Success Story
| Region/Nation | East of England |
|---|---|
| Sector | Hospitality, Accommodation and Food Service Activities |
| Programme | Start Up Loans |
Coffee aficionado Arron Smith had worked with Coffee for 11 years, and whilst he’d learned a lot, he eventually wanted to be his own boss, especially as many of his family friends were entrepreneurial.
Back in February 2022, he decided to take the plunge and Coffeesmiths was born. Arron started out selling coffee in Norwich from a beautiful, converted horsebox part-time, before committing to his business dreams full-time in December.
Coffeesmiths prides itself on using local products from Norfolk:
Everything we sell is from Norfolk. The cakes are baked 10 miles away, and the coffee is Roasted in Norfolk. This makes us more sustainable as a business, as we are cutting out a lot of transport and delivery costs, which is also much better for the environment! - Arron Smith
Arron received his £9,500 loan in December through delivery partner GCBF. He used the loan to purchase the equipment and fit out the shop, as well as for marketing and rent on the brand-new bricks and mortar premises that opened later in December.
The future of Coffeesmiths is looking bright and Arron has many plans for expansion:
The trailer is fully booked for 2023 from February-October. We are currently hiring staff and we are looking to have an incredible Summer with repeat events from 2022. If summer goes well, we will look to open premises number two before the end of 2023.This will become the new base for Coffeesmiths, with more opportunities for more food options and some more amazing local businesses to get on board.
If you are looking to start a local business in your hometown, Arron has the following advice:
Go for it! But not blindly. Do market research. Know your town and your customers. Don’t be surprised when you get your first electricity bill! Set your expectations realistically and try not to run before you can walk.
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