Sara Volkmann – Coffee Shop Entrepreneur
Sara highlights the importance of community, support, and adaptability in building a successful business.
Written by Mackenzie Cowden based on an interview with Sara Volkmann
What led you to switch careers and own your own business?
My journey was unique. I studied engineering at ISU but realized it wasn’t for me during an internship. I was currently managing the Ames Café Diem and made the decision to pursue other opportunities when my contract came to an end. I discussed this with the founder, Bill Malone, and surprisingly he offered me an opportunity to buy in to the business. I officially became a partner in 2014. Since then, it’s been an amazing experience with the opening of new stores and roasting our own beans. I opened the first DMACC store, Campus Grounds, in 2015, Café X in 2017, and Urban Fuel in 2022. We started roasting in 2017 and introduced a full breakfast menu in 2019.
Any advice for someone wanting to start a business?
I would say make friends with other business owners so that you have someone else to talk to when things go wrong. I think have a strong support system is really crucial to being successful. Be involved in the community and get your word out there. Plus treating your employees and customers how you want to be treated.
Community involvement is a big key to success. Funding and capital matter, but having people you can lean on during challenges makes a significant difference for business owners. Shoutout to my amazing business partner, Bill Malone, and all my friends from the Ankeny Chamber of Commerce.
Work-life balance with multiple stores is a struggle, especially with a toddler. Having standard operating procedures (SOPs) and trusting employees are essential. I’m slowly improving my work-life balance but acknowledge it is a challenge. My husband has been the only reason that I’ve been able to do this. My son was born during Covid, and after my maturity leave, I worked seven days a week for over six months. I strive to “Leave work at work, be at home when at home.” Which is really hard to do, but I’m getting there. I don’t think there are any business owners who don’t have issues with work-life balance.
Thoughts on the Goldman Sachs program? https://10ksbapply.com/
The Goldman Sachs program is phenomenal, it was life-changing. The instructors take you through growth opportunities, and actually talk you through SOP’s, how to set up your business, how to be able to have that work-life balance. I graduated with 24 other scholars and we’re still in contact. We’re helping each other, because we’re all in the same situation even though there was not a single other coffee shop in there.
The networking with fellow scholars is still an ongoing benefit. With the course we developed a five-year growth plan. Venturing into wholesaling chai and beans, expanding the kitchen, developing more unique recipes, and nurturing young managers are all on the agenda.
We’re going to be really looking at our breakfast offerings. More gourmet breakfast sandwiches and some specialties pancakes that our customers really love. For example, on Father’s Day, we did a whiskey bacon jam, double smoked ham, egg sandwich. Which is now on the permanent menu because customers loved it so much. I have some really talented chefs that enjoy creating new things. So, I’ve been letting them have fun. Currently we are a one-butt-kitchen (space for only one person at a time) and we will be expanding our kitchen space. This will lead to faster ticket times and lend more space to being creative.
What advice do you have in helping develop a business’s culture to retain employees and to help your employees grow in their personal and professional development?
We try to identify their passions and help them develop related skills, whether in pertains to our business or not. For example, I supported an employee interested in social media by funding her DMACC social media class. We now meet to go over some social media marketing plans of how she can utilize the skills here.
We do our best to get employees involved in the big decisions and making sure they understand the missions and values of the company. Especially when I hire 16-20 year-olds, if they can put their own touch on something, be it on a policy, or on a drink or menu item, then I find that they’re engaged quite a bit more. We also offer weekend incentive pay. We started doing that right before Covid, since finding people to work the weekends was difficult. Now with that incentive wage, I have people fighting for the weekends. I almost have too many staff members wanting weekend shifts.
I have some young managers that are under 20, and we have written some developmental plans so that they can hopefully take over the store. My one employee is getting ready to be a manager, I hired her out of high school. She has gone from the young woman I hired who could barely make eye contact, to now taking initiative, leading the full weekend shift. She has just beyond flourished and is doing amazing. She is coming to me with solutions versus problems, which is phenomenal for a business owner.
We overall try to be flexible on time with open communication, I don’t write up employees for being a few minutes late. Especially if they communicate “Hey I hit four red lights on the way in,” because here in Ankeny that can happen. Or “I hit five construction zones” or, you know, something like that, we’re a lot more flexible. I would say 95 percent of my employees are really good about doing that. Since they understand they’re not going to get in trouble, I find they’re a lot more honest with me and they’re actually going to show up to a shift. Communication is key.
As the years have progressed, we’ve learned there are areas where we can’t be as strict anymore, the cell phone is one of the biggest ones. If I wrote up everyone that was on their cell phone, I wouldn’t have a single employee. We also provide benefits like employee discounts 24/7, and opportunities to join out of state marketing trips and staff excursions. For our full timers we also provide cell phones in addition to 401K matching, and regular benefits.
What do you love about having businesses in Ankeny?
I really enjoy the business community in Ankeny. The Ankeny Chamber is a phenomenal organization that I’ve been involved with. I was on the board of directors for three years, and I’ve met so many good friends through the organization. I always tell people the Chamber is just like a gym membership. It has no benefit unless you use it. So go to events and make those connections on a personal level. Mentoring for Women is hands down one of my favorite events that the chamber puts on. I think they do a phenomenal job with it!
The small businesses here really do get along with each other. We just want each other to all be successful because we’re not chains. For example Porchlight, Blue Bean and myself partner to promote an event called Ankeny Coffee Run. The event will be in September for national coffee month and we hope to partner with more local owned coffee shops this coming year.