Starting Your Tea Business

When planning a tea business, some of the first things to consider are the type of business, naming your business, and working on a business plan.

Some types of tea businesses are physical tea shops for in-person shopping, online-only e-commerce shops, tea rooms, and tea bars. You can start up as simply as selling tea at farmers markets with a table, tent, and simple packaged teas, or as elaborate as setting up a boutique tea shop with all the bells and whistles. Frequently, we see new businesses starting up as online shops with plans to expand later to have a physical location. Consider whether you wish to sell only dry tea or also offer brewing and serving options.

For all these business types, it is essential to devise a business name that conveys something about your business and is catchy and easy to remember. Using the word ‘tea’ in the name instantly lets people know that your business is tea-centric, and it helps from a marketing standpoint.

A business plan is a document that helps you to define your business goals and strategies for achieving them. A variety of templates can be found on the internet, but essentially, they guide you through determining your business objectives, identifying your target market, analyzing the competition, budgeting, conducting cost analysis, setting financial goals, establishing a leadership structure, and developing marketing plans. It can be essential in helping you have a deeper understanding of your business and thus lead to greater success. Your state likely has a resource for small business start-ups, which may also have templates as well as other guides for getting started.