A huge percentage of Americans enjoy taking coffee and this is why the coffee shop business has become quite lucrative. Many potential entrepreneurs are now venturing in the niche market, but there are some who are stuck mainly because they do not know how to open a coffee shop business since they lack the essential tips required. The first thing that you will need in order to turn this dream into a reality is a business plan. This means that you will be required to establish how much the business will cost in terms of inventory, start-up expenses, equipment, and employee wages and where you will get the funds to get it started as well. Any other extra costs that will be incurred along the way should also be incorporated in the budget of your business plan. The next step that you will be required to undertake when you want to learn how to open a coffee shop business is research. You will need to acquire all the necessary information with regards to the permits and licenses that are required in order for the business to operate legitimately. These normally include: Health department, city licenses, building permits and even state licenses. When addressing the issue of how to open a coffee shop business, you should ensure that you have identified the target market which you will be serving. It is significant to be familiar with the demographics of the area in which you want to open the coffee shop because this is information that can be used well to benefit you. The menu, theme and interior décor that you choose must be appropriate for the location since it will allow you to maximize sales hence make more profit. The next thing that you should do when you are still wondering how to open a coffee shop business is to locate the suppliers of the inventory that you will require. The inventory that will be needed will mostly include: Espresso beans, milk, cups, coffee syrups, dishes, coffee flavors, napkins, straws, food products and other things that are essential in the business. When you are in this step, it is wise to compare the different prices and quality of products that the different suppliers have so that you may be able to get the best available deal. Lastly, you should also gauge the market well in order to learn more about the factors that are affecting it e.g. competition.