New Business Boot Camp

Thursday, May 17, 2012

This one-of-a-kind, two-day, intensive and hands-on program covers critical topics facing the tea entrepreneur as well as provides a solid foundation of tea education. The faculty is made up of top notch educators and experienced experts successfully working in the tea industry today.

Day one is all business. Topics include the basics of tea business, marketing, legal, purchasing and inventory, and Tea 101. Day two is all about the leaf and includes World Origin Tasting Tour- a program exploring 8 countries of origin and their teas.

Packed with education and networking opportunities, NBBC provides the training and knowledge you need to run a successful tea business- right from the start.

Itinerary

Wednesday, May 30		Thursday, May 31
Six hours of intensive education by leading industry experts		World Origin Tasting Tour
Breakfast and lunch		Luncheon
Business Plan book/guide		Graduation Ceremony
Business plan review by professional consultants
Exclusive NBBC Networking Reception

Program Overview:

Wednesday, May 30		Speakers
7:00 am-8:00 am	Breakfast and Check-In
8:00 am-8:30 am	Welcome & Introductions
8:30 am-9:30 am	Tea 101: The Basics of Tea Business The most successful tea entrepreneurs leverage a comprehensive understanding of the industry to capitalize on the opportunities present in wholesale, retail, food-service and E-commerce. This session will focus on Best Practices and common pitfalls in each of these market segments. You CAN succeed if you understand the competitive landscape and how to take advantage of the opportunities while avoiding mirages and financial quicksand.	Charles CainCharles is an entrepreneurial executive with extensive business development experience and a unique perspective on the U.S. Tea Industry. Since 2004, Charles has worked for several leading Specialty Tea companies where he opened and tested seven tea shops (tea retail stores for two international brands, a tea café, and a tea restaurant), launched a tea-based E-Commerce site, and built an international wholesale program. He was recently hired by Starbucks as Vice President of Tazo Merchant and Operations, where he is tasked with elevating and growing the Tazo brand in the Specialty Tea space. Charles has been among the Expo's top speakers (attendance and attendee evaluations) for each of the past three years.
9:30 am-9:45 am	Tea Break
9:45 am-10:45 am	The Durbin Act: Understand Your Merchant Account and Maximize Profits The Durbin Amendment went into effect on October 1st, 2010. The "intent" was to save consumers money. So far the savings have not materialized, and worse, small average transaction retailers are paying considerably more. This class will teach you how to pay the least possible amount in fees.	Jack GrootJack Groot is the founder and creator of JP's Coffee & Espresso Bar, Rubyjuice Fruit & Smoothies, Rubyjuice Franchise, Breakpoint Coffee Kiosk, On Track Coffee Consulting and the Midwest Barista School (MBS). Jack's experience in creating, operating, growing and franchising businesses, combined with his passion to help others do the same, has helped hundreds of clients create, open and grow their own business or improve existing operations. Mr. Groot currently spends his time consulting, writing his blog www.coffeegroot.com, and is a monthly columnist for the coffee industry's premier trade publication, the Specialty Coffee Retailer.
10:45 am-10:55 am	Break
10:55 am-12:15 pm	Marketing and Capturing Customers This interactive class will teach you to cultivate customers with cost-effective marketing tools, including newsletters, direct mail, special events and online promotions. Learn how to capture customers and manage them in a database. Learn the do’s and don’ts of successful copywriting. Discover common design pitfall to avoid and what elements to get your marketing piece noticed. Find out easy ways to begin establishing yourself as an expert and how to secure speaking engagements, free media, Web exposure and cross-promotions in your community. Leave with a resource list and the motivation to begin executing a plan that is right for your business to capture, retain and market your target customers.	Beth Johnston Beth Johnston's unquenchable thirst for tea began with a delicious cup of Mango Ceylon while on her honeymoon in 1998. Shortly thereafter, she discovered her passion for tea and founded Teas Etc., a leading supplier of award winning, direct trade teas. Her extensive travels have afforded her the opportunity to evaluate tea with some of the world's masters. In a defining moment, Teas Etc. became the ONLY female-owned company to win in the 2008 World Tea Championship hot tea category. They continued their success in 2009, 2010 and 2011, capturing multiple awards. The company's success is driven by Beth's creative, high-energy business style and an unwavering commitment to customers and quality. With office/showrooms in China, South Florida and Atlanta's AmericasMart, Teas Etc has grown from a one woman, garage-based operation to a USDA Certified Organic Processor that supplies retailers and wholesalers with premium quality bulk, prepackaged and private label tea products around the globe.
12:15 pm-1:15 pm	Lunch
