Are you about starting a book café? If YES, here is a complete sample book café business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE.
Okay, so we have considered all the requirements for starting a book café business. We also took it further by analyzing and drafting a sample book café business marketing plan template backed up by actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for book café businesses. So let’s proceed to the business planning section.
Why Start a Book Cafe Business?
As an aspiring entrepreneur who is looking towards starting a business, one of the businesses you can successfully start without much stress is a book café. Although it might be less stressful to start and run, but it is important to mention that a book café business needs a significant investment capital, solid planning, and concentration to detail in order to keep your business profitable.
The demand for the services of book cafés maybe on the decrease because of loads of options that are available to book lovers, but on the other hand, if you know how to position your business, get good and trendy books, great coffee and if you have fast internet that is affordable or free, you will make profits from this line of business.
So, if you have decided to start your own book café, then you should ensure that you carry out thorough feasibility studies and also market survey. Business plan is yet another very important business document that you should not take for granted.
Below is a sample book café business plan template that can help you to successfully write your own with little or no difficulty.
A Sample Book Café Business Plan Template
1. Industry Overview
A book café or bookshop café or literature café as it is also known is a type of book-themed café where book lovers and other interested people go to read books, buy books, have coffee and hold conversations. It is a genre of café based on the theme of books which will also provide you with an ambience that encourages relaxation.
There may also be a casual dining space based on an extensive cosmopolitan menu. A book café is a place where you will be able to maximize your time, and read the books you love in a very ideal and comfortable settings.
The concept of book cafés might not be a popular one in this era, but there are people who whenever they visit a city, would search for and visit a book café. They know that it is in a book café that they can connect with some of the bright minds of the city.
The Book café industry is indeed a large one and there is hardly any airport (international) that you won’t find a book cum coffee café that you can either connect your gadget through their Wi-Fi or log on to their computer to surf the net while you wait for your flight.
One good thing about starting a book café business is that, aside from the fact that people will come in to read books and magazines, you can also generate enough income by engaging in the sale of coffee and snacks. So all you need to do if you want to maximize your book café business is to strategically position the business and you will be amazed at the rate people troop to your book café.
2. Executive Summary
Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC is a standard and licensed book café and coffee shop that is fully equipped with a wide genre of books.
The book café will be located in the busiest airport in the united states – Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. We are positioned in a location with the right demographic composition of people who are regular visitors to book cafés.
We are a new book café with well – designed and well – furnished shelves of books, and a tasty menu of baked foods, quality espresso drinks and an array of assorted wine. We have positioned our book café in such a way that all our customers will be able to browse through any of the several hundred local as well as foreign books, magazines and newspapers which will be available on the internet.
Aside from reading a wide genre of books, our customers can also savor freshly made organic tea and also have a taste of our in house-roasted coffee. We will make available facilities of free Internet access, electrical power-points, easy street-side parking exactly in front of the book café and also an all-day breakfast.
We are not ignorant of the fact that building a standard Book café from the scratch requires huge capital especially for the purchase of books, internet equipment (server, and computers) and software applications et al, which is why we have perfected plans for steady flow of cash.
We can confidently say that we have a robust financial standing and we are ready to take on any challenge that we encounter in the industry.
We will ensure that all our employees are selected from a pool of qualified and customer centric people in and around Hartsfield – Jackson, Atlanta. We will make sure that we take all our workforce through the required trainings that will position them to meet the expectation of the company.
At Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC, our client’s best interest will always come first, and everything we do will be guided by our values and professional ethics. We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s needs precisely and completely.
Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC is owned by Shanice Davies and her immediate family members. Shanice Davies has a Degree: B.S. in Library Science from the University of Georgia; M.S. degree in Computer Science at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
3. Our Products and Services
Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC is going to offer varieties of services within the scope of the book café business in the United States of America. Our intention of starting our Book café in Hartsfield – Jackson, Atlanta is to make profits from the industry and we will do all that is permitted by the law in the US to achieve our aim and business goals.
