Before long, your brand will have its very own digital home and you’ll have orders coming in from all around the country! A good rule of thumb is to use the same company name across every platform. If you have Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts, make sure your company’s website URL matches. This will make it easy for potential clients to find your site when searching online. Branding is a big aspect of specialty coffee roasting so make sure you have a strong brand from the start! Hire a local artist to design your shop’s logo and make sure to use that across various social media platforms.
Another great suggestion is to post regular blogs on your website. This is where site builders such as Wordpress and Wix come in handy (since they offer unlimited pages). You can write short blogs about goings-on at your company or maybe an in-depth post on your recent trip to a coffee farm in Puerto Rico (make sure to include plenty of pictures!) Not only are blogs a great way to increase engagement with potential clients, but they’re also excellent for search engine optimization! Google, as well as other search engines, absolutely love fresh, new content. The more content on your site, the higher you will be in search results. Once you post a new blog on your site, make sure to share the post on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and wherever else you see fit. This will boost engagement and lead people to your website!
Begin Your Coffee Roasting Journey, Today!
The sky’s the limit when it comes to starting your coffee roasting business. So, what are you waiting for? The specialty coffee roasting community is eagerly waiting for you to join. Remember, if you have any questions or concerns, simply ask and you’ll find answers from experienced roasters from all over the country. There’s no need to feel left out or uncertain; you can be part of the conversation, all you need is an Internet connection!
