become a fabjob guide to tea room owner

Open your own tea house!

Julie Moran

FabJob Guide to

Become a Tea Room

Owner

Visit www.FabJob.com

ContentsAbout the Author .............................................................................9

Acknowledgements .........................................................................9

1. Introduction ..........................................................................................11

1.1 A Growth Industry .......................................................................13

1.2 Owning a Tea Room .....................................................................15

1.2.1 Products ...............................................................................15

1.2.2 Services .................................................................................17

1.3 BenefitsofBeingaTeaRoomOwner ........................................18

1.4 Inside This Guide .........................................................................21

2. GettingReady .......................................................................................23

2.1 Skills and Knowledge You Will Need .......................................23

2.1.1 Self-EvaluationQuiz ..........................................................23

2.1.2 DevelopingYourKnowledgeofTea ................................25

2.1.3 Buying and Selling Tea ......................................................30

2.1.4 Developing Food Service Skills ........................................33

2.1.5 Interpersonal Skills .............................................................34

2.1.5 Business Skills .....................................................................37

2.2 Learning by Doing .......................................................................40

2.2.1 Work in a Tea Room ...........................................................40

2.2.2 GettingRelatedFoodServiceExperience .......................41

2.2.3 GettingVolunteerExperience ...........................................42

2.3 Be Your Own “Mystery Shopper” .............................................43

2.4 Learn From Other Business Owners..........................................48

2.4.1 Talk to Tea Room Owners .................................................48

2.4.2 Join an Association .............................................................50

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2.5 EducationalPrograms ................................................................54