Our business offerings are listed below;
- Providing a wide genre of local as well as foreign books, magazines and newspapers
- Providing fast and secured internet services
- Providing cheap and secured international internet calls
- Providing fast and secured teleconference services
- Providing document scanning and photocopy services
- Sale of books and magazines
- Sale of soft drinks, coffee and snacks
4. Our Mission and Vision Statement
- Our vision is to create a warm, relaxing and inviting community space for book and coffee lovers of all ages in and around Hartsfield – Jackson, Atlanta; we want to help sustain the reading culture in our society.
- Our mission is to build a well-equipped book café that will become the preferred choice for clients in and around Hartsfield – Jackson, Atlanta.
Our Business Structure
The success of any business is to a larger extent dependent on the business structure of the organization and the people who occupy the available roles. Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC will build a solid business structure that can support the growth of our Book café business.
We will ensure that we hire competent hands to help us build the business of our dream. Below is the business structure that we will build Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC;
- Chief Executive Officer
- Manager / Supervisor
- Admin and HR Manager
- Marketing and Sales Executive
- Accountant
- IT manager
- Customer Care Officer / Help Desk Officer
5. Job Roles and Responsibilities
Chief Executive Office:
- Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results; developing incentives.
- Responsible for providing direction for the business
- Creating, communicating, and implementing the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
- Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
- Evaluates the success of the organization
Manager/Supervisor
- Responsible for managing the daily affairs of the Book café, including sourcing equipment and implementing Book café strategies and operations;
- Carrying out needs assessments, and recommending the books and magazines that should be on our shelves
- Responsible for setting and meeting performance targets for speed, efficiency, sales and quality;
- Ensuring all relevant communications, records and data are updated and recorded;
- Advising clients on books, drinks, snacks and services available;
- Liaising with supervisors, team leaders, operatives and third parties to gather information and resolve issues;
- Coordinating staff recruitment, including writing vacancy advertisements and liaising with HR staff;
- Reviewing the performance of staff, identifying training needs and planning training sessions;
- Recording statistics, user rates and the performance levels of the Book café and preparing reports;
- Handling the most complex customer complaints or enquiries;
- Responsible for organizing staffing, including shift patterns.
Information Technologist
- Manage the organization’s website and server room
- Responsible for continuous update of our online security platform
- Ensure that our payment platform is secured 24 / 7
- Responsible for installing and maintenance of “Private Automated Business Exchanges” (PABX), telephones, computer software and hardware for the organization
- Manage logistics, Web servers and POS (point of sale) systems
- Responsible for continuous upgrade and maintenance of IT systems
- Responsible for generating tickets for the Book café
- Handles any other technological and IT related duties.
Admin and HR Manager
- Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
- Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new books, magazines, newspapers and other products.
- Ensures operation of studio equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
- Defining job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
- Carrying out staff induction for new team members
- Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
- Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
- Oversee the smooth running of the daily office activities.
Marketing and Sales Executive (Business Developer)
- Identify, prioritize, and reach out to new partners, and business opportunities et al
- Identifies business opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts; participates in the selection of books and magazines that should be on our shelves
- Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
- Document all customer contact and information
- Represent the company in strategic meetings
- Help increase sales and growth for the company
Accountant
- Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
- Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports
- Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
- Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties.
- Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
- Responsible for administering payrolls
- Ensuring compliance with taxation legislation
- Handles all financial transactions for the company
- Serves as internal auditor for the company
Client Service Executives/Help Desk Officer
- Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In centre, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
- Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
- Manages administrative duties assigned by the manager in an effective and timely manner
- Distribute mails in the organization
6. SWOT Analysis
Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC engaged the services of a core professional in the area of business consulting and structuring to assist the organization in building a standard and profitable Book café business. Part of what the business consultant did was to work with the management of the company in conducting a SWOT analysis for Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC.
Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC;
- Strength:
We can boast of having several hundred local as well as foreign books, magazines and newspapers both in hard copy and softcopy. We are well – staffed and well – equipped to run a 24 hours a day and 7 days a week book café with a well – planned shift system.
We are positioned in the heart of Hartsfield – Jackson, Atlanta – Georgia and we know we will attract loads of clients from the first day we open our Book café for business.
- Weakness:
As a new Book café business in Hartsfield – Jackson, Atlanta – Georgia, it might take some time for our organization to break into the market, that is perhaps our major weakness. Another weakness is that we may not have the required cash to pump into the promotion of our business the way we would want to.
