In March of 2020, the covid lockdowns were merely days away. Business owners were feeling a range of gut-wrenching emotions - some froze, and some innovated. For Alex Barker, owner of District Coffee Roasters, the lockdowns gave him a chance to let his values lead his company. As a wholesale coffee roaster, District was primed to fail. They primarily sold to churches, coffee shops, and small businesses. In a matter of hours, his entire revenue stream dried up.
It was "do or die" and Alex was determined not to fail. His team, his growers, and his customers relied on him and he got creative, bringing about one of the most successful years in his company's history. In today’s episode, we'll talk about what he did, how it has continued to work, and how he held to his values when it was nearly impossible to do so.
Main things we'll be talking about:
- How a wholesale coffee co. actually grew exponentially in the middle of lockdowns
- The value of small businesses collaborating with competition
- Taking care of your growers and team in developing countries
This show is sponsored by Rocketfuel, a CRM that has helped thousands of small business owners organize and automate their communications so that nothing slips through the cracks and their top-line capacity can grow. Try it risk-free today at https://www.rocketfuel.software!