We recently connected with Jason Simpson and have shared our conversation below.
Jason, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
After a successful 20+ career working for a rather well known coffee company I decided it was time to open my own coffee shop. Once I declared that was doing it then it was time I took action. The first step was putting structure in place to keep me moving forward. I set up weekly connections with a life coach, who was also a longtime mentor of mine. We would discuss ideas, my successes and failures, and commitments for the week. I also used project management tools to put things into existence. This was important not only to create tasks but to capture all the work I was completing. The to-do list often seemed daunting and having a place to store all the completed items was important for my self-esteem. I also used my local Small Business Development Center. (SBDC). They helped me with some fundamentals including affordable access to business plan software. I spent a lot of time creating my business plan. From my vision to forecasted financials, I found the process vital to opening my business. The SBDC also helped me explore funding options. One of the most time consuming tasks was the finding a location. In addition to a real estate company, I did a lot of research on my own before finally finding the perfect location in downtown Oceanside. From there I partnered with an architect to create the space and then hired a construction company to build it out. It took over 2 years from idea to open. It was an amazing experience filled with highs and lows and tremendous learnings.
Jason, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My coffee career started in 1996 after I graduated from college. I loved coffee and had the opportunity to join Starbucks in a management role. They were pretty small still in San Diego at that time. I had a well rounded experience in my 20 years working there. I started in store management and then went on to roles in training, district operations and also worked in coffee and tea engagement in Seattle. I got to experience coffee across the supply chain from farm to customer. It was rewarding and definitely gave me the confidence to open my own business. I am grateful for my time there. During my time working in the coffee department in Seattle, I was curious to the world of coffee beyond what I knew. I began to explore many of the small mom and pop shops around the city and beyond. I had so many amazing experiences, my passion for coffee continue to grow.
I attended my first Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) event in Atlanta in 2009. This experience changed my life. It was the first time I experienced barista competitions where the best baristas in the US and world battled it out. I met so many amazing, coffee loving people. It was a true community. I had the opportunity to attend a few other SCA events over the years, each reminding me how much I love coffee and coffee people.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
My initial goal was to fund my business with my own money. I had taken advantage of all the investment opportunities during my career at Starbucks (thanks Dad!) so I had a grip of stock options. Unfortunately, the cost to build the shop was significantly more than I originally budgeted. The increased cost was driven by plumbing, electrical and mechanical. The space was a blank slate and we had to put in everything. Once I came to grips with how much more money this project was going to require I realized I needed external funding. I had great credit but since the business was new, no traditional banks were interested in funding me as they required a minimum of 2 years of business results. I leverage resources through the Small Business Development Center and obtained funding through a SBA affiliate. Their loan along with my own funding allowed me the financial resources to get the shop opened.
We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.
My business partner is my were-wife Aurelia. She knew that I would open my own coffee shop well before I did. She is also much more of a risk taker than I am. She manages all of our social media while working a full time job. For the first couple of years she worked in the shop on Saturday so I could have a day off. She continues to work at the shop on occasion but mainly works with me on strategy and planning.
Contact Info:
- Website: Campcoffeecompany.com
- Instagram: Wearecampcoffee
- Facebook: Wearecampcoffee
Image Credits
Will Lefevre