1:15 pm-2:15 pm	Basic Legal for Tea Room Owners Tax IDs, resale certificates, local DBAs, inspections from the health department to the fire department, labeling requirements, employment laws, trademark and copyright – the list goes on and on. Even the most knowledgeable tea professional realizes that starting and growing a tea business requires more than just knowing proper temperatures and steep times. This class provides the attendee with a step-by-step guide through the legal maze, and with detailed information on who to contact for State-specific information.	Kristen Schneider With experience opening and running a brick-and-mortar tea room as well as launching an internet tea business, Kristen Schneider understands the challenges facing business owners today. Building and maintaining strong foundations is vital to any business, but the requirements in the United States can be confusing. As both a consultant and licensed attorney, Kristen strives to put everything in easy to follow language. Kristen holds a law degree from the University of Texas, School of Law, where her specialties included products liability and medical malpractice. As a Senior Adjunct Professor, she taught law classes for 13 years before entering the tea industry. Kristen is a publisher author, and a frequent speaker on both tea and legal issues.
2:15 pm-2:30 pm	Break
2:30 pm-3:30 pm	What Do I Charge Setting your retail prices is one of the most critical decisions you make. And unfortunately most people use the W.A.G. method to do this (Wild Assed Guess). In this session Bill Waddington will teach a system for determining the best individual pricing structure for your particular operation. All participants will receive an Excel spreadsheet, written specifically for the retail tea business, that they can customize and use in their own operations.	Bill Waddington Bill Waddington is the founder of TeaSource, a wholesale and retail specialty tea company. As such he imports and blends some of the finest teas from around the world. TeaSource is a 15 year old company with hundreds of wholesale customers all across North America. Bill’s mission is simple: to find the best teas in the world, and then to make them available and help Americans learn to appreciate them. Bill is also a huge advocate for the specialty tea business. He believes education and outreach efforts are essential to succeed in the specialty tea business. Bill is a frequent quest on the National Public Radio show, The Splendid Table. Bill has served on the Board of Directors of the American Premium Tea Institute, was the Chairman of the 2004 Specialty Tea Institute Symposium, and was the keynote speaker at the China International Tea Expo, Beijing Oct. 2005.
3:30 pm-3:45 pm	Tea Break
3:45 pm-4:45 pm	Tea 101 - Intro for World Origin Tasting Tour Participants will learn about the tea plant and how its leaves and leaf buds are made into black, green, oolong, white, pu-erh and flavored teas. With a wide variety of photographs and short pieces of film, the class will explain how the different types of teas are manufactured.	Jane Pettigrew In 1983, with two friends, Jane opened and ran Tea-Time, an art deco style teashop in southwest London. Since those busy but fun days, she has written 12 books on various aspects of the beverage, its manufacture, associated table wares, rituals, history and recipes. Over the years, she has also worked as editor of Tea International, as Managing Director of St James's Teas and as consultant and trainer to The UK Tea Council. She regularly trains staff at some of London's most important five star hotels including the Dorchester, Grosvenor House, the Waldorf, Browns and The Savoy and runs monthly Tea Masterclasses for anyone who wants to know more about tea in order to enhance their business or personal life. Jane speaks at conferences and events around the world and appears regularly on television and radio.
4:45 pm-5:00 pm	Break
5:00 pm-6:00 pm	Business Plan Round Table Every business needs a business plan. A representative from the Small Business Development Center will help you evaluate your current business plan or help you get started on a new business plan. To prepare for this session all New Business Boot Camp participants will receive a copy of “The One Page Business Plan” by Jim Horan. Bring your plan and your questions to this session.
6:00 pm-7:00 pm	NBBC Networking Reception


Thursday, May 31

8:00 am-5:00 pm	World Origin Tasting Tour Attention passengers please take your seats and buckle your seat belts for an unbelievable day trip around the world of tea. This full day session (taken as a standalone or as Day 2 of New Business Boot Camp) is a highly interactive, educational, and entertaining program of the tastes and cultures of the most important growing regions in the world. Once we land at each destination, an expert tour guide will lead us on a journey through their country, showcasing the beauty of the places our beloved beverage comes from. At each destination, we will sample between several teas giving you a solid understanding of the flavors and fragrances of each origin. But don’t get too immersed as we will be back on the plane many times as we visit 8 major origins throughout the day. Lunch is included with this program. Be sure to arrive with an open mind and an empty bladder.
5:45 pm-6:30 pm	NBBC Graduation

Click Here for Full Session Descriptions

New Business Boot Camp Registration also includes:

Admission to the Expo
20% Discount (in addition to applicable discounts) on Expo Educational Core Conference Sessions when registering for four or more.