Tea Business Dreams

Funding Your Tea Business - The Ultimate Challenge

 

 

Funding a tea business can be challenging.  If you find yourself with HUGE tea dreams but no capital, join the club.  In today's day and age financing can be difficult.... but where there is a will there is a way.  Put that dream into first gear and start to look outside the box.  Here are a few ways YOU might obtain the funds you need.

#1 Kickstarter

Have you heard of Kickstarter?  Kickstarter is one of the many growing online efforts hoping to connect unique projects with hope inspired backers.  Here's how their website describes them:

Kickstarter is the world's largest funding platform for creative projects. Every week, tens of thousands of amazing people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film, art, technology, design, food, publishing and other creative fields.

A new form of commerce and patronage. This is not about investment or lending. Project creators keep 100% ownership and control over their work. Instead, they offer products and experiences that are unique to each project.

All or nothing funding. On Kickstarter, a project must reach its funding goal before time runs out or no money changes hands. Why? It protects everyone involved. Creators aren’t expected to develop their project without necessary funds, and it allows anyone to test concepts without risk.

Each and every project is the independent creation of someone like you. Projects are big and small, serious and whimsical, traditional and experimental. They’re inspiring, entertaining and unbelievably diverse

So what's keeping you from posting your idea and taking it to the next step?

 

#2 RocketHub

Rockethub is another site that features "Crowdsourcing" as a method for funding people's dreams.  Crowdsourcing allows groups of people to participate in small and large ways to the development of new people's ideas.

Here's how Rockethub describes itself:

RocketHub is a community for Creatives and Fuelers. RocketHub offers two distinct services:

1. An innovative way to raise funds and awareness for creative ventures (Crowdfunding)
2. The ability to submit your work to be selected for tangible creative opportunities (LaunchPad Opportunities)

We provide the credibility and infrastructure necessary to successfully leverage the financial power of your community, and offer the ability to discover and apply for curated opportunities. If you have a creative project, worthwhile endeavor, or are looking to discover valuable opportunities, RocketHub is here to help.

Who is a Creative?

At RocketHub, a Creative is anyone who would like to launch a crowdfunding campaign or otherwise seeks to have his/her creative work developed, promoted, distributed or sold.

We support entrepreneurs, actors, artists, composers, dancers, designers, directors, filmmakers, inventors, musicians, painters, philanthropists, poets, politicians, programmers, singers, songwriters, teachers, writers, and more. Let your imagination run wild. If you have a creative project, worthwhile endeavor, or are looking to discover valuable opportunities, RocketHub is here to help. (Just keep it legal and in good taste :)

 

#3 Kopernick

Connect your cause and your dream with support from the Kopernick community.  Kopernick believes that one person can change the world if they have the plan AND the funds.  Here's what Kopernick's website says about itself:

Kopernik is a technology market-place for your product’s success. Through Kopernik your innovation could be effectively financed and delivered to the people it was designed for.

Is your innovation reaching the last mile?

To meet the growing needs of the developing world, we are expanding our technology offering. A bigger range of life-changing technology will enable us to empower and deliver sustainable solutions to even more poor communities around the world. By listing your technology on Kopernik your innovation will be accessible by:

• Technology seekers (local organizations, businesses, and individuals across the developing world)
• Individual and corporate donors
• The appropriate technology community

Why feature your technology on Kopernik?

We understand from our existing technology providers that it is extremely challenging to market, sell and deliver life-changing technologies to people in developing countries. In most cases users can't afford the technologies and manufacturers can't reach the users, who tend to be in remote areas. This results in very limited opportunities to introduce the products and encourage their adoption. Kopernik provides a solution.

After the products are put to use, detailed feedback is obtained. This feedback is provided to technology providers enabling them to monitor the impact their product has had on peoples' lives and the local environment. The feedback can also be used to identify improvements to existing products and potentially as a way of generating ideas for future innovations.

 

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Get a little and give a little.  Don't just look for money and support, give money and support.  Your meager offerings matter to people just like you all over the world.  I challenge you to get excited about crowdsourcing and take action. Your tea business is about to take flight!

Get your free set of tea business videos at http://www.StartATeaBusiness.com

 

How To Start An Urban Tea Room

 On a recent trip to Oregon, I met friends in an urban tea cafe.  The cafe was filled with fresh faced, tattooed, music loving young people.  It was also filled with skiers, bikers, business professionals and more.  Men, women and dogs were all gathered together to enjoy tea.

 

What was this tea room doing right?

Obviously, this tearoom was connecting with it's clientele.  Vintage, thrift store furniture and painted cement floors attest to the fact that this customer is not too picky.  What they want is a warm, inviting place to "hang" with a cup of great tea. (they also want wi-fi)

The urban tea cafe was providing great light, a relaxed setting and a large selection of tea in a downtown, highly trafficed location.

 

What was this tea room doing wrong?

When it comes to food, this tearoom was missing the boat.  Except for a few gluten free scones there was very little to munch on.  In addition, the service was slow and the choices to0 vast for the average person to easily choose  tea.  I noticed several people who were waiting in line looked completely overwhelmed with no idea of what to order.  

 

Do you have a tea dream?  Here's what I suggest:

If you have a tea dream and want to own an urban style tea room your best bet is to grow your audience from home.  Save the rent money and start by educating your clientele through farmers markets, bazaars and home shows.  Build your list and spread your tea knowledge.  When it's time to lease a space you will be ready.

There are many things you can do from home to prepare your tea business unfortunately, most people jump the gun losing thousands of dollars in the process.  Smart tea entrepreneurs utilize the opportunities they have before investing their life savings.

Choose to educate yourself first.  A firm tea business foundation will help you go far!  Grab my free video series on the topic at http://www.StartATeaBusiness.com

 

The Holidays - A Tea Business Opportunity

When people are buying, you should be selling.  Sounds simple right?

Yet year after year, people with great imagination and initiative fail to recognize the opportunity that the holiday season holds.  Starting a tea business in the fall is the best possible time if you want immediate results.

Here are a few places you can sell your tea and teawares:

School Events

Holiday Houses

Fundraisers

Church Bazaars

Farmer's Markets

Coporate Gifts

Pre-Order Gifts

 

Extra money for the holidays could become the basis for your next booming business.  Why wait?