My name is Rachel and I own a small coffeehouse in the Niagara Region of Ontario.
I have been an entrepreneur since I was 18 years old and started my own house cleaning company to pay my way through university. When I was 25 I started an Event and Wedding Planning company and worked from home while I raised my two children. Realizing that event planning took me away from my family to much I started a cupcake company based out of my house. The cupcakes took off and within a year I had Niagara's first cupcake shop. I sold the cupcake shop to my business partner after we decided we needed to part ways. I was crushed and felt like I had lost the one company I thought I would own forever. I knew I would go on to do something else, but I had no idea what that would be.
A few years later my father who was a coffeehouse fanatic died suddenly. He was always such a supporter of whatever I was trying to accomplish. So I decided to open a coffeehouse and bakery, marrying his love for coffee and my love of baking. The coffeehouse was an instant success, and we grew as much as we could in our small little "off the beaten path" area.
Now what we want to do, is offer a mobile iced coffee service around Niagara during our spring and summer months. I would like to have 2 cargo tricycles which will carry two kegs of iced coffee. It will pour like a beer, but won't make you tipsy! I believe this idea will work fantastic in the Niagara Region as we have such a huge coffee drinking population. In the summer having a cold coffee ready to drink, is such a better option then a hot one, especially on our sticky humid days. We also have such a large tourist population, this is something that would be new and different and a draw for Niagara.
By contributing to our campaign, you will help us purchase the two bikes we need to get started. Being such a small coffeehouse, the extra monetary help will allow us to push farther, and do something that no one else is doing. This type of cold brew tricycle is only seen in a couple cities in North America, we want to be the first of it's kind in Ontario. Your donation will help us grow our small business and also innovate the coffee experience.
What We Need
We would like to purchase 2 cargo cold brew bicycles. Only 1 manufacture in the states makes this type we need, and so we have to purchase them in american dollars and have it shipped, which works out to be about $8000 canadian. We are ready to contribute to the purchase of these bikes along with the branding wrap to go on them as well as the marketing here in Niagara.
If we don't get the full $8000 we will use what ever money we do receive to pay for one tricycle or a portion of it. We are committed to finding a way to make this happen this summer, so anything will help.
The Impact
Niagara's small business sector is strong and I want to continue to support and strengthen what we do here in Niagara. I love how our coffeehouse supplies the local University students with healthy meals and snacks and amazing beyond fair trade coffee. We only use one brand of coffee which has placed us above so many other cafe's in the area. Our Beyond Fair Trade coffee will be what we use in our cold brew tricycles, which in return will support even greater the farmers in which we purchase it.
Risks & Challenges
With every business venture, especially diving into new territory there are always risks, but we have a good strong name, amazing staff with excellent customer service skills. We also have an awesome product which we don't have to charge an arm and a leg for. So even though there could be some hurdles, we know that our persistence, our 2 years in business and our loyal customers will help us build an even better more unique business with our cold brew coffee tricycles.
Other Ways You Can Help
We totally understand that not everyone is in a situation where they can help monetarily, and that's totally ok. So we ask that you just share this with your friends and family and get the word out. You can still help us grow our little coffee company by doing something revolutionary here in Niagara. And we appreciate all help that is given. We have a facebook, twitter and instagram account, and we ask that if you don't mind, please share them and help us spread the word.
