Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Cafe Coffee Day supports Entrepreneurs!

I am self-professed Cafe Coffee Day (#CCD!) junkie. Right from the days of Barcamp Bangalore in 2006 (Can't believe just had their 10th edition!), there has been very few weeks in my life that I haven't been to a CCD. They have been the #1 place to meet friends, conspire new camps and going out on a dates to now being the de-facto place for working out-of-office to inviting customers over for a chat, CCD has seen me growing. It wouldn't be a hyperbole if I assert that CCD has had a BIG role to play in shaping who I am.

On its part, from their near-ubiquity in Bangalore to their near-ubiquity anywhere in India, CCD has grown by leaps and bounds in last 5 years to become one of the top youth brands in India today. They stand for great customer service, quality, comfort and innovation. They could, perhaps, do a little more. I wonder what if they stand firmly behind the latest crop of startups in India too in being that one place one can go to work, meet partners, call customers or just unwind after a day of hard work!

I have an idea. And I am going to propose this to Cafe Coffee Day team as well. What if CCD starts a "CCD for Startups" or "CCD for Entrepreneurs" program, to start with in those outlets that aren't doing as well as others. Here is what this program would promise:

  1. A 'rental' option where a CCD allows entrepreneurs signed up for the program to use the cafes for a fixed duration during the off-peak time for a fixed charge redeemable against food and beverages in the cafe. For example, CCD could allow me to work for 11 am to 6 pm if I agree to have minimum billing of Rs.250.
  2. CCD could start create more power-points and WiFi for startups willing to work from there.
  3. CCD could also create community evangelists who are their feet on-ground to get more people signing up for the program and making sure that entrepreneurs are delivering on their promises. Headstart Network could be a great community evangelists!
Here is what the entrepreneur can promise:
  1. Mention of CCD as a 'supporting partner' on their websites.
  2. Bring more friends and partners to a CCD nearby (say, through a special loyalty program)
  3. Promise to build a great business for the future of the country!
I am not sure if this will really work, but I am already excited! :)