2.5.1 Business Courses ................................................................55

2.5.2 Tea Courses ..........................................................................56

2.6 ResourcesforSelf-Study ..............................................................58

2.6.1 Books ....................................................................................58

2.6.2 Websites ...............................................................................59

2.6.3 Tea and Gourmet Food Shows ..........................................64

2.6.4 Magazines ............................................................................64

3. StartingYourTeaRoomBusiness.....................................................66

3.1 Choosing Your Niche ...................................................................67

3.1.1 Victorian/TraditionalEnglishTeaRoom .........................68

3.1.2 Asian Tea Room ..................................................................69

3.1.3 Children’s Tea Room ..........................................................70

3.1.4 Themed Tea Rooms ............................................................72

3.1.5 BubbleTeaEstablishments ................................................72

3.2 OptionsforStartingaTeaRoom ................................................73

3.2.1 BuyinganEstablishedTeaRoom .....................................73

3.2.2 Franchising ..........................................................................81

3.2.3 Opening a New Tea Room ................................................85

3.3 Choosing a Store Name ...............................................................86

3.4 Your Business Plan .......................................................................88

3.4.1 What To Include In a Business Plan .................................89

3.4.2 Start-UpFinancialPlanning ..............................................95

3.4.3 A Sample Business Plan ...................................................104

3.4.4 Business Plan Resources ..................................................123

3.5 Start-UpFinancing .....................................................................124

3.5.1 GettingPrepared ...............................................................124

3.5.2 Equityvs.DebtFinancing ...............................................126




3.5.3 Borrowing Money .............................................................127

3.5.4 Finding Investors ..............................................................130

3.5.5 Government Programs ....................................................132

3.6 LegalMatters ...............................................................................133

3.6.1 Your Business Legal Structure ........................................133

3.6.2 Business Licenses ..............................................................140

3.6.3 Taxes ...................................................................................143

3.6.4 Insurance ............................................................................145

4. SettingupYourTeaRoom ...............................................................149

4.1 Finding a Location ......................................................................149

4.1.1 Possible Locations .............................................................150

4.1.2 Points to Consider ............................................................156

4.1.3 Signing Your Lease ...........................................................163

4.2 Tea Room Design ........................................................................172

4.2.1 Outside the Tea Room ......................................................172

4.2.2 Inside the Tea Room .........................................................174

4.2.3 SecurityforYourTeaRoom ............................................179

4.3 Displaying Merchandise ...........................................................180

4.3.1 MaximizingSales ..............................................................181

4.3.2 Creating Window Displays .............................................183

4.4 RetailEquipmentandSupplies ................................................185

4.4.1 Items You’ll Need .............................................................185

4.4.2 Suppliers ............................................................................194

4.5 Obtaining Your Inventory .........................................................197

4.5.1 Manufacturers,Wholesalers,andDistributors ............. 197

4.5.2 Prices and Terms ...............................................................201

4.5.3 QuantitiesofTeastoStock ..............................................202




5. RunningYourBusiness ....................................................................205

5.1 Tea Room Operations ................................................................205

5.1.1 Developing a Procedures Manual ..................................205

5.1.2 AreasofOperationsChecklists ......................................207

5.2 Inventory Management .............................................................210

5.2.1 InventorySoftware ...........................................................210

5.2.2 Inventory Tags and Labels ..............................................213

5.3 Pricing Merchandise ..................................................................214

5.3.1 Guidelines ..........................................................................214

5.3.2 Retail Pricing Formulas ...................................................215

5.3.3 ProfitMarginvs.PercentageMarkup............................216

5.3.4 Standard Markups ............................................................219

5.3.5 FeesforTeaWorkshopsandClasses .............................220

5.4 GettingPaid .................................................................................223

5.4.1 Accepting Debit Cards .....................................................224

5.4.2 Accepting Credit Cards ...................................................224

5.4.3 Accepting Payment Online .............................................226

5.4.4 Accepting Checks .............................................................226

5.5 Financial Management ..............................................................227

5.5.1 Bookkeeping ......................................................................227

5.5.2 Financial Statements and Reports ..................................230

5.5.3 Building Wealth ................................................................238

5.6 Employees ...................................................................................241

5.6.1 When to Hire Help ...........................................................241

5.6.2 RecruitingStaff .................................................................244

5.6.3 The Hiring Process ...........................................................247

5.6.4 NewEmployees ................................................................251




6. GettingandKeepingCustomers ....................................................257

6.1 Marketing Your Business ..........................................................257

6.1.1 Advertising ........................................................................258

6.1.2 Free Publicity .....................................................................262

6.1.3 Other Marketing Ideas .....................................................267

6.2 Printed Materials ........................................................................268

6.2.1 Business Cards ..................................................................269

6.2.2 Brochures ...........................................................................271

6.3 Your Website ...............................................................................274

6.3.1 IdeasforYourWebsite .....................................................275

6.3.2 Developing a Website .......................................................277

6.3.3 Promoting Your Website ..................................................278

6.4 Social Media ...............................................................................280

6.5 NetworkingandReferrals .........................................................285

6.6 In-StorePromotions ...................................................................287

6.6.1 Your Grand Opening ........................................................287

6.6.2 Tea Tastings .......................................................................291

6.6.3 Tea Workshops and Classes ............................................292

6.7 Customer Service ........................................................................296

6.7.1 Greeting Customers .........................................................296

6.7.2 Tea Room Retail Sales Tips ..............................................297

6.7.3 GettingRepeatBusiness ..................................................301

6.8 Conclusion ...................................................................................304






1. IntroductionCongratulationsonyourdecisiontoopenatearoom,andwelcometothewaveofthefuture!Whilepausingtoenjoyacupofteawithalightmealisalongstandingtradition,tearoomsareenjoyinganunprecedented surge in growth in North America. Much like the burgeoninginterestincoffeehousesthatbegansometwentyyearsago,tearoomsandteabarsarerapidlygaininginpopularity,withplentyofroom to grow.

Fewpeoplewouldarguethatthiscivilizedrepastisgoodforthesoulandagreatwaytorefresh,regroup,andspendapleasanttimechattingwithfriends.Yetforthoseofyouwho,whentheyheartheterm‘tearoom’,envisionagroupofgrandmothersinhatsandglovessippingtea,thinkagain.Teaisenjoyingasurgingrenaissanceacrossallsegmentsofthepopulation.Thoughteahastraditionallyappealedtowomeningreaternumbersthanmenoryouths,therecentwidespreadpublicityoftea’shealthbenefitshaveledmoremenandyoungpeopletotryit.Andoncetheydo,tea’sdelicioustasteandendlessvarietyofflavorshasthemhooked.




