Help raise awareness about Suspended Coffee in your community.
You (yes you!) can help make a difference in your community simply by proposing this idea to local cafe’s, coffee shops, and restaurants. Thousands of shops across the globe are now offering Suspended Coffee due to the efforts of ordinary people (like you!), who saw the potential of this idea. That said, there is no right or wrong way to introduce a business to Suspended Coffee. Please, feel free to experiment with strategies and post your successes in the comments below.
How to Introduce Suspended Coffee to Local Business
The simplest way to introduce a business to Suspended Coffee is just to go inside and ask if you can buy one. Then, you can explain to the waitress or manager what it is and how they can offer it to their customers. This strategy helps to demonstrate that there is a demand for Suspended Coffees and that the store may benefit from offering them.
Make it easier for businesses to offer Suspended Coffee
Business owners are often very busy tending to the needs of their store, employees, and customers. The easier you make it for them, the more likely they will be to jump on board. Print out a copy of the business flyer and certificates so their business could hit the ground running.
The owners may be too busy to even talk to you. In this case you may want to have a letter handy that explains the idea and potential benefits. You can either write one yourself or use the Suspended Coffee Handout created by Malcolm Grant or this sample Letter to Business Owners. Leave the handout and letter with the owner, along with a copy of the flyer and several copies of the certificates.
Make it clear that business owners can customize the idea to their own needs
Cafe’s and restaurants are absolutely under no obligation to use the flyers and documents on this site. Owners are also more than welcome to customize the flyers and certificates to suit their needs, adding their own business logos, for example. Most businesses are developing their own strategies.
Some businesses are using tokens, sticky notes, or even colored marbles to keep track of the Suspended Coffee’s that have been purchased. Others have designed their own vouchers that customers can purchase and hand out directly. Starbucks UK has designed a plan where they bring the coffees to shelters directly.
Focus on the potential benefits to the Business
While many business owners will see the benefits immediately and will jump at the chance to offer Suspended Coffee, others will take some convincing. I’ve considered some objections at 8 Criticisms of Suspended Coffee to help give you an edge in responding to concerns.
Even though this is a relatively new idea (except in Italy), there are virtually no costs to starting it up and only a few minor risks. If for some unforeseen reason Suspended Coffee does not work, the owner can simply discontinue it.
The goal of businesses is to make money. This is not a bad thing. It provides local jobs and helps the local economy. Remind the business that there is a potential for increased sales, media attention, and improved customer loyalty. You can’t make any promises, but Suspended Coffee is a low risk/high opportunity adventure that benefits the community, the businesses and the local economy.
Follow through
After your initial contact, contact the business owner back in the next couple days to see if they have questions or there is anything you can do to help them get started. You could offer to help the business contact local media or even contact local charities to spread the word about the business’ participation in Suspended Coffee.
I have emailed what I believe is the main Facebook page for your organisation today and hope to receive a response soon.
I would like to go ahead and start a “Suspended Coffee” group/organisation in East Yorkshire. As far as I am aware from my research there is no organisation in this area at this time, and that the nearest would be in Manchester.
I want to ensure I have permissions from the right people to move ahead with this. I am living in Beverley, UK, and I am from this area originally. I spent the previous 19 years living in the States. I am a full time stay at home mum, but my son is 15 and needs me less and less so I have all the time, energy and enthusiasm to put into this project.
I have been doing volunteer work in the States for years as an Ambassador for the National MS Society, and I have been looking for an inspiring opportunity here in the UK since I moved home. I know this is it.
Beverley, East Yorkshire is listed in the top ten places to reside in the United Kingdom, therefore as you can imagine it is a somewhat wealthy area. Along with this though comes a very large homeless community. I feel that promoting Suspended Coffees and everything it represents will have a true impact on my community and in turn on the less fortunate. I think it will raise people’s awareness and make them be kinder and pay it forward.
If you could let me know who I need permission from to take this live on Facebook and perhaps with a linked webpage I would truly appreciate it. I have contacts in the media and a publicist who I am sure will promote the organisation. Beyond coffee shops and restaurants, I have also have interest from local churches who have coffee shops attached to their Congregation and they are all on board to participate.
I am anxious to hear your response.
Yours faithfully,
Lynne Kerr
UK1093@yahoo.com
01482-862597
I have been looking for an email or phone number to contact your organisation directly. Could someone please contact me at the above email address ASAP. Thanks, Lynne.