1. Executive summary
- Business name: Forty Days Coffee Co.
- Website / brand domain: fortydayscco.com
- Business model: Dropshipping of specialty coffee.
- Target customers (who you sell to, briefly): Selling to the public with emphasis on faith-based people and organizations.
- Unique value (what makes this different from other online coffee stores): Access to premium, short-rich, freshly roasted coffee, crafting the best coffee with a short shipping turnaround, and having an ethical nature, which is paramount
- Revenue model: one-time orders, subscriptions, bundles, etc.
- Funding needed (if any) and how it will be used: Funding will be done privately.
- Key 12‑month goals (revenue, customer count, email list size, etc.): Looking to have 15 – 25 recurring customers along with 50 or more one-time customers and projecting to have over 100 emails for our email list.
2. Company overview
- Mission statement (1–2 sentences about why this coffee brand exists):
- Vision (what the brand should look like in 3–5 years):
- Legal structure (sole prop, LLC, corporation) and state:
- Owner(s) and roles:
- Location of management (home office, co-working, etc.):
- Dropship suppliers (names, locations, what they provide):
- E‑commerce platform and key tools (Shopify/WooCommerce, email platform, ad platforms, etc.):
3. Market analysis
Industry & trends
- Size and growth of online coffee / specialty coffee market (1–3 key stats).
- Relevant trends you plan to tap (e.g., specialty roast, flavored coffee, eco-packaging, low-acid, functional coffee with mushrooms, etc.):
Target customer
Describe main customer segment(s):
- Demographics (age, income, location):
- Psychographics (values, interests, lifestyles: e.g., coffee nerds, busy professionals, fitness-oriented, etc.):
- Needs/pain points (e.g., wants better tasting coffee than grocery store, wants convenient subscriptions, wants ethical sourcing):
Competitor analysis
For 3–5 main competitors (other online coffee or coffee dropship brands):
- Competitor name & URL:
- Products and price range:
- Strengths:
- Weaknesses or gaps:
- Your advantage vs this competitor (brand story, niche, bundles, pricing, content, etc.):
4. Products and services
- Product categories (e.g., whole bean, ground, pods, instant, ready-to-drink, accessories):
- Coffee positioning (specialty, gourmet, organic, flavored, single-origin, private label):
- SKUs at launch (list key products, roast profiles, bag sizes, flavor notes):
- Packaging / branding (bag design, eco claims, labels, custom branding from supplier, etc.):
- Add‑ons & upsells (mugs, grinders, samplers, gift boxes, subscriptions, bundles):
- Service level (shipping speeds, return policy, satisfaction guarantee):
5. Operations and suppliers
Dropship model
- Fulfillment flow (customer orders on your site → order routing to supplier → picking, roasting, packing → shipment to customer):
- Average production / handling times from supplier:
- Shipping methods and carriers used:
- Countries/regions served at launch:
Supplier details
For each key supplier:
- Name and location:
- Products they fulfill:
- Branding options (white label, private label, your custom bags vs their brand):
- Pricing terms, MOQ (if any), and payment terms:
- Quality controls (cupping standards, certifications like Fair Trade, organic, etc.):
Internal operations
- Who handles: product listing, pricing, marketing, customer support, supplier relationship, bookkeeping.
- Tools/automation: order routing app, inventory sync, tracking updates, email automation, subscription app, review app.
- Key processes: order processing SOP, customer service SOP (refunds, damaged goods, subscription changes), supplier performance review schedule.
6. Marketing and sales strategy
Brand positioning
- Brand story (short):
- Brand voice (serious, playful, premium, scientific, etc.):
- Core message/tagline:
Customer acquisition
Channels you will use:
- Organic:
- Paid:
- Meta/Instagram ads (what offers: sampler kits, first-bag discount, subscription trial).
- Google Shopping / search ads for specific keywords (e.g., “low acid coffee,” “flavored coffee gift box”).
- Partnerships:
- Influencers / creators in coffee, cooking, fitness, productivity.
- Corporate gifting, offices, co‑working spaces.
Conversion and retention
- Website experience (product pages, reviews, bundles, FAQ, trust badges).
- Offers (free shipping threshold, bundles, first‑order discount, sampler pack).
- Retention:
- Subscription program (discount, free shipping, members-only blends).
- Email/SMS flows (welcome series, abandoned cart, post‑purchase education, reorder reminders).
- Loyalty / referral program.
7. Business model and pricing
- Pricing strategy (premium vs value, margin targets by product type).
- Wholesale or B2B options (offices, gift shops, gyms, etc.):
- Subscription model (options for frequency, bag size, grind type, flavors; discount vs one‑time orders).
- Key revenue streams:
- One‑time online sales
- Subscriptions
- Gift bundles / seasonal drops
- Wholesale / corporate orders
Include a simple unit economics section for a typical bag:
- Supplier cost per unit:
- Shipping & packaging cost (average):
- Platform/processing fees (%):
- Your selling price:
- Gross profit per unit and % margin:
8. Financial plan
Startup costs
List one-time startup and first‑month costs:
- Branding and design (logo, labels, site theme):
- Website and apps:
- Initial marketing budget (ads, content, influencer seeding):
- Legal, licenses, accounting setup:
- Sample products and test orders:
Monthly operating expenses
- Apps and software (e‑commerce platform, email/SMS, etc.):
- Advertising budget:
- Contractor or staff costs (VAs, designers, etc.):
- Professional services (bookkeeper, accountant):
- Miscellaneous (domains, SaaS, insurance):
Projections (12–24 months)
Create a simple forecast:
- Assumed traffic per month and growth rate.
- Conversion rate (storewide).
- Average order value (AOV).
- Monthly order volume.
- Revenue by month.
- Cost of goods sold (COGS), ad spend, and operating expenses.
- Net profit or loss each month and break‑even point.
9. Risk analysis
- Key risks (supplier reliability, shipping delays, ad costs rising, competition, chargebacks).
- Mitigations (multiple suppliers, clear shipping promises, strong QC and refund policies, diversification of traffic sources, email list focus).
- Legal/compliance considerations (terms of service, privacy policy, tax collection, food labeling handled by supplier, etc.):
10. Implementation roadmap
Lay out a simple 90‑day plan:
- Days 1–30:
- Finalize niche and positioning.
- Lock in suppliers and sample products.
- Set up brand, domain, logo, and basic store.
- Days 31–60:
- Build product catalog, bundles, and subscriptions.
- Create core email flows and basic content.
- Soft launch with friends, family, and small ad tests.
- Days 61–90:
- Optimize based on data (pricing, offers, creatives).
- Launch ongoing content strategy and scale winning ad sets.
- Start building partnerships and B2B angles (office coffee, gift boxes).