“This isagoodtimetoopena tearoom,as tea isdramaticallyincreasinginpopularity.Itisoftenthewell-publicizedhealthbenefitsofteathatgetthemcurious,butoncetheytryit,theyarefindingtheytrulyenjoyit.”

— Cynthia Gold, Tea Sommelier, The Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers

Unlikecoffeeshops,wherethearomaofespressoandbuzzofcaffeineelectrifytheair,makingithardtorelax,tearoomshaveatranquilandengagingatmosphere.Thereasonforthislieswithinthemysteriousbrewitself.Teahasbeenshowntotriggercalmingalphawavesinthebrain,causingpeopletobemorefocusedandalert,yetserene.Thus,thoughmanycoffeeshopsalsooffertea,atearoomoffersawholedifferentculture,feel,andmindset;nottomention,agreatervarietyofteas.Withsomanypeoplefeelingharriedandstressedthesedays,thegrowingappealoftearoomsasawelcomealternativerespitefrommodernlifeisonlynatural.For,asLalithGuyParanavitanaofEmpireTeaServicesnotes,“Atearoomoffersauniqueexperiencedifferentfromthe‘coffeescene’andatamodestprice.”

Thoughit’stakencenturiestoreverttobeinganationofteadrinkers,Americansare,inarealsense,rediscoveringtheirroots,andCanadiansare embracing their tea drinking roots in even greater numbers. Providing a calming refugewherepeople can relax and enjoythemselves while drinking a healthy beverage is what operating a tea roomisallabout.Whilehostinganendlessteapartyinvolvesalotofwork,forthosewhodreamofowningatearoomandwhotakethenecessarystepstocarefullyplan,itisanexcitingandrewardingcareerwithatruesenseofpurpose.Forthosepeopleyouintroducetothehealthbenefitsofteaanditscultureofreflectionandrelaxation,youmaketheirworldandtheirlivesbetter.

Bypickingupthisbook,youhavetakenthefirststeptowardenrichingyourownlifebyrealizingyourdreamofopeningatearoom.Therestofthischapterwillgiveyouabriefoverviewofthisexcitingcareerchoice,includingwhatatearoomownerdoesonatypicalday,thevarioustypesoftearoomsyoucanchoosetoopen,thedifferentproductsandservicesyoucanprovide,aswellasseveralofthewonderfulpersonalrewardsyoucanlookforwardtobyowningatearoom.Thischapteralsobrieflyoutlinesthestepsyou’llneedtotaketo




getstartedinfulfillingyourdream,whicharecoveredingreaterdetailin the remaining chapters.

1.1 AGrowthIndustry“Thisisaperfecttimetoopenatearoom.Teaisaninexpensivealternativetogoingoutandspendingtimewithself,familyorfriends.Itisthebesttimetodoso,beforeyoucanseeourhorizonglowingwith tea houses.”

— Mark “Dr. Tea” Ukra, Author of TheUltimateTeaDiet and Owner of Dr Tea’s Tea Garden and Herbal Emporium, West Hollywood, California

TeaisbigbusinessinNorthAmerica,andshowsnosignsofslowingsoon.Accordingtoa2015pressreleasebytheTeaAssociationoftheUSA(www.teausa.com/14654/state-of-the-industry,the(wholesale)valueoftheUSteaindustrywas$10.84billiondollars,almostasix-foldincreaseover1990’s$1.84billion,andahealthy4%increaseover2013’s$10.41billion.Atpresent(perwww.teausa.com/14655/tea-fact-sheet),teaisfoundinalmost80%ofUShouseholds,andAmericansconsumeover3.6billiongallons(80billionservings)oftea;that’sabout250servingsofteaperyearpercapita.Thus,whiletherearepresentlymorethan2,200specialtytearoomsandretailshopsthroughouttheUnitedStates,thereappearstobeplentyofroomformore.

