By Xeres Griffin

If you want to draw customers to your coffee shop despite heavy competition, here are some tips on how to do it.

  • Advertise. Make the public know about your coffee shop. You can do this by handing out fliers, making posters and, and using any possible way you can think of to advertise your shop. The more people know about your shop, the more possible customers you may have.
  • Study your competition. You need to know what your opponent's offers are. This will help you come up with creative ideas that will set you apart from them. If a rival caters to young people make your coffee shop funkier by setting a hipper atmosphere and get some of their regular customers. Know how much they charge for their products, and if you can afford to charge less, do it!
  • Offer free internet connection. Spending in a fast wireless net connection is a sure way of attracting customers to your coffee shop. Today with laptops being used practically everywhere, it is very common for people to go to coffee shops not just to enjoy a cup of tea but to surf the web and finish their work through their laptop. May your customer be a student, employer or a business man, a wireless connection is a must. If you decide to have a wireless connection, make the fact known to the public and it will surely increase the number of your customers. Just make sure that there are enough electrical outlets available. Don't worry if your customer would want to spend longer hours on your coffee shop, other customers will be attracted to go in when they see that your shop is enjoying a wide patronage.
  • Keep your café clean. Aside from offering a wireless internet connection, keeping your shop clean and well maintained can make your customers come back. Be sure to clean your restroom as often as possible. Check your supplies once in a while to see if it is full, restock it if necessary. If there are broken chairs or tables repair or replace them as soon as possible. Make sure that there are no sticky or slippery parts in the floor or anywhere in your shop. Maintain a clean and comfortable atmosphere in your shop to give your customers a reason to come back.
  • Offer different menus. Just because it is called a coffee shop doesn't mean you cannot provide food aside from coffee. Today, a lot of coffee shops are offering a wide variety of foods, from breakfast to lunch, from sandwiches to chocolates and even fruits! If you plan to make your customers stay longer, you have to provide them something to eat or else they will leave to look for somewhere else for food. 
  • Run promotions. You can also make use of stamp cards or promos, like "buy two get a treat" or "buy 20 get 2 free." Record the purchase of each customer that is interested and give them rewards when they've accumulated their points. These kinds of promos will not just draw customers to your shop but will also make them purchase more.

Try these suggestions and be ready to manage a coffee shop on the rise.