Monday, November 29, 2010

Crain's 2010 Salute to Entrepreneurs - Crain's Events - Crain's Detroit Business - Detroit News and Information

Crain's 2010 Salute to Entrepreneurs - Crain's Events - Crain's Detroit Business - Detroit News and Information

Crain's 7th annual Salute to Entrepreneurs, in partnership with Walsh College, honors winning companies that have demonstrated growth and innovation. Winners are featured in the November 15 issue of Crain's Detroit Business and honored at the Salute to Entrepreneurs event on Tuesday, Nov. 30. This years Keynote Speaker is Bob Fish, CEO/Co-founder of Biggby Coffee in Lansing, Michigan. Nearly 200 executives and business owners are expected to attend this event.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Area Couple Aim to Brew Friendliness With New Biggby Coffee




When you walk into Mike and Denise Bogues' new Biggby Coffee shop — which opens 6 a.m. Monday at 11325 Highland Road — they hope you'll feel right at home.

To create that comfortable atmosphere, the couple plan a week-long series of special events. Patrons will receive free fresh-brewed coffee as well as free samples of specialty drinks at the store. Local Michigan band Overdrive Orchestra will perform a 7 p.m. concert Wednesday. Members include the Bogues' 19-year-old son, Adam, as well as two other Hartland High School 2009 graduates, Chris Cranick and Cody Powers. Students from Milford Music in Highland also will perform on the weekend.

"We knew that we wanted to provide a place in the community to gather," said Denise, a 49-year-old math teacher at Hartland High School. "We just really felt we had a heart to provide a meeting place for the community."

The Brighton Township couple, who live within Hartland School District boundaries, decided to start their own business after years of hearing their children — and others — say such a place was needed in the area. The store will be the Hartland area's third specialty coffee locale.

At first, she and Mike, 48, thought they would open an independent coffee shop, but they decided to check out a meeting about franchising with East Lansing-based Biggby. It turned out to be a great fit with their personal philosophy. Denise said that the idea of a coffee shop similar to the celebrated bar in the hit sitcom, Cheers, "where everyone knows your name" was in her head. When she heard something similar in the franchise presentation, she felt it was the right fit.

"Our ideals lined up with each other," Mike agreed, adding the personal touch is important to them. "We want to know how your kids are doing in baseball. I want this to be the place where people come and get to know each other."

The store features free Wi-Fi connections and a menu including numerous hot and cold drink options as well as breakfast treats, such as bagels, muffins and doughnuts and scones. Brunch sandwiches called Bragel Sandwiches and afternoon treats like 7-Layer Bars, brownies and cookies round out the food selections.

The location will be the third Biggby in Livingston County. Hours are from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays. 

Aside from running the store, Denise will continue to teach while Mike, who formerly had a successful career in information technology with AutoDesk in Novi, is working toward a business administration master's degree at Cleary University.

"He will be the full-time manager for now," Denise said. "I'll help out before school and after school."

Extensive training and support was part of the franchise package. Mike and Denise's training, which started in the summer, included training 40 (all volunteer) hours a week at various stores throughout the month of August to learn the Biggby system.

That preparation also included running two practice shifts on Friday to get ready for Monday's opening. Four Biggby employees from the home office assisted throughout the process.

During the afternoon shift that day, five workers took free practice orders from people who walked in intending to buy coffee. Periodically, they switched positions, in order to become familiar with all parts of the job — from taking customer orders to making and serving drinks.

"It's about the community getting a chance to come in, not just from a menu perspective, but from an attitude and energy perspective," said 31-year-old Jeremy DeRuiter Director of Training and Development for Biggby's home office as he worked on the store's music playlist.

When there weren't any people coming through the door, Kelsey Ames, 20, home office PERColator, who, Mike explained, handles all aspects of barista training, called off practice drinks. After they were made, the drinks were taken to area businesses.

"As first-time business owners, we couldn't ask for a better group of people to work with than the team at Biggby Coffee," said Mike. "This decision for us is all about doing what we love, following our dreams and making a small difference in the lives of our customers. We're looking forward to having a place where everyone feels welcome and friendships are formed each day."


Go to original HartlandPatch article

Friday, November 19, 2010

THANK YOU soooooooo very much for the wonderful donations for our Troops!

They will enjoy the Tumblers so much and the Cards are just the best! They do not have the availability to purchase in their many areas of deployment and love to have them in their MOMS Writing packs to send home for any occasion! We had numerous requests for more of the tumblers as a paper cup or canteen cup is more often than you would think what they have available to them. The Journals we will send to our Female Service Members as they frequently request and will be greatly appreciated! The colors and designs of all the product are so up beat and sure to bring smiles!!!

