Section 1: Introduction

Welcome to Miracle Cafes! Before delving into the Operating Manual, you should have already signed and returned the Non-Disclosure Agreement and Partner Agreement. The contents of this manual are confidential and exclusive. They are protected in the UK under Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and under Federal Law of Intellectual Property in the USA. This Manual is the property of Miracle Cafes CIC and is licensed for your use as a guide and reference tool in the operation of your Miracle Café. Access to its content should be limited to those who have signed the Partners Agreement. Please protect and safeguard the Manual. It can help guide you to run a successful business and Christian ministry. Finally, please keep it current with the latest updates provided by us.

1.1 How to Use This Manual

Your Miracle Café Operations Manual is designed to assist you in the development and operation of your business. The Manual must be used in conjunction with your Partner Agreement. By signing the Partners Agreement, you have agreed to operate the Business in accordance with the terms of the Partners Agreement and use the Operations Manual solely in the manner prescribed by us. This includes complying with the Partners Obligations in the Partners Agreement, exhibits and manuals. It is your responsibility to understand and implement the methods of service to the specifications and standards required. It is important to develop and maintain every detail of the design and operation of the Business to ensure uniform operating standards. We want you to succeed.

1.2 Updates to the Manual

In a continuing effort to provide better service to our partners and build a stronger business, periodic updates will be made to the Operations Manual. Updates will occur either via email or through our website-based system at www.miracle.cafe

It is your responsibility to understand and implement the methods of service to the specifications and standards required. It is important to develop and maintain every detail of the design and operation of the Business to ensure uniform operating standards. We want you to succeed.

Section 2: Welcome to Miracle Cafes

2.1 About Us

Miracle Cafes is an exciting opportunity, combining hospitality business with spiritual outreach offering ‘a taste of heaven’ and mentoring through Miracle Cafes (and Spirit Lifestyle Classes) in city centres and local communities in many nations.

This vision in its present form was birthed in July 2021 on a Ministry trip to Germany. Aliss Cresswell and Ruth Cole were discussing the next steps for Spirit Lifestyle, when cafes popped into the conversation out of the blue. They began to share their hearts for bringing in the end-time harvest and global outreach with a new hospitality model. Based on their previous successful business and ministry experience – Aliss with outreach cafes/bistro, shops, B&B and spiritual training, and Ruth’s background in hospitality, social enterprise, community and small group discipleship – the vision for Miracle Cafés worldwide was born.

In September 2021, Miracle Cafes Community Interest Company (CIC) was established. Without any finance nor even a bank account, Ruth and Aliss began to look for suitable premises to develop as the flagship cafe, full of faith based on direction from the Lord.

Bangor, Wales was not on the radar, being some distance from Ruth and Aliss’ homes. However, potential properties began to pop up on searches within North Wales and whilst visiting closed down restaurants in Bangor, the Holy Spirit clearly led them to the current premises on the high street. They both knew it was the one!

In February 2022, after much negotiation, the signing of a lease, a successful design, branding, and refurbishment exercise, the first Miracle Cafe was opened. With one employed barista/supervisor, initially Aliss oversaw the Front of House and spiritual ministry, and Ruth was Chef. As soon as the doors opened on opening day, customers started coming in. The first customer asked for prophecy from the Miracle Menu and then gave his heart to the Lord, The second said she was a witch, but received healing from Jesus. She loved the place and began sending in everyone she knew. Then the window cleaner received healing for his broken ankle and asked Jesus into his life. There were many more miracles and salvations on the first day – and the Lord has continued to move in power!
A Spirit Lifestyle Class has run weekly at Miracle Cafe Bangor since opening day which customers are signposted to. This is a time of mentoring, training and equipping plus practical hands-on activations.

By April 2022 the Café Development Team was in place, updating menus, various schedules and training, and a qualified Head Chef and Front of House staff were employed, allowing Aliss and Ruth to step away from the day-to-day service and begin to work towards opening more Miracle Cafes, connecting with like-minded people in various nations.

Miracle Café differs from regular food outlets, due not only to a fantastic customer experience and quality food and drink, but also by the addition of the free Miracle Menu, thus giving customers the opportunity to consider their spiritual, mental, and physical wellbeing. Every customer is made aware of the Miracle Menu and given the opportunity to order an item from it. Many customers, most of whom don’t know Jesus personally, relish the opportunity to receive ministry from the Miracle Menu. Moreover, a large majority will then return wanting to know more, bringing friends and family members with them. The Miracle Cafe is not advertised as a ‘Christian’ café per se – but a place where people receive a ‘taste of heaven’ as they encounter the love and power of Jesus personally.

Bangor, Gwynedd is a university city, home in term-time to over 10,000 students. It is also a holiday destination set in the beautiful North Wales Snowdonia Mountain range with three different groups of potential customers – local community, students and tourists.

The vision is for each Miracle Cafe to have its own look, design and food menu, depending on the demographic of its customers and its location. However, the core values will remain across all Miracle Cafes.

2.2 Core Team Structure

2.3 Premise and Core Values

Our premise – Miracle Café: freshly made food & drinks, a modern vibe and warm welcome, together with optional free Miracle Menu, provide a taste of heaven and an unforgettable experience.