AstoundinggrowthintheteaindustryisalsooccurringinCanada,wheretea isa$426milliondollarannual industrywithmassivegrowthexpectedtocontinueaswell.AccordingtotheTeaAssociationofCanada(www.tea.ca/about-us/media-kit/2014-canadian-tea-fact-sheet-trends),Canadiansconsumeabout85liters(over22gallons)ofteaperyearpercapita.InCanada,specialtyteascompriseabout64%(145+milliondollars)andregularteaabout36%(80+milliondollars)ofthehotteamarket.Thisgrowthinspecialtyteasisdueprimarilytothegrowingpopularityofgreentea,whichislinkedtorecentpublicityaboutgreentea’ssignificanthealthbenefits.

InCanada,hotteaisanintegralpartof5.5%ofall“perceivedhealthymeal occasions” and ranks #3 as a “perceived healthy” beverage in Canada,behindonlywaterandsugar-freesoftdrinks.Thepresenceoftheaminoacidsandantioxidantsinteaarebelievedtostimulatetheimmunesystemandhelppreventcertaindiseases,suchasheart


http://www.teausa.com/14654/state-of-the-industry

http://www.teausa.com/14655/tea-fact-sheet

http://www.teausa.com/14655/tea-fact-sheet

http://www.tea.ca/about-us/media-kit/2014-canadian-tea-fact-sheet-trends

http://www.tea.ca/about-us/media-kit/2014-canadian-tea-fact-sheet-trends



disease,highbloodpressure,andcertaintypesofcancer.Teahasotherperceivedhealthbenefits,suchasaidinginweightlossandweightmaintenance.ThesesignificanthealthbenefitshavehelpedspurrapidgrowthinteasalesinbothCanadaandtheU.S.

“MoreandmoreAmericans,especiallybabyboomers,seemtorecognizetheneedtoeatanddrinkbetter.Teafitsintotheirdirecthealthneedsaswellastheindirecthealthydesiretohavesomewind-downtimeandtakesomequalitytimeforthemselves.Evenindifficultfinancialtimes,everyonestillneedssmallindulgences!”

— Cynthia Gold, Tea Sommelier, The Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers

ABriefHistoryofTea

Thoughtea,whichcomesfromtheplantCamellia sinensis,isnowwidelyenjoyedthroughouttheworld,itwasreputedlydiscoveredquitebyaccident.Legendhasitthataround2737BCE,ChineseEmperorShenNungwasboilingwatertodrinkwhiletraveling,aswashiscustom,whenleavesfromanearbyplantfellintohiswaterbowl,creatingtea.Hetriedtheresultingbeverage,andfounditdeliciousandsoothing.BythetimeoftheTangdynasty(618-906CE)teawasawidelyconsumedbeveragethroughout China.

Fromthere,teaspreadthroughouttheworld.BuddhistmonksintroducedteatoJapaninthelate8thcentury.TeafromChinawasintroducedtoEuropebytheDutchEastIndiaTradingcompany.IttraveledtoHolland,England,France,andGermanyduringthe17thcentury,andbytheearly18thcentury,itwasapopularandfashionabledrinkinEngland.TheDutchintroducedteain1650totheDutchcolonialcityofNewAmsterdam(laterNewYork).TeawasverypopularintheAmericancoloniesuntilataxwasimposedonteawhichwasintendedtohelpfinancethepurchaseofteaforEngland.ThisledtoaboycottofteaandtheinfamousBostonTeaPartyin1773,oneofthemajoreventsleading up to the American Revolution.

Now,Americanshavebeguntoreclaimtheirrootsasanationofavid tea drinkers.




1.2 OwningaTeaRoom

1.2.1 Products

Tea,BeverageandFood

“Acombinationofspecialtyfoods(todrawpeoplein)andagoodvarietyofteasbrewedwithexpertiseiswhatbringssuccesstoatearoom…Anotherimportantaspectofatearoomistheavailabilityoftea-relatedmerchandise,fromteainfusedchocolatestoteathemedjewelry.Marketingyourstorewithinthecaféwouldaddatleast30%toyourbottomline.”

