Milk Tea is a popular beverage that many Filipinos love to drink. Since Taiwan introduced this popular (and most of the time addicting) beverage craze, putting up your own milk tea business is one of the most popular business ventures that MSMEs would like to enter.
Although creating your Milk Tea might seem like a chore, through proper training and guidance from experienced milk tea business owners, you are sure to earn a lot in this venture. Here’s how you can open your own.
Start Small
Like any other business, let’s start small. Some popular milk tea shops began with just a small stall, then expanded to a bigger place and even had separate branches. It is up to you if you want to make your own milk tea brand or get a franchise from an already famous name.
If you want to be unique and have complete control over your capital, spending, earnings, and on, then you must create your own milk tea brand.
Research on Your Milk Tea Flavors
There are wide varieties of Milk Tea to the point that it’s up to your creativity to make it unique and stand out from the rest. If you are interested in making your own milk tea shop, then you must research the flavors you want to add to your menu. You can start with the basic ones like Chocolate, Wintermelon, Taro, etc. Then experiment with other flavor combinations that no one has thought of yet, but are very delicious.
Aside from thinking about the possible flavor combinations you will add to your menu, you can also check on the nutritional value of the fruits and flavors you plan to place in your milk tea menu.
Find a Small But Ideal Location To Start
As we mentioned earlier, having a small location is suitable for starting a milk tea business. Although we are aiming for something simple for now, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t place it in a good location. Take time to go around your town or city for an ideal location where you want your milk tea stall to be placed.
It’s recommended to be in a place with a lot of foot traffic or near key locations like schools, colleges, universities, malls, parks, office buildings, etc.
Think of a Theme
Now that you have thought of your flavors for your milk tea and found a place for your milk tea place, it’s time to think of a theme for your milk tea shop. Take note that milk tea shops, for many people, are sort of like a safe haven or a place to relax and unwind with friends, so we advise that you choose relaxing or cool colors for the central color theme of your establishment. If you’re having trouble, you can ask for a second opinion from someone you trust, like an interior designer.
Get a Catchy Name
Now that you have a theme, it’s time to give your milk tea shop a catchy name! it should be a name that people would remember directly and avoid very long and complicated names. It’s also important to note that the name of your milk tea shop matches your theme and the menu.
Add Dishes and Desserts to the Menu
Although this one is optional, it would be nice for your small milk tea place to serve small snacks and dishes so that your customers wouldn’t have to go somewhere for a bite. You can start on simple ones like sandwiches or French Fries or serve delicious desserts like cake and ice cream.
You can collaborate or consign with another food seller so that you can put their treats on your menu. This method saves you time to prepare and effort when you officially open.
Get All The Needed Paperwork
When you have finally set up all the basic stuff for your milk tea shop, it’s time to register your business name and get your business permit. Some government offices (depending on your location) also allow online registration, and approval may take some time. You can contact your City Hall for the needed business permit requirements.
Start Up Your Social Media
Once you have all the basic things above in place, it’s time to kickstart your social media. Filipinos use Facebook and Instagram a lot regarding food and beverage, so you can start making your business’ official social media pages from here. The content, colors, and theme of your page and posts should also be similar to your physical store’s.
Connect with a Reliable MSME Community
We should continually be updated on the current trends of the MSME industry. This is why we are encouraging entrepreneurs to register at the SBN Philippines community, where regular talk sessions from experts are always happening. It is a great space to share your concerns and ideas with other MSME business owners in the country. Join us today!