Our Core Values are:

• Spiritual Integrity – we aim to introduce customers to Jesus and His Kingdom values in a relaxed and coherent way through the demonstration of miracles, healings and prophetic words offered via the free Miracle Menu, plus ongoing relationship and equipping through onsite Spirit Lifestyle Classes.
• High Quality Standards – we will operate to a high quality and standard in our service, our food & drink, and our premises.
• Fantastic Hospitality & Customer Experience – is the key element to our quality service. Staff will be carefully recruited and trained to ensure customers feel welcome and are served with a smile.

2.4 Contact Details

Keep a note of the following:

• Miracle Cafes Head Office: 307 – 309 High Street, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 1UL
• Miracle Cafes Business Manager:
• Miracle Cafes Development & Marketing:
• Partner Details:
• National Suppliers:
• Waste Removal:
• Pest Control:
• Licence Authorities:
• Local Authority:

Section 3: The Partner Agreement

3.1 The Agreement

The Partner Agreement referred to in this Manual is a contract under which we, Miracle Cafes CIC, grants you, the partner the right to operate a business associated with the trademarks associated with Miracle Cafe. The Agreement is a signed agreement, which is the basis of your business. It provides the rules for a long and mutually rewarding cooperation between both parties and establishes the obligations by us to you and vice versa, to maintain a continuing business relationship. Be aware of the terms and conditions, which are included as a protection for everyone.

• Failure to comply with the terms of the Agreement could lead to termination, particularly in relation to the following:
• Failure to pay outstanding invoices and fees,
• Failure to actively carry on the business.
• Selling unauthorised products.
• Violating State or Commonwealth regulations concerning the business.
• Disclosure of trade secrets, improper use of signs and logos or violation of the business practices set out in this manual.

3.2 Our Obligations

As Miracle Cafés CIC, we have obligations that are outlined in your partner agreement, so it is important that you review your agreement and seek advice where necessary to help navigate any necessary changes. It is essential that you read the agreement in full and make sure you understand what support you will be provided with as a partner.

We recognise our key role as supporting the partnership is to ensure its continued growth and success by assisting with site selection and development, providing the Brand and its necessary standards, by providing continued developmental and quality assurance support, and through marketing and advertising.

Our key responsibilities include initial training (including ministry training for the Miracle Menu), advice on methods and procedures for day-to-day operation, technical, sales techniques and proper customer relations, help in formulating and implementing local advertising and promotional programs assistance and guidance in bookkeeping and general administration for the proper operation of the business, determining product ranges and pricing, the management of any group purchasing, regular partner meetings and ongoing support and help as required.

3.3 Your Obligations

You, as our partners, are responsible to maintain the Corporate Image of your Miracle Cafe in every detail of the business including signs, sales invoices, business stationery and all advertising and uniforms etc., maintain a full complement of trained staff necessary to protect the integrity of your cafe and of the Group, to communicate relevant information in accordance with this manual and with our Partner Agreement, and to make financial contributions by way of tithes to Miracle cafes CIC and all account contributions on time to strengthen the Group and preserve the business’ integrity in the marketplace. You will also be responsible to promote your café independently within your region, monitor and strive to better the service and product knowledge and service provided by you and your staff, order stock from the reputable suppliers to ensure that your products comply with our image and standards, maintain your vehicles (if applicable) and stock in first class condition, provide an excellent standard of service to your customers, offer the Miracle Menu free of charge and in accordance with our spiritual procedures, and also inform us of any problems occurring within your business. In addition, we require all Miracle Cafes to provide customers with access to a regular Spirit Lifestyle Class locally, ensuring they have the opportunity to develop their Christian faith.

It is vital to appreciate at the start that as an independent business you can expect to, and will succeed, through your own efforts, acumen and time put into your business. You should be prepared to accept this responsibility and the subsequent credit. Minor failures are inevitable and for these you should also accept the responsibility of instant remedial action.

As you read through our Manual you will realise that you do indeed have independence to run your business and that ongoing professional support is an integral part of our relationship. We are relying on you to uphold our reputation and integrity for excellent customer service, efficiency and high standards of business and ministry ethics.

3.4 Site Selection and Development

Choosing the right location is fundamental for the success of your Miracle Café as this will be where customers will routinely come to purchase your services and build up a rapport with you. We will provide you with information on the type of location you should be looking for and share our location preferences with you and where necessary, request information on the associated costs of the sites you are considering before we give our approval. Once approved, you will be expected to develop your location to meet the requirements and the standards outlined in the Partnership Agreement, including layout, décor, signage, furniture, fixtures, and equipment.

After your site plan is approved, it will be your responsibility to build out the location to our standards and to meet local building regulations and codes. We will provide you with a list of sources to help choose equipment, décor, and other items you will need to purchase where appropriate. Before you open your Miracle Cafe, you will need our approval that the development of your location meets all our standards.

It’s worth noting at this stage that just because we approve your site, this does not mean we are providing you with any assurances that your business will be successful. We are merely accepting that the location is satisfactory (see more on selecting a suitable location in Section 12.5).

