accelerator AHA! Moments

Navigating the Messy Middle to Achieve Sustainable Growth

Specialty coffee roaster offering premium, small-batch roasted beans.

Challenges

Blaine and Leah, owners of Cairn Coffee Roasters, found themselves in the "messy middle" of entrepreneurship.

Their business was at a crossroads: invest in growth or scale back. Blaine was handling all the roasting himself, leaving little time for crucial marketing activities. This workload bottleneck hindered their ability to reach their goal of a business that supported their desired lifestyle and retirement plans.

Solutions

Cairn Coffee Roasters joined the Lean Marketing Accelerator, gaining access to strategic planning tools, expert guidance, and a supportive community. They developed a 1-Page Marketing Plan, providing a clear roadmap for growth. They also leveraged Lean Marketing's Done-For-You hiring service to recruit a marketing coordinator, freeing Blaine to focus on his core strengths.

Results

Operational Expansion

Empowered by their 1-Page Marketing Plan, they moved into a larger facility to support increased production and growth.

Strategic Hiring

Bringing on a marketing coordinator will allow Blaine and Leah to focus on roasting and operations while delegating essential marketing tasks, fueling further growth.

Clarity and Confidence

The Lean Marketing program provided Blaine and Leah with the confidence to invest in their business and pursue expansion.

At a glance

Challenges

  • Overwhelmed
  • Time Constraints
  • Growth Plateau

Results

  • Expanded Operations
  • New Hire
  • Confident Growth Strategy

Blaine Freeman

Owner, Cairn Coffee

"We are definitely feeling underwater! (Post 1-Page Marketing Plan presentation) Which is good. That shows the value of the program. I didn't want someone to tell me we're ok and just make a few adjustments. So we're all in!”