Small Business Trends: Awards… That Aren’t, Really

Yay for us!

Twice in the past two weeks, we have been “honored” with small business “awards”.

One was for having an excellent blog.  Among the “Top 30″ coffee blogs, in fact, according to the award givers.  I mean, wow, I do work hard at the blog, but knock me over with a feather, right?

Not so fast.  In order to “claim” my award, I needed to agree to a link exchange, i.e., I post a link to their site on mine, in exchange for… what, exactly?  Maybe a link from their site?  A well written survey of all the coffee blogs out there?  No, not so much.  Turns out their site is basically just “Pimp my MBA Program”, an extraordinarily shallow promotion of MBA programs around the world.  Their site doesn’t even mention coffee.  Or blogs.  And if I didn’t agree to a link exchange within a short period of time, well, they were going to have to give my award to somebody else.  Somebody who also had the #8 coffee blog, apparently.  Man, I haven’t felt that deflated since my kids gave me the “#1 Dad” hat and I realized somebody else had one just like it.

Then yesterday, we learned that we had also been recognized with a prestigious customer service award.  Yeah man.  We do work hard at customer service.  All we had to do to claim our award was to purchase a small plaque.  For $195.  Plus $18 shipping.  Seriously?

First of all, shame on these idiots.  This is really the most productive use of your time – cooking up bogus “awards” to sell to small businesses desperate enough to decorate their walls with worthless business bling?  When your momma asks you what you do for a living, this is what you want to tell her?  “Gee, Momma, I make up phony awards to sell to fools that think they can trick people into believing they do a good job and lots of folks like them.”  Yeah, that’ll make her proud.

And shame on any business that propagates this sham.  Next time you see a small business displaying a seemingly prestigious “award”, maybe you should ask what they did to earn it.  And whether it came without strings attached.

As for us, we’ll just keep on blogging, and serving customers.  Because our award is the feedback we get from you.  Thanks, and keep it coming!

http://www.muddydogcoffee.com

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Can You Find The Clunker? You Tell Me.

Somebody is going to have to explain this one to me.

The "Old Jalopy", our 1997 GMC 1500 4WD. We use this truck exclusively for the business now. The government says shes gets 12 MPG. Seems about right.

On Friday, I finally started thinking that maybe I should take advantage of this Cash for Clunkers thing.  Usually I stand on principle with this type of thing, and let my pride get in the way of me getting what other people will jump at.  I’ve thought and said that I think this clunker program is fiscal malfeasance at its finest.  But I’ve paid enough taxes over my working life.  Isn’t it about time I get something back for a change?  What the hell, people are getting $3500 and $4500 left and right, and I’ve paid for it whether I get any or not.  Almost seems like it’s my patriotic duty, to hear the media tell it.  And, I figured it could do my business some good.  Debbie has been regularly complaining about our company truck, which she affectionately calls “the Old Jalopy”.  Admittedly, the girl has seen better days (the Old Jalopy, not Debbie).

Being a guy that has always loved cars, I’m always thinking about which one might come next, so I knew exactly the call to make.  I have been eyeing up the Dodge Sprinter diesel for over a year now, and figured that would be the next business truck.  A nice Sprinter rings in at about $48,000 – while it’s not cheap, I consider it to be a prudent capital investment in my business, as the asset will have a useful life exceeding 10 years, probably closer to 15 years.  So on a per year basis, it’s actually not bad.  So I called my friendly, neighborhood Dodge dealer.  I figured this should be an easy conversation – the fuel economy of the Sprinter is 20.2 MPG.  As I called on my way home in the evening, I was thinking about having Debbie meet me at the dealership that evening to pick color and equipment, then maybe get some dinner.  I was certain I was going to be driving it home that night.

Here's the truck I want. Great economy for its size. And I like the red one. It would be perfect for our growing small business.