— Lalith Guy Paranavitana, Empire Tea Services

Theprimaryfocusofanytearoomwillbeservingavarietyofteasaccompaniedbyfoods.Sometearoomsmayalsoofferalimitednumberofotherbeverages,suchascoffees,hotchocolate,shakesorsmoothies,andsoftdrinks.Dependingonyourtearoom,yourteasandfoodswilllikelybesophisticated(withtheexceptionofchildren’s/familytearooms)andtheemphasisonservingfoodwilllikelybeasimportantastheteas(theexceptionbeingcafesandteabarsandlounges).

Alargenumberoftearoomsincluderetailspaceforsellingproductsalongwithhavingatea,beverageandfoodservicearea.Dependingonthelocationofyourtearoom,providingretailspaceforadditionalrevenue may be essential to your success. According to Lisa Boalt Richardson,acertified teaspecialistand teamarketingandPRspecialist,“Inmostcases,youhavetoaddsomethingbesidesteaservicetoyourbusinesstobeprofitable,suchasateashoporgiftshop.Ifyoudon’t,yourbusinesseitherwon’tbeviable,oryou’llhavetobeopenalotofhours.”

WhileMariaUspenski,founderandpresidentofTheTeaSpotinBoulderColorado,generallyagreesthatatearoom-onlybusinessmayrequirelonghourstobeprofitable,sheaddsthatthedeterminationofwhetherornotaretailbusinessisnecessaryforaprofitabletearoombusiness depends on your “location and positioning.” She believes that“Ifyou’reinahighenoughtrafficarea,youmaynotneedtoofferretail,oryoumaynotbeabletoaffordtheamountofadditionalspaceneededtoaddaretailspace.”Inotherwords,averyhightrafficarea




is essential tooperatingaprofitabletearoomwithouttheneedtosellretailproductsalongsideyourtea,beverageandfoodservices.

Keepinmindthatifyouchoosetoofferteaservicealone,thiswilllikelymeanyoumustbeopenmorehoursinordertobeprofitable,soyou need to balance this consideration as well.

RetailProductsIfyouhavearetailshopinconjunctionwithyourtearoom,youmustbecarefulindesigningyourspace.Shopperswillfeeluncomfortableiftheyaretooclosetodinersandfeeltheyareintrudingonthem,andthedinerswilllikewisefeelintrudedupon.Youneedtobemindfulofthisand tailor your retail and dining spaces accordingly.

Thefollowingareseveralofthemostcommontypesofretailstoresoperatedinconjunctionwithatearoom:

TeaandTeaAccessoriesTheseretailspacesveryoftencarryteasandteaaccessoriessothatcustomerscanrecreatetheirteaexperienceathome.Manytearoomowners also advise that this makes sense because most tea drinkers also prepareteaathomeanditisbetterforbusinessifyourcustomerscometoyoufortheirteaproducts.Obviously,ifyoudon’tofferthemtheywillbuytheirteasandteaaccessoriesforhomeconsumptionelsewhere.Sellingtheseitemsnotonlyaddstoyourbottomline,itkeepsyourcustomerscomingbacktoyou.Anexampleofatearoomthatsellstea,includingitsownsignatureteasanduniqueteaaccessoriesisMariaUspenski’sTheTeaSpotinBoulder,Colorado.

Grocery&FoodProductsManyteashopssellfoodproducts,ofteninadditiontofineteas.Somemayofferbakedgoodstoaccompanytea,orevenspecialtyfoods,suchashard-to-findBritishfoods,groceriesandsweetsinaBritishtearoom.AnexampleofthisistheEnglishTeacupinAurora,Colorado(www.englishteacup.com).

