Jack Groots Blog

Time out

Jack — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:19 +0000

I am taking a short time off from blogging for the next couple of weeks. With my son getting married, Coffee Fest NY, training and taking a short vacation I am going to be too busy to write quality and effective content. Thank you to all who read this blog and gain value from it – I appreciate your support. I will be back to my normal Wednesday post in a couple weeks. In the mean time, I hope to see you at Coffee Fest NY!

The foundation of a great coffeeshop is teamwork and family

Jack — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:00:23 +0000

Nothing could be better than being too busy to write a quality post this week…as my oldest son is getting married and its been a bit busy. So, a quick, proud moment showing some pictures of my oldest son Evan, his two younger brothers, Grayson and Riley, and his soon to be bride Becca, affectionally known as Becca Lou. They are getting married Friday February 17th, and then immediately leave together Saturday for a short “honeymoon” back at the DLI in Monterrey CA. To connect this to the intent of this blog (gotta connect it somehow, right?)…it takes teamwork to raise a [...]

Should You Ever Rehire A Previous Employee?

Jack — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:00:41 +0000

Contrary to popular belief, sense is not common A couple of year’s ago I read a paragraph written by JobDig chairman G.L. Hoffman, twittered by start-up guru Guy Kawasaki and printed in Inc. Magazine. It went as follows: “Never hire a quitter back. People will leave your company, chances are. No one is irreplaceable, it happens. But if they resign, do not hire them back into the company. It is very, very tempting to do so, after all, you are a great person, and they made a mistake (they will tell you) in resigning, what have you. If you do, you have just signaled [...]

How do I choose the correct espresso machine for my business?

Jack — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:00:19 +0000

My Red Corvette On the bar at JP’s I have what I affectionately call my red corvette. Why do I say that? Well, because it is beautiful, red and pricey. It’s my espresso machine and though it may not cost as much as a ’63 ‘vette, it ain’t cheap. How to choose the right machine I’ve been asked many times, “Which espresso machine should we get?” And my answer is always the same: choose your machine based on the color that matches your store’s colors. Kidding. If this is the first commercial espresso machine you have purchased, there are a [...]

Sales and the Coffeeshop: How to Make Money in the Coffee Business.

Jack — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:42:02 +0000

Top Sales Motivation Quotes “Unless you walk out into the unknown, the odds of making a profound difference in your life are pretty low.” “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face…You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” “If your work is uninteresting, so are you. Work is an inanimate thing and can be made lively & interesting only by injecting yourself into it. Your job is only as big as you are.” “I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with better care [...]

5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Opening a Second Location

Jack — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:00:23 +0000

The Siren Call of opportunity Having been in business for almost 20 years, I’ve many times heard the siren call to expand. I’ve even been lured to the rocky shoals and almost shipwrecked, but good counsel, determination and a strong guiding hand saved me from destruction. Entrepreneurs are optimists and success can foster a feeling of invincibility. Hard work was rewarded once, it can be rewarded again…right? Question #1. Does location 2 have enough of location 1′s keys to success? I had one opportunity for a second location that was very enticing. I ended up turning it down and the main reason [...]

Top 10 Reasons People Start a Business (and The One that Matters Most)

Jack — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:04:36 +0000

Why do people go into business for themselves? When people go into business they do so for various reasons. Some go into business because they are sick of working for someone else and want to be the captain of their own shop…er, ship. Some go into business because their parents owned their own business and the apple don’t fall far from the tree. Others go into business because they see a need – they want to help their downtown or help a struggling coffee farmer. And of course many people have a mix of reasons including a number of the [...]

17 Common Coffeeshop Advertising Venues and How They Stack Up

Jack — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 04:00:46 +0000

What is advertising? Advertising: a form of communication used to encourage or persuade an audience (viewers, readers or listeners) to continue or take some new action. Aside from the obvious fact that the above ad would not work in today’s marketplace, did it work at all in its own day? That is a difficult question to answer from my perspective, but I’m sure someone somewhere in some boardroom asked that question of the people who placed the ad. They probably also asked for proof of the ad’s effectiveness before giving permission to continue it. Do you do the same for your advertising dollars? And how [...]

10 reasons why “Merry Christmas” is still relevant

Jack — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:28:43 +0000

10 Reasons why Merry Christmas is still relevant Christmas is first a celebration of faith, not a national holiday. The icicle light manufacturing companies would have to find another way to sell lights. I don’t care if the government doesn’t allow Christmas stuff – they should focus on debt reduction anyway. For those of you from a different faith, thank you for your well wishes and a Happy “_______” back at you for your faith celebration. Many Americans still celebrate it as a tradition. I think we need more traditions! They are too often lost in our culture. It is [...]