So imagine my surprise when the sales guy tells me, “sorry sir, this trade doesn’t qualify”.   “Are you telling me my Old Jalopy isn’t a clunker?”, I ask.  “Not on this trade it’s not”, he replied.

But there was good news, I was told!  I could trade my truck for another truck.  Not one that would do me any good for my business, mind you.  But I could get a brand, spankin’ new Chevy Colorado Crew Cab 4WD.  Nice truck, to be sure.  And check out the deal – with my clunker credit, rebates, etc., I could leave the dealership for about $18,000, I was told.

Here's the deal I was offered. Chevy Colorado. Nice truck. Too bad it's absolutely USELESS to me. And the fuel economy is WORSE than the Sprinter I wanted.

Yeah.  Too bad that truck does me NO GOOD WHATSOEVER.  It will not haul inventory and equipment in the quantities we need.  It will not have nearly the longevity of the Sprinter.  And it’s not as economical, especially if it were to be used as a work truck.  Anyone who actually USES a truck for work will tell you that light trucks don’t stand up to the demands of commercial use, and their mileage plummets when you put 2000 lbs in the back of them.

As I shook my head in amazement, it occurred to me that maybe, somehow, I had misunderstood the stated goal of the Clunker, er, CARS, program.  So I read the Rule, 49 CFR Parts 512 and 599, NHTSA Docket 2009-120.  Right from the rule, here’s what they say about the program: “The program helps consumers pay for a new, more fuel efficient car or truck from a participating dealer when they trade in a less fuel efficient car or truck.”  And the threshold for “more efficient” has been set at 5 MPG.  That all seems pretty straightforward to me.

So let’s see if I have this straight:

• I have a 12 year old SUV that gets 12 MPG
• I want to buy a $48,000 truck that gets 20.2 MPG.  I would buy it today with the $4500 incentive.
• The truck I want doesn’t qualify.  And no truck I can use qualifies, actually (I skipped that part of the story.  The short version is that when I had resigned myself to the fact the Sprinter wasn’t going to qualify, I started asking about 1/2 ton cargo vans with 6 cylinder engines. No “Category 2″ truck is eligible, I found out.)
• They do want to sell me a truck however.  I can walk away with one that gets 17 MPG (3.2 MPG less than the truck I want), and I can’t use, for $18,000.  The dealer will get $4500 for the trade from the government.

Is it just me, or is this insane?

I am now firmly convinced that this is just another welfare program.  The reason I don’t qualify is that I will make the required investments anyway.  There is no need to help small business owners.  When we need a new truck, we’ll buy one.  But it would have been nice to be able to have my tax dollars work for me.

So this is CHANGE, huh?  Looks like the same old stupidity to me.  And this from the same people who want to fix health care?  If they can’t do something simple well, can you imagine what a clusterf*ck something complicated will be?  I am certain we will all be wishing for the “good old days” of Blue Cross Blue Shield.

http://www.muddydogcoffee.com

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To Bulk, or not to Bulk, that is the question

We’ve had some inquiries lately, altercations even, over the topic of bulk packaging.  Or more to the point, bulk discounts.  I feel compelled to say a few words on the topic.

The essence of the question we get from retail customers is, “can I buy in bulk and save money?”  I promise that we are not insensitive to your need to manage your family’s budget.  We know times are tough, and we have our own family budget management program, too.  We understand, really we do.  But our answer, quite simply, is that we would rather work with you in other ways to save you money.  Please allow me to explain.

The primary objection we have to selling bulk quantities to retail customers is that you don’t use that much coffee, that fast.  Period.  Coffee is a fresh food.  I know that you might not have been told that before you met me.  But it’s true.  Buying bulk coffee is an awful lot like buying bulk lettuce.  Great on day one.  Not so good a month later.  We have a brand to build and protect.  What we don’t want is you drinking month-old coffee, forgetting how good it was on day one, and making your repurchase decision based on the taste at day 30.  Or serving it to a guest whose only experience with us is the month-old coffee you offer.  No, this does neither of us any good.

To be completely candid, operational efficiency is an issue, too.  It takes quite a lot of volume to achieve efficiencies that are better than bagging one-pounders – we’re pretty good at that, and the bags themselves aren’t that expensive.  Bulk buyers are institutions that use a lot of coffee (think 100+ pounds per month), and order it reliably.  They are anchors of any inventory management plan.  Retail customers buying 5 pounds of beans three times a year, well…. honestly, not a big motivator.  More trouble than it’s worth, actually.  We’re not Sam’s Club.  That’s one of the reasons our customers love us.

So we’ve established that for a number of reasons, we think it’s not a good idea to sell you bulk beans.  That doesn’t mean we can’t get you great, fresh coffee at a price point your budget will love.

The best way to save money is to take advantage of our weekly specials.  Every week, we send out a blast email with all kinds of specials.  You can sign up for our email list in the box at the top right corner of this blog; we do not share your email with anyone else, and you can opt-out at any time with one click.   Sometimes we feature a new arrival.  Sometimes it’s something I fancy.  There’s always the Roastmaster’s Choice, which is me picking from inventory for you (and I have been known to give you exactly what you want, if you ask, and I have it in inventory).  We also run coupon codes at least once or twice a month that you can apply to anything we sell.  Or email me, and I’ll make you a deal, I swear.  But let’s make it something you love, and in a quantity that you can use in a week or two.

Another possibility is that you get together a few like-minded friends and start your own coffee club.  If I knew you were going to buy two five-pounders every month, and split ‘em up such that your portion was used up in two weeks, well, now we’re talkin’.  Drop me a note and we can make that happen.  I can even bill you each separately.

We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions on this topic – please leave a comment!

http://www.muddydogcoffee.com

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Who Moved My Samples?

This is one of those brutally candid conversations I may regret later.  But some things need to be said.

Those of you who have seen us for the past two seasons at the Downtown Cary Farmers’ Market have noticed some changes recently.  Less inventory.  Fewer Selections.  No more samples.  Teenagers running the booth.  What kind of way is this to generate new business, you might ask? It’s a fair question.

The answer is, it’s not, really.  It’s more a kind of staying tactic, to be completely honest.  Because for us at least, the performance of this market this season is terrible, plain and simple.  And I don’t mind telling you, since you are the only ones who can improve it.

I was willing to suffer quietly, blaming it on the overall economy even while our other channels perform at or above last year’s levels, while waiting to see if the traffic picks up.  Until this past Saturday, when a market patron expressed dismay to our folks about the lack of samples.  While they admitted they had no intention to make a purchase.  I can only take so much.

Here’s how it works, folks.  I really don’t mind providing a culinary journey around the world, even to potential customers who wind up buying nothing.  It’s cool, really, I enjoy seeing you enjoy the experience.  But I can only afford to do it if the venue has enough volume to at least break even overall (and we all know in the long run it needs to be at least modestly profitable.  Last season it worked.  This season it ain’t working.  For the past few weeks, the total cost of servicing this market (which includes the opportunity cost of having infrastructure there that could be profitably deployed elsewhere) exceeds the profits earned from it.  It doesn’t take my Duke MBA to figure out that ain’t sustainable.

I hear from many people that they like having a quaint downtown, with character and quirky, independently owned businesses.  Hell, I do, too.  And I’m doing my part to make it happen.

So if the problem is me, tell me so.  But to be fair, I’m thinking it’s not me.  As I mentioned, our other venues are performing well.  We have dramatically increased the quality of our offerings above what was already a high standard.  We added one new relationship coffee that I traveled 20,000 miles to find, and I’m abnout to add a couple more.  We increased the breadth of our product lines to include the finest loose leaf teas you have ever tasted.  We invested in new brewing infrastructure, including state-of-the-art instrumentation and software to assure we brew perfect, SCAA Gold Cup standard coffee each time.  We increased shop hours, decreased shipping costs, and increased the number of ways we communicate with customers.  All between November and April.

