Sandra’s Simply Coffeenated story
Starting a business takes confidence. But what if one of the biggest things standing in your way is believing that what you already know and love is worth building a business around?
For Sandra, founder of Simply Coffeenated, that was exactly where her journey began.
Today, she runs two thriving community cafés (one here at Launchpad and the other at Epicentre) and catering business built around good food, great coffee and quality local ingredients. But before Simply Coffeenated became a reality, Sandra first had to change the way she saw her own experience.
Turning experience into an opportunity
Sandra had worked in hospitality but admits that, for a long time, she didn’t see it as something to be proud of.
Her biggest challenge wasn’t learning how to run a café or developing her passion for food. It was overcoming her own insecurities and recognising the value in the skills she already had.
Launchpad arrived at just the right point in that journey.
It gave Sandra an opportunity to embrace her experience rather than dismiss it, and start thinking about what she could build from it.
That shift in mindset became the foundation for Simply Coffeenated.
Creating more than a café
From the beginning, Sandra wanted to create something rooted in quality and community. Simply Coffeenated prioritises locally sourced, quality ingredients alongside Sandra’s passion for food and coffee.
But the café has also become something more.
Sandra sees people coming in for lunch, holding meetings or simply spending time there. For her, seeing customers treat the café as their own hub and knowing it has become part of the Launchpad and wider community is one of the things that makes her most proud.
And those connections have played an important part in the growth of the business too.
Sandra describes the connections she has made through Launchpad as one of the biggest benefits of being there, creating opportunities she hadn’t expected to come along so early in her business journey.
A first year that exceeded expectations
The results have given Sandra even more reason to look ahead with confidence.
At the end of her first year, Simply Coffeenated recorded a 27% net profit – something Sandra says she never predicted when she started out.
More importantly, that first year’s performance has given her the confidence to think about the next stage of the business.
She’s now taking on employees, creating more capacity and continuing to grow.
It’s a significant step from the uncertainty Sandra felt before she started and proof of what can happen when experience, passion and the right support come together.
Sandra’s advice for other entrepreneurs
Sandra’s initial response when asked what advice she’d give someone thinking about starting a business?
“Think twice!”
There’s a serious point behind the joke!
Running a business can be tough. Sandra’s advice is to choose something you’re genuinely passionate about, because it’s that passion – along with the right mindset and resilience – that can keep you going when things get difficult.
Sandra’s story is also a reminder that entrepreneurship doesn’t always begin with having everything figured out.
Sometimes it starts with recognising the value in the skills you already have, finding the confidence to use them and surrounding yourself with people who can help you take the next step.
Watch Sandra’s story to hear, in her own words, how Simply Coffeenated went from an idea she wasn’t sure she was ready for to a growing business with its sights firmly set on the future.
And if you’re building a business of your own, discover how Launchpad can give you the connections, support and space to help it grow.