GiftsManytearoomsdedicatepartoftheirspacetoanadjoiningretailgiftshop,whichispartofthesameoperation,whichallowsthegiftshop


http://www.englishteacup.com

http://www.englishteacup.com



todrawinteaservicecustomersandviceversa.Inotherinstances,tearoomownersrentspaceoutfromgiftshopowners,creatingasortofsymbioticbusinessrelationship.AnexampleofagiftshopcombinedwithatearoomistheCalabashGardenTeaRoom&GiftShop(http://calabashgardentearoom.com)inCalabash,NorthCarolina.

1.2.2 ServicesManytearoomownershavemultiplesourcesofincomefromservicesconnectedwiththeirfoodandbeveragerestaurantbusiness.

PartyandCateringServices

Plentyoftearoomsofferpartyservicesinadditiontodailyteaservice.Dependingonthestyleofthetearoom,thesecanincludeteapartiesforchildrenorhostingcorporateget-togethers,aswellaspartiesforalloccasions including bridal showers and other special events.

Sometearoomsalsooffercateringservices,essentiallyconductingteapartiesatexternallocations.Youcanchoosetoofferlightcateringservicessuchassandwiches,treats,andassortmentsofbeverages,or,assometearoomsdo,youcanofferfullservicecateringincludingentrees.Ifyoudecidetooffercateringorpartyplanningaspartofyourservices,youmaywishtoeducateyourselffurtherabouttheseaspectsofyourbusiness.

TeaTastings

Manytearoomsoffer tea tastings.This isagreatwaytoattractnewcustomers,keepregularcustomerscomingback,andbringinadditionalrevenue.Italsohelpssolidifyyourreputationasateaexpertand your tea room as a great place to discover new teas.

Classes

Classescanbeofaninfinitevariety,suchasthebasicsonthedifferenttypesofteas(green,black,white,andoolong),thehistoryoftea,classeswitharegionalorethnicflair,suchastheteasofChinaorJapanorIndia,thehealthbenefitsoftea,teenorchildren’steaclasses,orhowto brew great tea at home. These classes can be held in the mornings


http://calabashgardentearoom.com

http://calabashgardentearoom.com



orafternoonsoreveningswhenthetearoomisnormallyclosedoras a special additional service during certain dining room hours. The BostonParkHotelandTowers,forexample,allowsclientstoscheduleindividual appointments with their Tea Sommelier Cynthia Gold duringtheirteaservices(exceptwhenaspecialoccasionsuchasabridalshowerisalreadybooked).

“Wedoteatastingsinourshopandforgroups.Weofferfiveteas.Wetalkaboutwhereitcomesfrom,howitisprocessed,thehealthbenefits,andhowtomakegoodtea,teaandcaffeine,etc….”

— Thia McKann, The Path of Tea, Houston, Texas

1.3 BenefitsofBeingaTeaRoomOwner

MeetingWonderfulPeople

“Oneof thegreat rewards reaped fromowninga tea room istheopportunitytomeetsomeofthenicestpeopleintheworld.Teadrinkersarewell-traveledandwell-educated.Theyareveryappreciativeofbeautifully-preparedfoodsandwell-brewedteas.Theyareinsearchofarefugefromtoday’sfast-pacedsocietyandteaistheir“slowfood”ofchoice.”

― BruceRichardson, Elmwood Fine Teas/Benjamin Press

Tea rooms are social places where you will meet many interesting people.Manytearoomownerswespokewithmentionedthisfirstwhenaskedwhattheyfoundmostrewarding.Tearoomcustomerstendtobesavvy,interestingpeople,thoughtheycomefromallagegroupsandwalksoflife.Ifyou’reapeopleperson,especiallysomeonewho loves to introduce people to new teas or teach them about the pleasuresoftea,youwillreallyenjoythisaspectofthebusiness.

Tearoomownersemphasizethateventhoughthereisalottobedoneinthekitchenandatthesalescounter,thisisthekindofindustrywheretheownermustmakehimorherselfavailabletomeetandspeakwithcustomers.Asauthor,certifiedteaspecialistandteaPRexpertLisaBoaltRichardsonexplains:“Forbusinesssuccess,youcan’tbeboggeddowninthekitchenorinthefront.Youneedaccesstoyourcustomers.