No, I’m thinking that you just don’t care about the Downtown Cary Farmers’ Market anymore.  There is another high profile alternative market six miles away that opened this year and is going like gangbusters (and we thank you for that, and appreciate your patronage there).  Or Downtown Cary, period.  We have friends with downtown businesses that have suffered terribly this winter because they are anchored to their location.  And while that makes us sad, I think we would all rather just know the truth.  If you’re not coming back, just tell us and we’ll fold the tents and move on, too.  It would be better than waiting for an improvement that is never going to come.

I’d really like to know what you think about this.  Please leave a comment, or if you’re uncomfortable with that, please email me.

http://www.muddydogcoffee.com

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Topless Coffee?

I usually try to avoid the sensational.  Things like “Nescafe Turned My Child Into a Wolfboy!”, or “Starbucks Bankrupted My Family” (OK, that could happen).  But this one is just too bizarre not to mention; from the We Report, You Decide people:

Topless Coffee Shop Proposed for Small Maine Town

I can’t even think what to say about this.  Except, maybe, I wonder where they get their coffee?  Somehow I don’t think this one is consistent with our Brand Promise.

Thanks to Steve for alerting us to this important, breaking news!

http://www.muddydogcoffee.com

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Unchain Yourself

When is the last time you thought about your shopping habits?  I mean REALLY thought about them?

This was a big year for that kind of thinking in our household.  Having started our independent business in January, we’ve had ample opportunity to reflect on our shopping habits, and to take notice of our customers’ habits.

Here’s my conclusion: too many of us (I include my former self in this group) are junk collectors on auto-pilot.

Many of us say that we like to patronize independent business.  We like the thought of heterogeneity in our community – things that lack “sameness”.  Yet when it comes time to vote with our wallets, where do we go?  Target?

I came across an article published by the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund about the anti-chain movement of the 1920′s and 30′s.  Turns out that ten years before my dad was born, people were railing against Sears and JC Penney, the WalMarts and Targets of their day.  Everything old is new again.  But as I read the article, I found myself increasingly annoyed.  The focus then, and to some extent now, was on the use of legislation to prevent the spread of chain stores.  Unsurprisingly, it failed then, and it will fail now.  And no good Libertarian can support that approach, anyway

What we should realize is that we have a weapon much more powerful than laws.  We have free choice regarding where we spend our money.  Every day.  Every purchase.  Every dollar.

I’m not unrealistic, however.  I know that the convenience offered by big box stores is very powerful.  I know that franchises are owned by real, local families.  I know that some people just don’t care about this issue, or more appropriately, they don’t see it as an issue.  Hell, some people may even prefer chain stores to the unabashed quirkiness of some small businesses.

But if you are one of the people who want more independent business in your community, do something about it this holiday season.  Buy from them.  Yeah, it’s that simple.

I’ll go so far as to propose that you set a goal.  How about you satisfy half your gift list with goods from independent businesses?

Make a list.  Keep score.  Make sure you put your money where your mouth is – I will.

http://www.muddydogcoffee.com

WWJD (What Would Jim Drink today?):  Now that the farmers’ market season is over, I get to spend Saturday mornings outdoors making good use of my North Carolina Lifetime Sportsman License.  I spent this morning in a 40-degree blind with my “old school” classic green field thermos (yes, I’ve had it since I was a kid, it has dents older than some of the people reading this blog); at 5:15 AM this morning I was sipping a new blend that I’ve been working on just for thermal storage.  Have you ever noticed that coffee from a thermos tastes different than freshly brewed?  This is the effect of oxidation, manifested as heightened acidity.  I worked for months to formulate a blend that would minimize this problem (that’s a lot of thermos coffee, in case you were wondering).  Yes, it oxidizes, the trick was to find beans whose flavor profile actually benefits from a little oxidation (if that’s possible!).  I’m still tweaking but should release it soon.  My working name is Duck Blind Blend.  In case you can’t wait, I’ll give you a good alternative – it’s a variation of my Christmas Blend.

