It has been quite a busy time for the last few months since I have come back from Buenos Aires. I have been recruiting and training new staff and volunteers for the cafe, planning for the SOG launch event and fundraiser (19th September, tickets under “events” on this website), negotiating with our cafe suppliers (coffee, milk etc), developing a real website, and running the cafe.

It seems that I have neglected the blog during this time. What I have to remember is that involving people in the process is just as important as the process itself. So, I’m going to stop using my work as an excuse and get a bit more active in writing the blog! So here is me, getting back into the swing of blog writing. This is what has been going on…

What I have had a little difficulty with is the negotiating with our cafe suppliers. Trying to get them to offer us a better deal on the product that they supply to us so we can make more profit to fund the projects in underprivileged communities in South America. I may have said it before but I am not a business man. I have enjoyed having a business that makes nice coffee, provides a relaxing, comfortable atmosphere, and makes enough money for me to live, that’s it! But now we have a business that has to try and make as much profit as possible. This almost goes against all that I stand for. I understand that business has to make profit but when it becomes the highest priority of a business is when I have a problem.

Making profit is not the highest priority for us but it is high on the list now that all of our profits will be going towards the project in Argentina. So, approaching suppliers to convince them to give us a better deal so we can make more profit is a difficult bridge for me to cross! We obviously have a good reason for doing so but it is not in everyone’s business plan to give out cheap or free product! So I have to take off the “no worries, care free hat”, and replace it with the “business man, profit making hat”.

Wish me luck….you’ll be hearing from me shortly.