Tea Business Dreams

How to Brew A Cup of Quality Tea in 30 Seconds or Less

Do you have a tea business dream?  A unique idea that combines your personality with your love of high quality tea?  If so, you will love this private interview with inventor extraordinaire, Anthony Priley of Affinitea Brewing Technology.

Lady Dawnya:
Hi, everyone.  Today I am so pleased to interview Anthony Priley of AffiniTea Brewing Technology.  He is going to be telling us all about the new and exciting trends in tea and the things that are happening with the AffiniTea Brewer.  I’m not sure if everybody is familiar with the company AffiniTea and its products.  That’s why I wanted to bring Anthony on because he has some fabulous information that can really revolutionize your tea shop and modernize it.  Welcome Anthony, it’s great to have you with us.

Anthony Priley:
Hi, thanks for having me.

D : So tell me, we always like to know how people got involved with tea because a lot of people don’t realize what a large industry and quickly growing industry it is.  You’ve been around for a long time, as far as tea is concerned.  What was your tea journey like?  How did you get started?

AP: In the early 90’s, I think it was 1992 or 1993, my sister, my brother-in-law and I opened a retail café with a theme of being a beverage café.  What that was, was the incorporation of four beverages under one roof.  We saw several different trends emerging.  One being the coffee trend, of course, at that time was in full swing.  The Microbrew beer trend was another one. 

Then the emergence of California wines was the third.  Then the fourth being tea.  Our journey was started by trying to discover what the equivalent in the tea industry was to those other three products.  We were very familiar with the higher quality products in those other areas but we didn’t understand or know what it was in tea.  That precipitated a journey to see Mike Spillane at the G.S. Haley Company and during a formal Tea Tasting, being exposed to loose leaf tea, which as I am sure everyone knows is a transformational experience. 

D: Absolutely.  So you guys were really in the Fusion drink market really early.

AP: Yes, very early, ahead of the curve in many respects.  Coffee was really the only trend at that point that was in full swing.  We rode the expansion of California wines and then the Microbrew market up through early 2003/2004 when we sold the business and focused on the inventions that we had made in the tea area of the business. 

D: Is that how you came up with the AffiniTea, it was something that you were doing?

AP: No, what it was the day we went down and we bought $3000 worth of tea.  Passionately bought a chest of every tea that we liked that day, not realizing how many cups of tea ten chests of tea was.  That day we bought several hundred thousand cups of tea and went back excited, as most people do. 

We then went out and bought the jars at the local Pier 1 and put the jars up, got the infusers, everybody was excited.  Then the sales just didn’t happen.  I started to ask the employees ‘Why are you reluctant to sell this product?’   Finally they would come clean and say because I can’t make the same product twice, even if I do it right, if I convert a customer.  If they like what I have done, the next time they come in, maybe they brought a friend the second time and say make it just like you did before, almost no one could make the same tea twice.  That was disturbing because sometimes it would even be better than the time before but the customer, the most important thing to the customer was that they got what they got last time because that is what they were expecting......

(for the complete story and the inside scoop on the Affinitea's innovative 30 second brewing process  listen to the live interview at http://www.tearadio.typepad.com/web/ )

   

© Dawnya Sasse- Tea Radio – All Rights Reserved

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Dawnya Sasse is the creator of the ultimate tea business training school allowing students to discover the secrets of the tea industy,"quickly and easily" without ever leaving home.

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Why do some people succeed in the tea business? Discover how to "Unlock the Secrets of the Billion Dollar Tea Industry from the Comfort of Your Own Computer" and make your tea dream a reality. Free audio mini course http://www.StartATeaBusiness.com

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This article may be distributed freely on your website, as long as this entire article, including links and this resource box are unchanged.
Copyright 2007

Dawnya Sasse All Rights Reserved. Tea Events  http://www.TeaEvents.com

Tea Events Moves to Kansas

Dear Tea Family-

We moved to Kansas 6 weeks ago and boy has it been busy.  Imagine 13,000 square feet of disaster zone and you get the picture.  Yet, hope rises with the dawning of each new day and today I am eagerly anticipating the completion of my office.

The paint is on, the carpet is in, the furniture has been delivered.  I am just waiting on the finishing touches to be complete and then I will officially "move in."  I can't wait to be writing you next month from my new desk.

