- 1). Create a solid business plan. A coffee service business generally targets a specific clientele. Potential groups include large businesses, event planners, religious groups and schools. Your mission statement and goals should make it clear how your service will be better than the competition. Unless you already have developed relationships with potential customers, you need an advertising plan to persuade people to switch to your coffee service. Consider offering initial lower prices, rare types of coffee or on-call delivery. Do research on the competition in the area and make lists of potential business customers.
- 2). Take care of the paperwork. Like any new business, you need to file the proper tax documents and register your business. Determine the legal structure of your business, register your business name, get a federal and state tax identification number, register for state and local taxes and file the necessary documentation if you are going to hire employees. Business.gov, an official site of the U.S. Small Business Administration, lists all the steps new businesses need to take.
- 3). Get the necessary permits. Any business working with food and beverage products needs to get special permits from the city and county in which it is doing business. Decide on your business location first. You can operate a coffee service at your residence, from a mobile truck or from a commercial business location. Contact your local health departments to determine the process for applying for permits and requesting an inspection of your business location.
- 4). Get the appropriate equipment. To brew large amounts of coffee, you need the proper commercial brewing and storing equipment. Established vendors include CoffeeAM, Wilbur Curtis, Coffee Espresso Pro and Fresh Roast Systems. Business.com offers a list of many of the major suppliers. For additional information on equipment, check CoffeeUniverse.com, a major resource site for the coffee industry.
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