• A coffee service business supplies coffee and coffee dispensers to business.in cafe image by Leonid Nyshko from Fotolia.com
  
  Offering coffee service to business customers no longer means investing thousands of dollars in expensive, high maintenance vending machines. Newer methods of serving coffee can reduce your operating costs and the amount of time needed to service accounts.
  
  

A Plan

• Create a business plan that describes exactly what service you will offer, what your projected operating costs are and what equipment and inventory will be needed to open your business. The Small Business Administration recommends planning every stage of your business from opening to planning an exit strategy. Their Small Business Planner provides helpful advice and resources for making your business plan.
  
  

Demographics

• According to Walden University College of Management and Technology, you need to gather as much information as you can about the people you are going to serve. If you plan to have a shop open to the public as well as providing coffee service to clients you will need to investigate traffic and business data for your town. The United States Census Bureau can provide a lot of useful data on your town and the people living there.
  
  

Licenses

• Before you open your business you will need to obtain licenses and permits from various government agencies. The first step will be to get an Employer Identification Number from the Internal Revenue Service. This is necessary for tax purposes and can be applied for online at the IRS website.
  
  You will also need to get a business license and state tax number for collecting and reporting sales tax. The business license is available at your local municipal or county offices. State tax numbers are applied for with the state Department of Revenue.
  
  If you are going to serve coffee and food you will need to secure permits from the local office of your state Department of Health. They will provide you with the requirements for serving food and beverages and inspect your business to determine whether you meet those requirements. After passing inspection a food service permit will be issued allowing you to operate your business.
  
  

Equipment and Supplies

• A key to the success of your business will be the equipment and supplies for operating the business. You need a reputable wholesale provider for coffee dispensing equipment, coffee and paper supplies. Many wholesale suppliers offer coffee vending equipment, supplies and different blends of coffee and tea. Consider companies that offer repair service agreements for the equipment you purchase from them to help provide dependable service to your customers.