I’ve always dreamed of running my own coffee shop. There’s something special about creating a cozy space where people can relax, chat with friends, and enjoy a good cup of coffee.
When I graduated from the University of Management and Economics with my degree in Economics in 2016, that dream felt closer than ever. But I knew I needed more than just business knowledge. I needed to understand coffee itself.
So I spent the next two years learning to be a barista at the COFICO vocational training center. After that, I worked at a local café from 2018 to 2020, saving money and observing how the business operated.
In mid-2021, I finally opened my first small coffee shop.
It didn’t go the way I expected. In fact, I failed. My business closed in 2023.
But I learned some important lessons that I wish someone had told me before I started. If you’re thinking about starting your own small business, especially a coffee shop, these lessons might save you from making the same mistakes I did.
Lesson 1: Know What You Really Have Before You Start
This sounds obvious, but most people skip this step. I almost did too.
Before opening any business, ask yourself three honest questions:
Do I have enough money saved?
Don’t just think about the cost of opening. Think about the months when business might be slow. Can you survive that? I saved money for two years while working as a barista. It wasn’t a lot, but it was something. Even so, I underestimated how much I really needed.
Do I actually know this business well?
It’s easy to see someone else succeed and think, “I can do that too.” But do you really understand why they’re successful? What problems do they face every day? I spent two years making coffee and talking to customers. That experience taught me things no textbook could. Still, I didn’t know enough about the business side.
Do I have time to commit fully?
Running a business isn’t a part-time job, especially in the beginning. You need to be there, learning and adjusting constantly. I loved coffee, so I gave it my full attention. But loving something and having time for it are two different things.
Lesson 2: Don’t Copy Others Just Because They Look Successful
This was my biggest mistake, and it’s what caused my business to fail.
I kept looking at other coffee shops. When I saw someone with a big, fancy shop full of customers, I thought, “That’s what success looks like. I should do that too.”
So I tried to copy them. I spent money I didn’t have on things I didn’t need. I tried to grow too fast, too soon.
Here’s what I didn’t see: those successful businesses probably started small. They grew slowly, learned from mistakes, and built up over time. I only saw the final result, not the years of work behind it.
Trying to skip those steps nearly destroyed me. By 2023, I had to close my shop. I lost most of my savings. Worse, I felt like a failure. The stress affected my sleep, my relationships, everything.
The lesson? Don’t let other people’s success make you rush. Their path is not your path. Their timeline is not your timeline.
Lesson 3: Start Small, Grow Slowly, Learn Constantly
After my failure, I had to decide: give up or try again differently.
I chose to try again, but smarter this time.
In mid-2023, I reopened my coffee business. But this time, I started much smaller. I matched the size of my business to my actual skills, knowledge, and money. No fancy decorations. No expensive equipment, I didn’t need. Just good coffee and honest service.
This approach felt slower and less exciting. But it worked.
Starting small means:
- You can afford your mistakes (and you will make mistakes)
- You learn what customers actually want, not what you think they want.
- You build real skills instead of just copying others.
- You grow at a pace you can manage.
When you grow slowly, you stay in control. You understand each part of your business because you built it yourself, step by step.
My Advice If You Want to Start a Small Business
Have big dreams. Ambition is good. But match those dreams with realistic planning.
Don’t be the person who jumps without looking. Be the person who takes one confident step at a time.
Learn from small failures so you don’t face big ones later. Each mistake teaches you something if you pay attention.
Most importantly, be patient with yourself. Building something real takes time. The coffee shops you admire didn’t appear overnight. Neither will yours.
But if you start with what you actually have, learn from people who’ve done it, and grow at your own pace, you’ll build something solid. Something that lasts.
That’s what I’m doing now. My shop is smaller than I once imagined, but it’s stable. It’s real. And it’s mine.
And honestly? That feels better than any fancy shop I tried to copy ever did.
