I've officially decided to start the process of re-branding. What does that mean? Well, to me...that means I'm kind of starting over.
I recently lost somewhere in the ballpark of 80lbs of green beans because it spoiled. That rocked my world. I was so bothered by, what I interpreted as, a sign of crappy quality that I almost quit. Instead of quitting, I decided to double down and push my quality standards up.
How does this affect my coffee?
Well, it's going to affect my approach to sourcing. Instead of buying full bags at the lowest price possible, I'm going to be buying half bags. The point of this is to turn over bags of coffee faster. Rather than having beans sit in storage for up to a year (not good), I'm going to set "expiration" dates for 6 months. So, if I have green beans that are comming up on the 6 month mark, I'm just going to roast it all and put it on sale to move the product. This will ensure I don't loose quality from storing beans for so long.
This will also mean that I won't have the same bean for more than 6 months. I'm going to have to figure out a categorizing system so customers know that certain coffees fall into certain realms so it is easier to purchase. Cupa Vida has "Go-Joy-Experice" model. Go, is a coffee that everyone will like. Joy, is their fruity and tea like coffees. Experience is the super rate special editions. Orange Cactus Coffee in Prescott has the Saguaro line, which is good for cream and sugar, and the King Cup line, which is lighter and not good for cream and sugar. I like this approach. This allows me to keep rotating single origins, but communicate in simple terms.
The loss of my green beans is what pushed me over the edge, but re-branding has been in the back of my mind for a while. I love my Muertos Coffee brand. It focuses on two very important aspects: Legacy and Family. The problem I've been having is that the cultural tie limits what I can do. I believe I am a fairly dynamic person, and the Muertos brand feels like its pigion holing me. I want to create a brand that will allow me to do all of the things I want to do under one roof. I want to wear 1 awesome hat, not 4 different mediocre hats. Also, I feel like I have lost my direction with Muertos. It isn't focused. I'm just doing random stuff. It doesn't have coffee quality built into the brand, it is more focused on cost. It has taught me a lot, but it has kind of morphed into something that I don't want to be anymore.
I have created a work sheet to help ask the tough questions. I'm seeking help from my friends who have created companies. I'm trying to ask the tough questions so that I don't have to re-brand again. I want this next brand to be the one I take to brick and morter. So keep a look out, I'll be posting ideas as I go.
I recently lost somewhere in the ballpark of 80lbs of green beans because it spoiled. That rocked my world. I was so bothered by, what I interpreted as, a sign of crappy quality that I almost quit. Instead of quitting, I decided to double down and push my quality standards up.
How does this affect my coffee?
Well, it's going to affect my approach to sourcing. Instead of buying full bags at the lowest price possible, I'm going to be buying half bags. The point of this is to turn over bags of coffee faster. Rather than having beans sit in storage for up to a year (not good), I'm going to set "expiration" dates for 6 months. So, if I have green beans that are comming up on the 6 month mark, I'm just going to roast it all and put it on sale to move the product. This will ensure I don't loose quality from storing beans for so long.
This will also mean that I won't have the same bean for more than 6 months. I'm going to have to figure out a categorizing system so customers know that certain coffees fall into certain realms so it is easier to purchase. Cupa Vida has "Go-Joy-Experice" model. Go, is a coffee that everyone will like. Joy, is their fruity and tea like coffees. Experience is the super rate special editions. Orange Cactus Coffee in Prescott has the Saguaro line, which is good for cream and sugar, and the King Cup line, which is lighter and not good for cream and sugar. I like this approach. This allows me to keep rotating single origins, but communicate in simple terms.
The loss of my green beans is what pushed me over the edge, but re-branding has been in the back of my mind for a while. I love my Muertos Coffee brand. It focuses on two very important aspects: Legacy and Family. The problem I've been having is that the cultural tie limits what I can do. I believe I am a fairly dynamic person, and the Muertos brand feels like its pigion holing me. I want to create a brand that will allow me to do all of the things I want to do under one roof. I want to wear 1 awesome hat, not 4 different mediocre hats. Also, I feel like I have lost my direction with Muertos. It isn't focused. I'm just doing random stuff. It doesn't have coffee quality built into the brand, it is more focused on cost. It has taught me a lot, but it has kind of morphed into something that I don't want to be anymore.
I have created a work sheet to help ask the tough questions. I'm seeking help from my friends who have created companies. I'm trying to ask the tough questions so that I don't have to re-brand again. I want this next brand to be the one I take to brick and morter. So keep a look out, I'll be posting ideas as I go.
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