Coffee and business have long been partners and will likely continue to be. Even if your business isn’t directly in the coffee industry, there is a high probability that it plays a significant role in your operations. From providing a boost of energy during meetings to fostering a social environment in the office, coffee is a versatile tool that can enhance productivity and employee satisfaction in many different ways.
Actively appreciating the power of coffee and what it can do for your business means you can delve into the possibilities of what you can achieve. For instance, a well-stocked coffee bar can serve as a social hub, fostering team bonding and collaboration. It can also provide a much-needed energy boost during long meetings or late-night work sessions, improving focus and productivity. All thanks to the humble cup of java.
So, instead of thinking of coffee as a mere morning drink that wakes up the brain cells or helps to keep you moving long past when you should have called it a day, start looking at everything coffee can do for you and your employees.
Improve Flexible Working
Let’s have a look at the coffee culture in the UK. Around 25% of Brits work remotely from a coffee shop at least once per month, and chances are if you head out to your local coffee shop that has internet access, there will be at least two people working there unless it’s actively discouraged. But what exactly does this mean for your business?
It means you can see how productive people are when working from coffee shops and integrate a more relaxed and flexible working style within your office. Even if you can’t allow for remote working or you just have people who prefer to be in the office, you can create a more casual setting for those who work well in this environment to thrive. You can set up a room that has more relaxed seating options and music and set up your barista bar with the best coffee machine you can buy so people can recreate that coffee shop working environment within the office so they don’t need to spend copious amounts of money on takeout coffee each week.
Allowing people to use this as and when they wish can facilitate a healthier workplace culture and a more productive working environment for those who thrive in this kind of setting.
Improved Employee Culture
Instead of a mere member of staff making the rounds and bringing everyone hot drinks made from instant coffee and a kettle that can handle making more than 3 drinks at once, imagine a dedicated coffee area where people can grab their morning or even late-night cuppa on the premises and enjoy it with their coworkers. This setup not only provides a convenient way to enjoy a cup of coffee but also fosters a sense of community and connection among your team.
The more chances people get to enjoy a low-pressure environment at work, the easier it will be for them to make meaningful connections with their colleagues and boost their relationships and communication skills. Plus, it can be a handy space to hold less formal meetings, team-building events, catch-ups, workplace socials, and more. If you feel you need to improve your workplace culture, then why not look at the end fits of adding a dedicated coffee section to your workplace and see how it can help boost your culture (ps don’t forget the decaff coffee and teabags for non-coffee drinkers: it is the UK after all, and your milk varieties too).
Improved Customer Relations
This might not work for all businesses; however, if you host clients or have people coming in for meetings, etc., having your own mini coffee shop or a really good coffee machine can be instantly appealing. Cast your mind back to a place where you went out and were offered a coffee; what did you think of the coffee and the business providing the coffee? If it was bad coffee, did it leave a sour taste in your mouth in more ways than one, and if you enjoyed the coffee, did that one drink make you more open to doing business and put you in a better mood?
For both coffee and tea drinkers, there is nothing worse than having a disappointing drink, especially one you’ve been looking forward to. If your clients are let down before their meeting starts with a bad cup of coffee, then it might play into pre-existing ideas about you or start things off on the wrong foot.
Plus, having a staff area that has all the amenities for them to help themselves and not shying away from offering the good stuff, such as a high-quality coffee machine, will make them wonder what else you pull out the stops for. This will happen even if they opt for a glass of water.
Improves Employee Health
Scientifically, coffee has been proven to be beneficial to health. It’s important to note that what makes coffee unhealthy is what is added to it. However, black coffee has many properties that can boost health, making it a potential tool for promoting a healthier workforce.
What’s more, is that coffee drinkers live longer than non-coffee drinkers thanks to the many health benefits of coffee.
Many studies have been done on how our bodies react to coffee, and scientists have found there is evidence of the following;
- Coffee has antioxidants
- Can protect against cancer
- It can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes
- It can boost energy
- Coffee can support brain health and improve memory
- Coffee can promote weight management
In addition, coffee can help people get going in the morning or evening if they’re working overnight and can put them in a happier mood, thus impacting how they approach their work and how they’re able and willing to carry it out during their shift.
If you want to help your employees live happier, healthier lives, coffee along with other effective health measures, such as encouraging more activity throughout the day, taking regular breaks, having more nutritious foods on offer, and increasing movement during the day, can be a great way to do so. If they are happy thanks to the excellent coffee you supply, your customers will be satisfied due to their abilities, and more likely, staff will perform well for you.
Excellent Promotion Materials
The coffee culture in the UK is thriving, evident from the sheer number of coffee shops and chains popping up everywhere. If you operate in a commercial area or business-focused location, you likely have a higher number of coffee-based outlets than other places, providing ample opportunities for your brand to be seen and associated with the coffee culture.
Even if you don’t sell coffee to drink on or off the premises, you can still use coffee to help you boost your marketing offerings easily.
Let’s say you’re heading out to a local market or convention, and you want to give out promotional goods; then you can add your branding to coffee cups both for use in the home and travel cups; you can have branded drinkware and even branded bags of coffee beans too if you wish. You can you offer stickers to place on travel mugs or devices or even laptop bags for remote workers so that when they frequent a coffee shop to work, they take your item, thus increasing exposure to your brand. You can even count workplace branded uniforms in this if your staff head out to coffee establishments on their breaks in their uniform.
In-House Coffee Saves Money
By investing in your own coffee machine or barista bar in your staff area, you can actually save money. Honestly, if you have a thriving coffee culture in your office, how long do people take to get and drink their coffee? What time does it take from their working day, and how much does it cost you to pay for coffee for meetings or staff if this is a perk you offer? The cost of coffee culture can add up in many different ways and impact your productivity and profitability.
By bringing in good-quality coffee beans or using coffee machines for staff to use, you can drastically reduce the amount of time spent out of the office looking for and waiting for coffee to be made and the amount you pay out on takeout coffee, especially if you do this frequently, at an average of £4 to £5 per cup depending on where you are and where you buy your coffee from.
Coffee can have many benefits for many people the world over, and far from being a humble hot drink, it can be a valuable resource.
For many businesses, coffee has long played an essential role in its success, built intrusively into the office culture, and is as commonplace as meetings, boardrooms and artificial lighting in offices. Harnessing the power of good coffee and using it to your benefit in business can be an excellent strategic decision that can pay off in various ways. Investing in a high-quality coffee machine and offering good coffee to those who want it when they want it can allow you to elevate your brand and reap the rewards.