The continued outreach, caring and support of our Military Men and Women by BIGGBY is so very, very appreciated! You have made a difference in the lives of thousands over these past years and it is one which is never forgotten! I have attached a few emails from our Troops which thank those who contribute in our cause for each...THANK YOU for your generosity of time, heart and product for those we at MOMS serve...our Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen!

With much appreciation,



Debbie Trippiedi
Operation MOMS
Cookies Inc., NFP

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

LCC AMA Speakers Series Welcomes Bob Fish of Biggby Coffee

November 17, 2010
5:00pm - 6:00pm
LCC Gannon Building, Room 115


LCC AMA invites you to attend the November Speaker Series and hear how Lansing based, Bob Fish has created a successful coffee franchise. Fish paid for college by working at a local restaurant, and developed his love for the food service industry. Fish, who often goes by Biggby Bob now, started the first cafe in 1995, at 270 W. Grand River Ave in East Lansing, Michigan. Fish will share some of the innovative marketing strategies he has implemented for Biggby including his widely successful SPOT BOB campaign. This is a not to be missed inspiring and engaging event.

Entrepreneurial Law Society -- Presents :)

Biggby founder shares his successful brew Nov. 30 - Crain's Detroit Business - Detroit News and Information

Biggby founder shares his successful brew Nov. 30 - Crain's Detroit Business - Detroit News and Information

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Guest Blog -- Is BIGGBY BOB a Tooth Fairy?




My daughter who is now five years old is a big Biggby fan. It started when I took her to her first "Spot Bob" and Bob gave her a card for a free drink that said "I spotted Biggby Bob". Since then she always asks to go back. A little while back she had a loose tooth - her first one. It was a Sunday, and I told her that if she lost her tooth on a Sunday, that the Biggby fairy would come and leave a gift card under her pillow... In reality, I just wanted to pull the tooth out so she would not continue to freak out about it. Well, the short story is she would not let me pull it out, it fell out later that week... and the Biggby fairy did not come. HOWEVER, just by chance... she has now had a steady pattern of losing teeth on Sundays, and yes, she never forgets, the Biggby fairy comes on Sundays. See you next week at the Spot Bob, until then I will be hanging at the Novi Biggby with all the regulars.

Jack

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Speaking -- Come see me in a suit :)








Entrepreneurship is the focus of Summit 2010 in South Haven


SOUTH HAVEN — Economic development on Michigan’s southwest shoreline is looking to make a shift.

“There is still an old paradigm of economic development,” said Rachel Vochaska, executive director of the 400-member South Haven Area Chamber of Commerce.

It centered on hunting down and attracting companies from elsewhere.

“While that should still be a component (of the effort),” she said, “we need to start looking at how we grow our talent, retain our current companies, and looking at cultivating more businesses in the community.”

She said to think of it as “economic gardening.”

Inspiring that effort will be the focus of the fifth annual summit of the South Haven Area Chamber of Commerce.

Bob Fish, chief executive officer and co-founder of the rapidly-growing, East Lansing-based Biggby Coffee shops, and Charles Ballard, a Michigan State University economist and author, will key on that during the Nov. 4 gathering, from 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Nov. 4 at Lake Michigan College’s South Haven campus.

“What we want to do is shift the thinking ... that entrepreneurship is an integral component of the economic engine in the state of Michigan,” Vochaska said.

She said Fish is going to talk about what got him going in business, “what supercharged him to the next level, what the potential is for Michigan, from an entrepreneurial standpoint, and what the constraints are.”

The 15-year-old Biggby has grown from one location in East Lansing to about 120 stores open or under contract to open in six states (Illinois, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin and Michigan).

Ballard is expected to identify and explore the connection between entrepreneurship and a prosperous Michigan. The event will also include a panel discussion by entrepreneurial support organizations.

The cost to attend the summit is $69 per person. It is $59 per person for Chamber members or for two people from the same organization. It is $49 per person for three people or more from the same organization. Registration may be made by contacting the Chamber via www.southhavenmi.com or at 269-637-5171. More information is available at www.cofc@southhavenmi.com.

Contact Al Jones at ajones@kalamazoogazette.com or 269-388-8556.



Tuesday, November 2, 2010

52 Cups of Coffee -- BIGGBY was #13


one girl's year-long experiment with caffeine and conversation



Cup 13


Person: Dave Isbell

Drink: Medium Americano from the Coolidge Biggby

In cup 13, I learned about sacrifice.

I wasn’t planning on it. I didn’t really want to. But it happened.

That happens a lot with sacrifice. It’s not planned. It’s not wanted. But it happens.

Or so I thought before I spent an hour drinking coffee with Dave Isbell. He gave me the harrowing news that sacrifice would be an unavoidable part of my life—not exactly news I wanted to hear. Luckily his next piece of advice was more optimistic:

While I can’t avoid sacrifice, I can be proactive and take control over the sacrifices I make.
more ,,,,Go to the BLOG