- Opportunities:
The opportunities in books and magazines related business is massive especially in Hartsfield – Jackson, Atlanta, and we are ready to take advantage of any opportunity that comes our way.
- Threat:
The truth is that with the advancement of technology and cheaper internet, it is now easier for individuals to purchase internet bundle and browse and read any book or magazine of their choice on their mobile gadgets (smart phones, tablets and pads).
Another threat that may likely confront us is the arrival of a new book café in same location where our target market exists.
7. MARKET ANALYSIS
- Market Trends
In the bid to stay afloat and make their business profitable, book cafes ensure that they add order sources of income to their business; they tag other source of income such as the sale of coffee and snacks, providing fast and secured internet browsing services, providing cheap and secured international internet calls, providing fast and secured teleconference services, providing document scanning and photocopy services.
8. Our Target Market
The target market for the Book café is all encompassing because of their service offerings. In view of that, we have created strategies that will enable us reach out to people we know will need our services. We have conducted our market research and survey and we will ensure that our Book café attracts the kind of clients we would love to work with.
Below is a list of the people and organizations that we have specifically market our services to;
- All adults in the locations where our book café is located
- Students who would need to carry out research work
- Job applicants who would need to read up some materials in preparation for job interviews and also fill online applications
- All coffee lovers
Our competitive advantage
We are mindful of the fact that there are stiffer competitions in the Book café business in the United States of America, hence we have been able to hire some of the best business developers to handle our sales and marketing. Our complimentary services – fully functional business center and coffee and snacks bar will enable us attract loads of customers.
Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category (startups Book café businesses) in the industry meaning that they will be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our aims and objectives.
9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY
Our sales and marketing team will be recruited based on their vast experience in the business and they will be trained on a regular basis to meet their targets and the overall goal of the organization. We will also ensure that our excellent service delivery (fast, reliable and secured internet access) speaks for us in the market place.
Our business goal is to build our Book café business to become the number one choice in the whole of Hartsfield – Jackson, Atlanta – Georgia which is why we have mapped out strategies that will help us take advantage of the available market.
Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;
- Advertise our business in relevant magazines, newspapers, TV and radio station.
- List our business on yellow pages ads (local directories)
- Attend relevant international and local book fairs and book café relevant expos, seminars, and conferences et al
- Leverage on the internet to promote our business
- Engage in direct marketing approach
- Encourage word of mouth marketing from our loyal and satisfied clients
Sources of Income
Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the Book café business and we are going to ensure that we do all it takes to attract our target market. Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC will generate income by offering the following services;
- Providing a wide genre of local as well as foreign books, magazines and newspapers
- Providing fast and secured internet browsing services
- Providing cheap and secured international internet calls
- Providing fast and secured teleconference services
- Providing document scanning and photocopy services
- Sale of books and magazines
- Sale of soft drinks, coffee and snacks
10. Sales Forecast
One thing is certain when it comes to Book café services; it is always cheaper and reliable for people to read any book or magazines of their choice both hard and soft and also for small businesses and start – ups to carry out teleconference or web meetings. This goes to show that any Book café facility that is well – equipped and well positioned will always attract clients.
We are well positioned to take on the available market in Hartsfield – Jackson, Atlanta – Georgia and beyond and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income / profits from the first six months of operation and grow the business and our clientele base beyond Hartsfield – Jackson.
We have been able to critically examine the Book café services market, we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. The sales projection is based on information gathered on the field and some assumptions that are peculiar to startups in Hartsfield – Jackson, Atlanta – Georgia.
Below are the sales projection for Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC, it is based on the location of our business and other factors as it relates to Book café start – ups in the United States;
- First Fiscal Year: $140,000
- Second Fiscal Year: $250,000
- Third Fiscal Year: $350,000
N.B: This projection was done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and there won’t be any major competitor offering same services as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.
11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy
We have been able to work with brand and publicity specialist to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the heart of our target market.
We are set to take the Book café line of business by storm which is why we have made provisions for effective publicity and advertisement of our book café. Below are the platforms we intend to leverage on to promote and advertise Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC;
- Place adverts on both print and electronic media platforms
- Sponsor relevant TV shows and radio programs
- Maximize our official website to promote our business
- Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Google+ and other platforms (music online forums) to promote our business.
