Young Entrepreneur Looks For Dream In Her Coffee

By RHONDA ABRAMS
Gannett News Service



Like millions of Americans, Heather Mantione dreamed of owning her own business. The 9-to-5 grind wasn't for her, and she was itching to be her own boss.


But like other would-be entrepreneurs, Heather faced many obstacles. She had little money, had to work full time to support herself, and her dream business was a tough one, a coffeehouse, in a tough city -- New York.


But on Oct. 8, Heather's dream came true. She opened the doors of her coffeehouse, the Blue Spoon Coffee Co., in the Tribeca area of Manhattan. Oh yes, did I mention another challenge facing Heather? She's only 26 years old.


Heather represents a new but growing breed of American entrepreneur -- the young business owner. When I started my business in 1986, the best students yearned to work for large corporations. Now they want to be entrepreneurs.


But how did Heather get the money to open a coffeehouse in New York?


"My parents took out a home equity loan," Heather explained. "They have a lot of faith in me. They're amazing people."


Marge and Charles Mantione have owned their own business, so they understand Heather's entrepreneurial drive. But they're of modest means, and the Blue Spoon Coffee Co. is a huge risk for them. Heather's staff for the time being is her brothers, who have temporarily moved from Florida. The whole family is behind her.


Heather has been involved with coffee for years. "I love coffee; I love going to a coffee shop; I love the local art on the wall and the music. It's kind of like your second home."


But loving your product isn't enough.


Heather did her homework. She developed her business over many years and wrote a thorough business plan. She took a class on how to open a coffee shop and conferred with the Small Business Administration.


"Writing a business plan was really important," Heather said. "It makes you focus . . . know what you have to do."


Heather also received help from a source many entrepreneurs overlook -- suppliers. "I've been working really closely with the company that I'm buying coffee from -- Intelligentsia. They've been supportive, guided me."


One of Heather's biggest challenges was finding the right location, especially for a business dependent on walk-in traffic.


"New York is a hard market," Heather said. "Rents are so high, and landlords don't want to look at you if you don't already have a business . . . Being young, in the beginning, people didn't take me seriously. But once they got to know me, they realized I did my research."


After months of searching, Heather found a spot across from a university. She's advertising in the school's newspaper and other newspapers serving the area.


Even with all that planning, Heather was surprised by how complicated opening a business could be. "There are so many details. Everything from your garbage cans to paint color to ordering supplies to getting permits -- everything you need to stay on top of."


Finally, after years of planning, dreaming and working, the doors to Heather's business are now open.


"It's more difficult than I thought it would be," an exhausted Heather told me after day four. "I thought just by opening my door, people would come in, but it's really hard to change people's habits. It was tough to sit in the shop and see people walk by with Dunkin' Donuts."


"Making only $130 the first day was really difficult. What if I fail? How am I going to repay all this money? . . . But every day is better than the one before. I made more money today than yesterday, and we gave away free coffee during the morning rush. We already have repeat customers, which is awesome."


If she's successful, what's next for this young entrepreneur? "Well, maybe down the road I'd like to open a few other shops. But right now, I'd like to get to know the neighborhood, the people who come in. I want to serve really good coffee in a great atmosphere . . . I'm at a crossroads in my life; anything can happen."


Over the next year, I'll keep tabs on Heather Mantione and the Blue Spoon Coffee Co.'s progress and let you know how one of America's newest entrepreneurs fares. Let's all wish her luck!


Rhonda Abrams writes Tuesdays about msall business. Her newest book, "Business Plan In A Day,' has just been published. She is president of The Planning Shop, publisher of books for entrepreneurs. Register for Rhonda's free business newsletter at www.PlanningShop.com.

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