You must make a presence so that people know there’s an owner. They want personal service.”

FinancialIndependence

Anotherimportantrewardisachievingfinancialindependence.Tearoomsrangefromsmalloperationstolargefacilitiesfeaturingprivaterooms or even multiple locations. While many tea room businesses start offsmall,anditoftentakestimetobreakevenandthenstartmakingaprofit,growingthebusinesscarefullyovertimecanbeveryfinanciallyrewarding.

Whileoperatingatearoomrequiresalotofwork,thepotentialfinancialrewards(inadditiontothepersonalrewards)canbesignificantindeed.Asasuccessfultearoomowner,youcanearnfromtensofthousandsofdollarsinannualprofitstoahundredthousanddollarsormore.

BeingYourOwnBoss

Anotherbenefitisthefeelingoffreedomthatcomeswithbeingthemasterofyourowndestinywhenyourunyourownbusiness.Thisgivesyoutheabilitytomanageyourbusinessasyouseefitandnotundertheyokeofsomeoneelse’ssupervision.Italsoallowsyoutochannelyourowncreativityandvisionintoyourbusiness,whichisawonderfulpersonaloutletformanypeople.

This independenceandself-directioncanbe liberatingandveryrewarding.AsLeslieAllicks,ownerofLola’sTeaHouseinPelham,NewYork,describesit,“thegreatestrewardsofowningatearoomthatInowappreciateisthefreedomfromafull-time‘organized’/corporatejobandtheabilitytorunabusinessthewayIseebest.”

Manyday jobsareunappealing,notonlybecause they involveworkingtogrowsomeoneelse’sbusiness,butbecausethatworkcanbemonotonousandrepetitiveandinvolvelittleinthewayofexcitementandchallenges.Owningyourownbusinesshasitsrisks,butitalsoofferspotentialrewardscommensuratewiththeeffortyouputintoit.Thedecisionsandcreativityandflexibilityrequiredofyouasabusinessownercanbechallenging,buttothosewell-suitedforsuchchallenges,therein lies the thrill.




“Therewill always be surprises…brokendown refrigerators,employeescallingin,risingfoodcosts,icestorms,unpredictablesales,customerissues,minimumwageincreases.Ifyouarewantingsafeandpredictablethisisnottheroadforyou.Ifyoulikechallengesandchange,beingyourownbossandfindingcreativesolutions,thenwelcometotealand!”

— Eric & Tammy Seibert, A Spot for Tea, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

APositiveWorkEnvironment

Many tea room owners we spoke with mentioned that they love the calmandfriendlyatmospherefoundinmanytearooms.Again,teaitselfhasacalmingeffectonpeople,whichmakestearoomsveryunlikethemorestressfulatmospheresofcoffeehouses.

“Everydayisrewardingjustbeingattheteahouse.Ourcustomershavebeenamazingsincewehaveopened. It isaverycalmingenvironment.Unlikeacoffeehouse...thehustleandbustleauraisnotas prominent.”

— KarenDuffield,Owner,OohChaTeahouse, Vancouver, Canada

ContinuallyDiscoveringNewTeas

Asatearoomowner,youwillalwaysbeexploringtheworldofteatodiscovernewflavors,varieties,andcombinations.Thereareliterallythousandsofteasintheworld.AccordingtoMark“Dr.Tea”Ukra,authorofThe Ultimate Tea DietandownerofDr.Tea’sTeaGardenandHerbalEmporium,thereareover22,000Chineseteasalone,andanendlesspathtodiscoveringnewteas.Asatearoomowner,youwillconstantlylearnnewthingsaboutthisancientbeverage,andyouwilloftenbeabletosamplenewteasforfreeinyourquesttofindandexpandyourofferingsforyourcustomers.

Theworldofteaiscomplexandcoversarangeofinterestingtopics:notonlytheendlessvarietiesofteasthemselves,butbotany,healthbenefits,culture,history,andothertopics.Thereismuchtolearn,somuchthatnoonecanknowallthereistoknowaboutteainalifetime.Thisconstantlearningisanotherbenefitmanytearoomownersciteasoneofthereasonstheylovebeingintheteabusiness.