- Offer Pro Bono services to Non – profits Organizations as part of our community social responsibility
- Ensure that our we position our banners and billboards in strategic positions all around Hartsfield – Jackson, Atlanta – Georgia
- Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas
- Advertise our book café business in our official website and employ strategies that will help us pull traffic to the site
- Brand all our official cars and ensure that all our staff members and management staff wears our branded shirt or cap at regular intervals.
12. Our Pricing Strategy
The nature of Book café services makes it easier for operators in this industry to charge her clients fees based on the number of hours/time spent or monthly subscription for members; usually this fee is charged based on the discretion of the Book café.
At Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC we will keep our fees below the average market rate by keeping our overhead low and by collecting payment in advance.
- Payment Options
The payment policy adopted by Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different customers prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulation of the United States of America.
Here are the payment options that Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC will make available to her clients;
- Payment with cash
- Payment via credit cards
- Payment via online bank transfer
- Payment via check
In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our client make payment for our services without any stress on their part.
13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)
In setting up any business, the amount or cost will depend on the approach and scale you want to undertake. If you intend to go big by renting a place, then you would need a good amount of capital as you would need to ensure that your employees are well taken care of, and that your facility is conducive enough for workers to be creative and productive.
Aside from the types of books you may want to adorn your shelves with, the tools and equipment that will be used are nearly the same cost everywhere, and any difference in prices would be minimal and can be overlooked.
The bulk of the money that is expected to be spent when setting up a book café business is in the purchase of books, office furniture, equipment and of course leasing / renting a standard facility. However, this is what it would cost us to start Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC in the United of America;
- The total fee for incorporating the business in the United States of America – $750.
- The budget for Liability insurance, permits and license – $2,500
- The Amount needed to acquire a suitable Office facility with enough space for standard book café facility in a business district 6 months (Re – Construction of the facility and book selves inclusive) – $120,000.
- The cost for equipping the book café (books, magazines, newspapers, telephone boxes, headsets, server room, computers, software applications, “Private Automated Business Exchanges” (PABX), printers, fax machines, furniture, telephones, filing cabins, safety gadgets and electronics et al) – $170,000
- The cost of Launching our official website – $600
- Budget for paying at least 3 employees for 3 months and utility bills – $80,000
- Additional Expenditure (Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions et al) – $2,500
- Miscellaneous – $1,000
Going by the report from the research and feasibility studies conducted, we will need about $350,000 to set up a medium scale but standard Book café facility in the United States of America.
Generating Funds/Startup Capital Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC
Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC is going to start as a family business that will be solely owned and managed by Shanice Davies and her immediate family members. They have decided to restrict the sourcing of his startup capital to 3 major sources.
- Generate part of the startup capital from personal savings
- Source for soft loans from family members and friends
- Apply for loan from the Bank
N.B: We have been able to generate about $100,000 (Personal savings $80,000 and soft loan from family members $20,000) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $250,000 from our bank. All the papers and documents have been duly signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited.
14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy
The future of a business lies in the number of loyal customers that they have, the capacity and competence of their employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business, then it won’t be too long before the business closes shop.
One of our major goals of starting Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running. We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to equip our Book café facility with a wide genre of books, magazines and state of the equipment, technology and software applications.
Shanice Davies® Book Café, LLC will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and retraining of our workforce is at the top burner.
As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of three years or more. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.
Check List/Milestone
- Business Name Availability Check: Completed
- Business Incorporation: Completed
- Renting of Office cum Call Facility: Completed
- Setting up of our Book café Facility (Construction of book shelves): In Progress
- Intellectual Property Protection and Trademark: Completed
- Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
- Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
- Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
- Application for business license and permit: Completed
- Purchase of All form of Insurance for the Business: Completed
- Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
- Generating part of the startup capital from the founder: Completed
- Applications for Loan from our Bankers: In Progress
- Writing of Business Plan: Completed
- Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
- Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
- Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
- Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: Completed
- Recruitment of employees: In Progress
- Purchase of a wide genre of books (both hard and soft copies) equipment, software applications, furniture, office equipment, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In progress
- Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
- Creating Awareness for the business (Business PR): In Progress
- Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
- Establishing business relationship with key players in the industry: In Progress