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The Green Coffee Blues

If there is one thing I’m good at, it’s inventory management.  My graduate degree is in a field related to Operations Research, which is essentially the study of industrial efficiency.  My specialization was in mathematical models, which are used to predict demand, calculate safety stocks to avoid backorders, etc.  For many years, things I learned at Lehigh, and later while earning an MBA at Duke, have served me well, and that continued to be the case with our small business.  Until recently, when I’ve engaged in more green coffee buying, and have had occasion to speak with numerous importers and traders.

The dynamics of specialty coffee are interesting.  And difficult, in some ways.  The first thing to realize is that the coffee we buy is not commodity coffee.  Commodities are items that are always available and, recent price volatility nothwithstanding, are predictable or can be hedged.  Think oil, or corn.  The Big Four of coffee – Procter & Gamble, Sara Lee, Nestle, and Kraft – employee armies of people just like me, in fact I was a consultant to one of those companies early in my career.  Specialty coffee, however, is by definition the top of the quality heap.  Certainly the top 5%, maybe the top 3%.  So by definition, in short supply relative to the rest of the crop.  And with specialty coffee becoming a larger trend, there is more competition for that scarce resource.

Another nuance is the business model of the small importer.  While giants have the financial capacity to move large amounts of commodities without having to put up their own cash (or they have the cash), small importers like the ones we buy through stock their shelves the same way I stock mine – with inventory they actually own.  Bought and paid for, then resold.  (And we run a debt-free business, so I’m not about to stock more than I can sell.)  In any climate, this would limit the amount of selection available from a given importer.  But in these unusually turbulent and tight economic times, it’s even worse.  As importers have their credit squeezed, they can buy less coffee.  Which impacts my selection, and thus yours.

Lately, commodity prices have fallen.  Fill your tank recently?  Then you’ve noticed.  Yes, coffee prices have fallen, too, but don’t expect to see much of it flow through.  With commodity prices down, countries are demanding more price differential for the premium product.  And they either won’t sell at a lower price (good for them!), or they’re getting it.  We’re paying it.

Decaffeinated green coffees add another level of complexity, especially if you want organic and/or Fair Trade Certified.  Top quality growers, especially FTO producers, sell all they can grow for all the money.  They don’t need to submit coffees to decaffeination.  Of course, some top quality producers do produce decafs, but they are a minority – another short supply situation.  So when a good FTO decaf becomes available, they sell out quickly.  This means we need to buythem when they are available, from wherever they are available, instead of waiting to include them with a scheduled shipment from a specific importer.  Obviously this is inefficient, especially with respect to freight charges.  But we do it, and this is a big part of the reason why great decafs are more expensive.

Couple all this with unstable demand at the consumer level (let’s face it, you can live without premium coffee – we felt you hold your breath at the end of September as the markets began their free fall), and increased competition among specialty roasters, and it all adds up to more difficulty securing great green coffee at reasonable prices.  And it’s going to get more difficult as this current financial crisis becomes more severe.

You now have a little insight into my world.  But not to worry – we work with the best suppliers in the business, and we are well positioned to buy large enough quanitites of fine green coffees.  We’re placing an order this week that should arrive just before Thanksgiving, and I am very excited to offer our first Rainforest Alliance coffee (my cupping notes contained the words “balsamic vinegar” to describe its sweet, sharp acidity), as well as an excellent Mountain water Process Mexican decaffeinated.  Stay tuned!

http://www.muddydogcoffee.com

WWJD (What Would Jim Drink today?): Wow, this was a cupping weekend, so I’ve been tasting about a half dozen different coffees.  Right now, I’m drinking a Sumatra MWP decaf, which is wonderful, but not wonderful enough to overcome my current inventory position on Sumatra decaf and my immediate need for a Brazil.  One of those economic realities – I need to balance my taste with my forecast and budget.  Earlier today I cupped a Rainforest Alliance El Salvador that made my eyes cross, it was so good.  I’m buying that one!  But until it arrives and I find the sweet spot, then put it on the website, you can keep drinking our organic, Fair Trade Certified El Salvador El Jabali.

