The lockdown has been a tough time for most small businesses, but the unprecedented times have helped one man get his business off the ground.
Shane Cameron left the Armed Forces to start Mean Bean Coffee Company in 2019. He explained, “When we were deployed you could never get a good coffee, it was always just instant stuff.”
This was his motivation for starting the Newcastle-based business, which he originally struggled to start. “I was in a subway station to start but it wasn’t very successful.”
When the impact of Covid-19 became so great that containment measures were put in place, many local cafes were forced to close. However, because Shane’s business was mobile, he was able to fill a void in the market when things started to reopen.
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People on furlough or working from home were asking Shane to come and provide them with freshly brewed coffee, to the point where he struggled to keep up with demand. “Some weeks I would receive hundreds of messages and had to carefully plan my route.”
This period of success for the company and word of mouth from those who had purchased his products allowed Shane to expand so that he could cater to schools and other larger scale community events.
As with all freelance businesses at the moment, the cost of living crisis has led to higher prices for the coffee and equipment Shane needs, meaning he has had to raise his own prices for the first time since that he started the business. Heavily inflated petrol and diesel prices have also affected Shane, as he often has to drive all over the north of the country for different events and engagements.
Whether it’s a metal detector convention, shooting a nighttime music video in the woods, or even keeping Tracey Beaker cast while filming, Shane is looking to keep growing his business. by getting a second van to cover more areas at once.
“I originally wanted a cafe, but the increased rent put me off. Instead, I’m looking to expand what I already do.”
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