“Tobetrulysuccessful,youmustalwaysconsideryourselfastudentoftea,neveranexpert.Thereisalwaysmoretolearn.”

— BruceandShelleyRichardson, Elmwood Inn Fine Teas/Benjamin Press

HelpingPeopleandGivingPurposetoYourLife

Anumberoftearoomowners,liketheircustomers,wereinitiallydrawntoteabecauseofitshealthbenefits.Becausepartofyourjobwillbeintroducingpeopletotea,gettingthemtoincorporateteaintotheirlives,andeducatingthemaboutthehealthbenefitsoftea,youwillliterallybehelpingpeopleleadhealthierlives.This“feelgood”purposeofhelpingothersisarewardinitselfformanytearoomowners.

“Atearoomisarealfeel-goodbusiness.MycolleaguesandIhaveapassionfueledbyasenseofhigherpurpose,particularlybecauseofthehealthbenefitsoftea…Iwouldlovetocurecancer.AlthoughIcan’tdothat,Icanmakeadifferenceintheworldbyhelpingpeoplebehealthierandavoiddiseasebydiscoveringandtakingadvantageofthemanyhealthbenefitsoftea.”

— Maria Uspenski, Founder and president, The TeaSpot, Boulder, Colorado

1.4 InsideThisGuideTheFabJobGuidetoBecomeaTeaRoomOwnerisorganizedtohelptakeyoustep-by-stepthroughthebasicsyouwillneedtoopenandoperateyourowntearoom.Thefollowingchaptersareorganizedasfollows:

Chapter2(“GettingReady”)explainshowtolearntheskillsyouwillneed as a tea room owner. This chapter helps you evaluate what skills and traits you already possess that make you an ideal tea room owner and those you may need to learn or develop. We’ll introduce you to teas fromaroundtheworld,tellyouhowtobrewthemandgiveyoulotsofothervaluabletipsforlearningmoreabouttea.

Chapter3(“StartingYourTeaRoomBusiness”)willhelpyoudiscoverthevarioustypesoftearoomsthereareanddecidewhatkindoftearoomyoushouldopen.Thischapterwilldiscussthedifferencesinvolvedandhelpyoudecidewhethertobuyanexistingtearoom,operatea




franchise,oropenanewtearoom.Italsoexplainswhatyouneedtogetstarted,includingyourbusinessplan,start-upfinancing,choosingabusinessentityandatearoomname,andotherimportantmatters.

Chapter4(“SettingUpYourTeaRoom”)offerstheinformationyouneedto actually set up your tea room. It gives advice on how to choose a location,what is invovledinsigningalease,howtochooseandpurchasewholesaleteas,andhowtoarrangeenticingwindowandinteriordisplays.Youwillalsodiscoverwhatequipmentandsuppliesyou will need to get your tea room business up and running and what standardtermsyoucanexpectfromsuppliers.

Chapter5(“RunningYourBusiness”)takesyouintotheday-to-daychallengeofrunningyourtearoomonceit’sopen.Itexplainshowtodevelopanemployeeproceduresmanual,howtofind,hireandtrainqualityemployees,andcoversinventorymanagement,aswellasfinancialmanagementandpricing.

Chapter6(“GettingandKeepingCustomers”)showsyouhowtogetyourbusinessofftheground,howtoproperlymarketandpromoteyourbusinesstohelpittobecomeestablishedandgrow,aswellashowtoworkmosteffectivelywithcustomerstobuildasolidbaseofloyalclientele.

Byfollowingthestepsinthisguide,youwillbewellonyourwaytolivingyourdream—openingyourownsuccessfultearoom!

YouhavereachedtheendofthefreesampleoftheFabJob Guide to Become a Tea Room Owner.Toorderanddownloadthecompleteguidegotohttps://fabjob.com/program/become-tea-room-owner/.


https://fabjob.com/program/become-tea-room-owner/

become a fabjob guide to tea room owner

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