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Flantastic!

I’m not talking about Pocket Flan, although that is a good idea (you laugh?  One word: Gogurt.)

No, I’m talking about the coffee flan at the new Tasca Brava in Raleigh.

We had some old friends from up north drop in unexpectedly yesterday.  So I called Bistro 607, one of my favorite restaurants, to see if they could squeeze us in – only to find they were no longer there!  Turns out Juan Samper bought the place to open his new Tasca Brava, a true Spanish tapas restaurant.

Those of you who know me well know that it’s nearly impossible for me to be satisfied with a restaurant.  This is usually due to the fact that whatever geography is represented, I’ve probably been to that place and ate like a local.  Kind of like Tony Bourdain, only without the camera crew, the after-dinner smoke and the foul language.  Well, OK, with the foul language.  We all have our issues.

But I do have a weakness for tapas, and I’ll give any of them a try at least once.  The problem with most tapas restaurants is either, a) they suck, b) the plates are too big, or c) both.  Red Room has been my reigning fave for the past few years, ever since the place on 9th St. in Durham closed.  Red Room has problem b).  Oliver’s Twist, Zelly & Ritz… problem a).  So my expectations were low.

But when we walked in, the first thing I saw were coffee bags for sale.  Karma was talking to me, baby.  As he seated us, I asked Juan, the owner, where he got his coffee.  Since I knew he didn’t get it from me, there was only one answer that would be acceptable.  And he gave that answer.  He roasted it himself.  BANG!  Cosmic connection.

The meal blew me (and all of us) away.  Our tapas were perfect.  Four people, nine or ten tapas, a bottle of wine (what did you pick, Myles?  It was fabulous), and still room for dessert.  Could it get any better?

Two words: Coffee Flan.  That’s right.  Rich, creamy and caffeinated.  Wow.

So I did sample Juan’s espresso.  It’s good.  I don’t feel threatened, though.  Too much like illycafe for my tastes.  I invited Juan to the shop for a little roasting, blending and brewing session.  We’ll see if he takes me up on it.

Just say no to chain restaurants.  Visit Tasca at 607 Glenwood.

http://www.muddydogcoffee.com

WWJD (What Would Jim Drink today?)  I was a bit of a coffee fiend today, which believe it or not, is unlike me.  I started the day with a pump pot of Christmas Blend, which I shared with my high-powered work team from Duke’s business school – they are helping me out with some MBA consulting.  Every one of these people is the the smartest one in the room.  If I was a little more self-aware, I would be intimidated.  Then this afternoon I had a craving, swear to God, for acidity.  So I brewed up some Kenya.  That scratched the itch – you gotta love a coffee that is unrepentingly bright.

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When Pigz Fly

When Pigz Fly Storefront

Attention all you North Raleigh customers looking for retail outlets for our coffee!  You can now purchase Muddy Dog coffee at When Pigz Fly, a cool little eclectic artisan shop located at 11125 Six Forks Road.  It’s just north of I-540 on the left side.  It’s kind of easy to drive past (I did the first time), so look for a cottage-style electric blue building.  Their phone number is (919) 426-9127; they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Google map embedded below:
View Larger Map

When Pigz Fly is a family business that supports local artisans.  They sell all sorts of neat gift and food items, as well as antiques.  Owner Diane and her brother Jimmy have put in a ton of work refurbishing the building (just take a look at the Google Maps street view to see what it used to look like!), and have stocked it with all kinds of excellent merchandise, including many Fair Trade items.  If you go, make sure you tell them you read about it here.

