Coffee Blue’s Premier Mobile Coffee Comes To Watford
Coffee Blue has launched a brand new mobile coffee van in the Watford area.
Franchisee, Binita, brings decades of experience in fashion merchandising, so we have no doubts her van will look absolutely amazing!
We sat down with Binita when she was at Coffee Blue HQ for training to discuss her background, reasons for franchising and hopes for the future.
If you’re looking to contact Binita about her services, CLICK HERE to book Coffee Blue Watford today.
To keep up with the latest news on Coffee Blue Watford, such as menu changes, offers and where you can find Binita in the week, be sure to follow them on Facebook.
With further ado, here’s our chat with Watford’s newest and best mobile coffee service:
Tell us a bit about yourself
My name is Binita, I’m married with a family of two children – both are teenagers and one’s going to be 18 in a couple of months’ time.
What sort of jobs have you had previously
I’ve worked in merchandising pretty much since I left University 24 years ago.
Mainly, I’ve worked with fashion companies, and my job as a merchandising manager was to act as an accountant or budgeting person.
I managed the money and put together a strategy on where is best to spend our money to create the highest amount of sales and be the most profitable.
So, my job was to work with designers and buyers and think logically of what sells the most and when it’s best to sell it.
In a nutshell: my job was to establish which products are best to sell, when the best time to sell them is and what price is best for them. And I’ve done this for some sizeable fashion brands throughout the years.
What do you like to get up to in your spare time?
I love to cook, I love feeding family and friends. Honestly, that’s what I was doing for all of lockdown. I’ve literally been cooking for my friends and taking food to them because I can’t eat it all.
It’s a bit boring, but I really enjoy cooking Indian food. Even though you know how to cook a chicken curry, there’s so many ways you can cook a proper Indian curry.
What made you want to start your own franchise?
I loved working in merchandising. But the higher up you get, the more pressure comes with it.
Becoming my own boss and starting a franchise allows me to create a good work/life balance. With my old role, the days were long, the hours were unsociable and it was really challenging.
I just felt like a change, so I wasn’t working weekends or being chained to a desk all day.
It wasn’t sustainable. And starting my own business gives me so much freedom because it can be whatever I choose to make it.
Why Coffee Blue?
I liked the fact that it was a growing company on an upwards trajectory. Growing alongside Coffee Blue as a franchise is something I look forward to.
I didn’t want to join a franchise and be thought of as just another franchisee. If I joined another business with 100+ franchisees it would be easy for me to just get lost within those numbers.
I sat down with some of the other options on the market and discussed their opportunities in depth. But the thing that really sold Coffee Blue to me was the support network and one-to-one care they offer.
We came to a Discovery Day and got a really good feeling straight away. We met with Martin and Sean and we knew instantly it was right for us. We didn’t have that sort of connection with the other companies.
What’s the response been like from friends and family?
Shock. But only because it’s a risk, you know? I was in a very good job with a very good salary, private healthcare, all the perks, but I just wasn’t happy.
My family didn’t see it coming. They knew I was working all hours in a very stressful environment but they were gobsmacked.
From the outside, I had a good thing going and work was good. However, I just got to a point where I burnt out and didn’t want to be stressed all the time.
But the minute I explained my reasoning they were 100% behind me.
What advice would you give those interested in joining Coffee Blue?
Give Martin a call, have a chat and just do it. Simple as that.
What’s your favourite coffee to make and drink?
My favourite coffee to drink is cappuccino. To drink, a latte because it’s the one I get right the most. I HATE to make flat-whites.
What are your hopes for the future?
I definitely want this to grow. The sky’s the limit. Perhaps maybe five vans at some point but I think it’s a great market with lots of opportunities to grow.
Especially in a market where high streets are becoming less busy – we don’t have that problem. We simply go where the people go.
It’s definitely proven to be pandemic-proof, at least.
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