Black Cat Luck and Blues
A shower ramble voice recorded because I put this off to much and wanted to get it out then edited for readability:
Test 1 2 test 1 2 can you still hear me? OK, so for this one it's called “Black Cat Luck and Blues : A series of rambles because I delayed this one too much”.
The first question is “how is the coffee business doing”, the truth is as slow molasses. The brand has charm, the cats are cute and have appeal and there's good coffee being roasted. However, I am not good at social media marketing, I don’t put myself out there, and I don’t do flashy sales and such. I was humbled that the first two places reached out to me, but since then it has been silent. Well that's not totally not fair, there will be a surprise pop-up I guess, teasing that now, but in terms of reaching out, it’s now on me. I can hope for future opportunities but for wholesale and cafes, I have to be the one to initiate. Retail wise, I’ll get to that.
One thing I've realized is about the style of coffee I carry. I'm friends with a few of the cafés in Hamilton and I know one place( maybe one day they’ll carry me!) but the owner, me and him have different taste. We’re pals, talk food, coffee and local happenings, and he really like funky coffee. That’s great and it really expands my palette but also makes me think as much as I always like to make coffee I’ll enjoy, I think it’s good to have a curveball or the two of things that I wouldn’t fully enjoy but others may enjoy more than me.
I double checked with the other other café I’m very close with, they don’t want me to tell anyone who they are, but they said if you shoot me a message then I can tell you which one it is; and the last one I am close with is a cafe called 'one for all' and I will do a separate post about them of their influence and help.
The 'freinds of Kuro Neko' post is a long time coming.
Now, I'm new to all this and honestly I like what I do but it's tricky, it’s particularly hard for the animations. I’m also new to social media and technically new to the coffee scene. Don’t even get me started on espresso and my newnesss there. I have to fix my dad‘s machine, it supposedly works, but I’ll have to give it a once over. And do you know how brand new to drawing I am? Ever so new haha.
It is adventurous and there's lots of attraction to it but there's a lot to consider.
I guess one of the big things I'm learning is about all the working backwards, from "if I need something by this day, I should’ve started it you know a month or two before", from setting up for the website, to planning the inventory and to personally reaching out to hopeful cafes now , it starts to add up and I should've started last week and then some.
I'm not fully certain, maybe I need to double check but part of the reason I haven’t written any blog post as of late is because I felt it would be whinging, and well, be a bummer. I don’t really encourage myself, Heck there's moments, (not that I want to quit), but the feeling of 'not making it' comes over me and it's tough, a tough feeling to shake. But my friends, my family, and other professionals have been encouraging and that's been giving me perspective and them telling me to keep trying and that I can actually roast coffee and it’s good is a balm for my emotions haha. When people tell me or show me a message or post about the coffee and how much they like it and enjoy it and how exciting it is or tell me how cute the cats are, it's great. The fact I’m three months in, soon to be four but three months only, it means I should keep going step-by-step because I just have to keep doing it and the best way is one step forward each day. It is however tough losing money in a way,(not in a way, it always is, but I didn't start this for that), coffee is a field where you take on debt and the margins are slim, you also have to be hopeful people want to try something new when you’re this fresh but I’m grateful regardless I get to do this and it's a learning experience and that current trend of drought will change. I know for a fact I make good coffee or moreover roast it haha. Brewing it, I still need to get on the café level but I've been sharing with others as practice. The trajectory will swing up and I won't be as worried as much but for now it is daunting and that wave comes harder at times than others. Got to strengthen the spirit and resolve by doing, not waiting!
I know some folks seem to be visiting my website once a week or once a month or once every other week. I know they don’t buy a coffee or try any. That's okay, I'd prefer if they did but I understand too. I'm new and all that.
Maybe it’s a shipping or the pricing or something but if you are interested, you know, shoot me a message and we will work something out.
It also seems my Blog gets read quite a bit. Possibly as much as my coffee.
Also I can see where you all are coming from. Some are of you are close(if you’re Canadian, reach out, say hi neighbors haha!), and some are overseas(I should build a map for where my coffee gets sent, that’ll be fun!), some in particular repeat visit frequently, for instance, a user in: Germany. To you I say this: I see you haha. I know that you visit multiple times to read the entire website. It’s flattering and I’m curious as to why- maybe to run your own coffee buisness :D, and I hope you’re not a bot haha. I appreciate people being interested in what I do and if you’d like me to, I can send you a sticker or two.
This doesn't just apply to the German user, as I know there are a few of you like that as well haha. If you'd like stickers and such, they can be mailed!
Please, if you just wanna have a chat about coffee production or anything, let me know! Happy to be as transparent as I can be: phillip@kuroneko.cafe
It was exciting news to hear Luica Solis was featured by James Hoffman. She's someone I really respect and planned on talking about in another post(still do, about early resources I looked to learn from and be informed by). Talking about production, she is so incredible. I don’t explicitly agree with everything she says but I would say she is passionate and informative and sometimes I listen to it a few times as it just is so enriching and encouraging that way of seeing things.
And you know those things, that style, is how I'll keep the approach for this: to keep going, to be passionate, to listen and be enocuraged by trying and learning. God bless and more to come from me!
The last of the Maria Delgado is still available, my favourite coffee I've made, until I can bring it in next year and we’ll see if she even makes any next year, though every year will be an incredible journey for me. I know the lovely folks that Apex coffees imports are delivering a bag that I gifted to her this summer, so I hope she enjoys.
Cheers, until next time sincerely all the best from Shiro , Kuro and myself from Kuro Neko.
PS it was supposed to be "Black Cat Luck and Boons", but that will be next time. ;)
PSPS I have to upload all the social media videos and animations to the website, we hit 100 days and have 100 followers which is lovely, and we have 5 new coffees coming in, so sign up and stay tuned!!! :D
PSPSPS why is social media so tricky and random from timing of posts, to reach to this ‘SEO’ and such. Always more to learn which isn’t bad. I love learning and am very curious, but very tiring is as well hahaha. This may not have been the most professional post or moreover been the most ‘outlier’ tone-wise but don’t worry, we’ll get back to the irregularly-regularly blog posts, as I’ll try to write at least weekly! Ta ta for now!