The coffee selection at Pigz is still evolving.  I stocked what I thought may be popular.  I’ve already done one inventory change-out to focus on faster-moving items, and it’s bound to change again before settling in on a regular assortment.  But if there is something specific you want, especially exotics (Monsooned, Aged, etc.) or decafs, let me know and I’ll be sure to stock it there.

If you value family-owned, non-chain businesses, please stop by When Pigz Fly and vote with your wallet.  We work hard to earn your business and keep our communities interesting.

http://www.muddydogcoffee.com

WWJD (What Would Jim Drink today?): I’m drinking the When Pigz Fly blend, an Organic, Fair Trade Certified blend available ONLY at their store (that’s right, not even on my web site!).  It’s an interesting marriage of high-altitude South American and bold, earth Indonesian – all of the body, with the high-end punch, too.

This one is just for the search engines: When Pigs Fly, 11125 Six Forks Road, Raleigh NC 27614 (919) 426-9127

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Suppy-Chain Environmentalism Leaders – Who, Us?

Looks like we were ahead of the curve.  Keep in mind that we actually made the commitments to start this business in September 2006, with the purchase of real estate.  I signed a contract with Dan for the roaster in January 2007.  Ahead of the curve on what, you ask?

I was just catching up on my mail queue, reading the June/July issue of Worth Magazine.    The Thought Leaders column was on Environment.  They observe that sometime in 2007, “American industry has moved from ambivalence about the dangers of greenhouse gases (GHG) to the gritty realization that it must contain them and learn to operate in a carbon-constrained world.

Well, No Shit.  What the hell took so long?  Pardon my French.

So why the sudden change of heart?  Worth cites GHG reduction as “now a national priority” with “stewardship… a new measure on which companies need to compete”.  That’s a nice thought, but I doubt it.

I think they (and in this case I include ME in they) realize it’s just cheaper in the long run to operate a clean business.  I know it is for me – my energy consumption is next to nothing.  I figure the differential capital cost for a clean roaster will be recovered in about three years.  Maybe less at the rate y’all are buying our coffee (thanks!).  We are also packaging in biodegradable bags that are not coincidentally less expensive than high barrier poly valve bags because, hell, there’s nothing to them.  Nor should there be.  I admit, our coffee bags really aren’t much to look at, and they aren’t the right tool for storing coffee for weeks.  But you shouldn’t store coffee for weeks, and if you’re hell-bent to do so, you can put it in a mason jar, or I’ll sell you a reusable canister.

In the case of big business, I think leaders are finally waking up to the reality governments will impose charges for GHG emissions, proportional to the amount emitted.  While no self-respecting Libertarian likes the idea of any tax, this seems to me to be the most appropriate use of “sin tax” levys.  And it’s not likely to be applied to just the final product steps, it will be pushed across the entire supply chain, hence the term “supply-chain environmentalism”.  In other words, you won’t be able to make your component or ingredient suppliers do your dirty work (ha!)… you will pay for GHG across your entire supply chain.

Whatever the reasons, it’s about time.

I get kind of testy on this subject.  I am justifiably proud of the environmental responsibility of our little operation.  I wish consumers cared more, but the uptake is slow, slow, slow.  People are becoming trained to ask for organic and Fair Trade and that’s where they want to stop thinking about enviromental and social responsibility as relates to their morning cup.  But when you realize that certified coffees, including organic, Fair Trade and others, constitute less than 5% of coffee production, and that the vast majority of pollution produced in conjunction with coffee consumption occurs OUTSIDE of origin, you begin to realize that consumers aren’t asking the right questions.  And that’s no accident – the industry doesn’t WANT them asking the RIGHT questions, because the answers are too painful.

We have seen the enemy, and he is us.

Anyway, enough ranting for now.  I’m going to go look for investment opportunities (outside of my own business!) to buy into companies that are on the leading edge of supply-chain environmentalism.  If you have any suggestions, let me know.

http://www.greenroasting.com

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