As I ponder the process of this move (2 full years!) I am naturally drawn to think about you and your tea dream.  My tea dream started in 1997 when I looked in the back of a tea magazine.  I saw an ad for tea consultants and I something settled in my spirit.  I knew that tea was for me.  Along the way my business has changed and evolved.  Now 9 years, 2 tea rooms and 12 websites later I am still passionately in love with tea.  My commitment to launching your tea dream into reality is greater than ever.  I believe with all my heart and my soul that NOW is the time for you to jump in and make it happen.  You really can't afford to wait.

April 8th is my next online class.  Invest your tax return in yourself.  You won't be sorry.

From the high plains,

Lady Dawnya

Lessons I Learned in the TeaRoom

Lessons I Learned In The Tea Room

by Dawnya Sasse


Take two parts training and three parts hard knocks. Shake them together and you get a lifetime of lessons learned on the front line in the tea business. 9 years of ups and downs have taught me a few simple steps that can save you hours of heartache if applied now.


Here are the top 3 lessons that I have learned in the tea business:


Lesson #1 A Consistent Atmosphere Creates Loyalty

What does the public library and Starbucks have in common? I would venture to guess it is a consistent atmosphere. Before you enter the doors of these establishments you know what atmosphere to expect. Inwardly you are relieved that is just as you left it last.

Expectations met can be soothing especially in an era of constant change. Be it the old fashion "silence" of the library or the wafting smells of grinding beans, knowing what's coming cannot be beat.

So, ask yourself...What type of atmosphere am I creating for my customers and how will I keep it consistent?

Consider your types of tea, food and services which all contribute to the overall impression and ultimate experience your guest will look forward to . The key comes in presenting that same experience again and again and again like clockwork.

achieve that and your customers will look to you as a refuge from life's storms and keep coming back for more.



Lesson #2 The "Show" Must Go On


A tea business is a "show" and the "show must always go on. Just at a consistent atmosphere will keep your customer returning, a sense that someone else is in charge will extend a comforting blanket to a ragged and weary public.

If you plan to run a tea business think of it as a play. The audience need not be aware of the chaos behind the stage. They do not need to know that the lead actress has the flu or that the set has a hole in the wall. (which you carefully covered with a large mirror.)

The audience wants is to be entertained and kept blissfully unaware of the dangers that lurk in the night. They long to enjoy themselves and get away from their day to day drudgery.

A successful tea business owner is like a great stage manager. He or she will make sure that customers are not aware of fires in the kitchen or the staff that didn't show up. The smart owner recognizes that customers want the "show" to go on.

Think about this: Have you ever been to a small business where the owner told you all about their cares and woes? Did you feel relaxed? Not likely. Customers have their own set of problems. Give them a break and don't share what goes on behind the magic curtain.



Lesson #3 A Dash of Mystery Keeps Them Coming Back For More


In the 1930- 1940's serial mysteries played daily on radio and in movie theaters. These short episodes left audiences hanging in suspense compelled to return for next week's installment.

So too, a tea business owner must project a sense of mystery and intrigue to keep clients enthralled. In today's society, competition for one's time is fierce. A creative entrepreneur knows how to keep their customers involved in their tea business.

Consider daily menu's,themed events, costumes,festive holiday decor or even contests as part of the mystery your customers crave. A mix of consistency with the great unknown makes for phenomenal stage productions and unimaginable customer loyalty.

In summary, your mission, should you choose to accept it is simple. Provide a consistent, care free environment that sparks creativity and delight. Your clients will thank you with their money time and time again.


(C) Dawnya Sasse

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Dawnya Sasse is the creator of the ultimate tea business training school allowing students to discover the secrets of the tea industy,"quickly and easily" without ever leaving home.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Why do some people succeed in the tea business? Discover how to "Unlock the Secrets of the Billion Dollar Tea Industry from the Comfort of Your Own Computer" and make your tea dream a reality. Free audio mini course http://www.StartATeaBusiness.com

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This article may be distributed freely on your website, as long as this entire article, including links and this resource box are unchanged.
Copyright 2006-2007  Dawnya Sasse All Rights Reserved. Tea Events http://www.TeaEvents.com