[tweetmeme]Starbucks, the specialty coffee retailer, is one of the great 21st century American success stories. Considered as one of the most successful and admired companies today, Starbucks has grown from a single store in Seattle 33 years ago to 5,945 outlets in United States and 2,392 more in 28 countries. In fiscal 2003, the company posted revenues of $4.1 billion.
From tasty beverages to proprietary whole bean coffee blends to strategic relationships, small businesses have so much to learn from Starbucks. You may not have the resources that Starbucks has in its arsenal, but there are a number of things you can emulate from this company and apply to your own business, albeit on a significantly smaller scale.
More than the taste of its coffee, there are a number of factors that propelled Starbucks’ latte to the forefront. Here are two good articles on what small businesses can learn from the highly successful Starbucks coffee shops: