2009 proved to be a growing year for us… we started out using vacuum sealed bags and mid-year changed over to packing our coffee with heat-sealed kraft bags. We also upgraded our roasting and packing equipment as well as introduced our new logo and branding during the summer. This past fall, we launched an updated Web site, allowing our customers to create accounts and track their shipments / view their previous order history. We also added more coffee subscription options (we kept the 3, 6 or 12 month options but in addition to our two bags every two weeks option, created ‘light’ versions – 1 bag every two weeks). We also expanded our business last year by branching out into the wholesale segment, offering fresh roasted coffee to coffee shops, restaurants and small businesses.
Growing years aren’t bad. In business, it’s important to implement the right systems to put yourself in a position to scale and expand. I’m really excited about what’s in store for Weekly Roast in 2010. Every week more customers try us out and experience the taste of fresh roasted coffee. Word of mouth was crazy for us in 2009. So many people tried us out on the recommendation of their friends. It’s always fun getting an email from new customers trying our coffee and telling us how they found out about us. We continue to meet and connect with interesting people on Twitter and Facebook.
On a personal level, my son turned 1 in October. He just started walking during Christmas, and each day since he has been taking more steps than before. He’s been saying ‘dada’ for quite a while now, but has just recently added ‘mama’, ‘hi’, ‘cheese’ and ‘ho ho ho’ (our favorite during Christmas) to his repertoire. In May, I (Ken) graduated with my MBA from UCF. In December, my wife, Melissa, also graduated from UCF, with her Masters in Accounting (good thing, she’s our accountant!). This last year of study, especially juggling priorities and with a baby, really stretched us. We’re so glad to be done!
You know, I really love what I do at Weekly Roast. I think that’s important to win in business… to be successful, you have to be passionate about what you do day in and day out, otherwise you probably won’t last too long. I hope my passion for coffee has come through in my blog posts and tweets during the past year, here’s to many more in 2010.
Lastly, a big THANK YOU for all of our retail and wholesale customers. We love reading your emails, blog posts and tweets about our coffee. While we’re excited about our continued growth, we’re so proud that about 75% of our business is repeat business. That tells me you enjoy our carefully selected coffees and appreciate what we stand for… thank you for your business and for allowing us to share our passion for coffee with you.
May God bless you in 2010!
Ken @ Weekly Roast
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