3.5 Initial Training

Our training will include in-person workshops where possible, online videos and on-the-job training. Occasionally however, training may be provided at our flagship Headquarters in Bangor. We will send members of our Team to help recruit and train your staff and assist in the launch of your cafe.

Ministry and operational training is also available on our internet portals at www.miracle.cafe and www.spiritlifestyle.com. As a Miracle Café we will require you to access our portals and familiarise with the training videos before signing your Partner Agreement. The cost of the training on our portal is minimal for each membership. In addition, it will be your responsibility to pay for all travel, hotels, food, and other costs for you and your staff while attending training where necessary.

3.6 Training the Trainer

It would benefit you greatly if members of your management team attended initial training, alongside café staff. However as with all other levels of support, it is important for you to confirm in advance who will be attending.

We will provide you with ongoing training and support through our Team as we recognise the importance of ongoing training.

3.7 Meeting the Brand’s Standards

As a partner, you are an independent business operating under a licence that requires you to meet our business standards. As such, you will be required to operate your business to meet the brand standards, procedures, and requirements contained in this manual along with other brand-standard information. Except for adhering to brand standard requisites like dress code, hair colour, tattoos, piercing, language, etc., and front of house staff having a strong personal faith in Jesus, there will be no human resource requirements imposed on your business by us.

3.8 The Role of Our Team

Our Team will help you every step of the way to improve the performance of your business and also ensure that you are operating your business according to brand standards. They are not your supervisors, nor are they the supervisor of your staff. They are however your main point of contact and support, and they represent us, as your business partner. You should take the time to meet them, even if that’s via a zoom call, and get to know them in person and not simply have them meet with your staff.

In other areas, including supply chain, marketing support, replacement management training, new products, and services, etc., we may provide support from our core staff. An additional support system will be made available to you through www.spiritlifestyle.com where you will also be able to communicate with other partners in our network, to get advice and good practice directly from fellow partners, joining zoom meetings with our team and others at regular intervals. These are places for you to convey good practice, new information and training. It’s highly beneficial to take advantage of these meetings when they are offered.

3.9 Marketing and Advertising

We will provide market introduction assistance and grand launch guidance through our marketing and advertising platforms. During the term of your partnership with us, you will also be required to advertise locally; however, we will commit to continued advertising and promotion of your Miracle Cafe.

Whilst you are operating an independent business, you are doing so while sharing a brand with us and other partners. Because of that, how you advertise is important. This means you are not free to develop and use advertising or marketing materials that have not been reviewed and approved by us in advance. We will provide a method for you to submit marketing materials you independently produce for approval.

Section 4: Training

4.1 Initial Training & Interventions

The aim of any successful partnership is to achieve consistent, sustainable replication of the brand promise to consumers, and for the Group to be financially successful at every level. Training is a major element of achieving that aim.
Our initial training will demonstrate how to replicate our business model and equip you with the knowledge you will need. Our training will help you acquire the skills and knowledge you will need to succeed in your new job and contribute to the partnership as a whole.

Proposed schedule of training and interventions is as follows:

In addition to workshops and online video training, you and your team will be trained and supported on site at your cafe by members of our team. We will implement a formal observation process in which we will clearly articulate what is expected of various staff members and then evaluate them on each of these criteria.

Below is an example of the observation sheets used:

4.2 Ministry Training

Spiritual ministry training is very important and is key to the success of the Miracle Cafe’s USP: the Miracle Menu. Key members of our team will provide you with initial and ongoing spiritual training. Training videos and written material can be found at the Miracle Cafe resource section of www.spiritlifestyle.com in addition to www.miracle.cafe

We would expect all Front of House staff to participate in on-site training, whether that be initial training by our team prior to launch or by you or your Cafe Manager as and when new staff are recruited.

Front of House staff will need to have a personal relationship with Jesus and must be fully trained in all aspects of the Miracle Menu before they are able to offer ministry to customers.

4.3 Additional Training / Refresher Courses

We recommend all Front of House staff attend the local Spirit Lifestyle Class each week, or alternatively an online Spirit Lifestyle Class of their choice via our website www.spiritlifestyle.com for ongoing spiritual training. Workshops will take place in various locations from time to time that you will be invited to attend for training and fellowship.

In addition, we encourage all Front of House staff to read Rob & Aliss Cresswell’s books, which are full of practical ministry training and real-life examples. These are available to all partners at a discounted price.

4.4 Miracle Cafe Support Meetings

We will host a regular Zoom support meeting for all Miracle Cafe managers. This is where you can meet other partners, ask questions, share testimonies and receive ongoing training and best practice that you can then share with your team where necessary. Details of each video link will be provided on the private Miracle Cafe section of the www.spiritlifestyle.com portal.

Section 5: Staffing

5.1 Staffing Your Café

Getting the right staff in place is crucial for the successful running and productivity of your café and ministry, so take the time to recruit well! Don’t rush the enrolment process. Think about where you would get the best candidate response for each job you need to fill, before advertising in a public domain. What type of person do you need to fulfil the requirements of each job? Think about the characteristics you are looking for – cheerful and friendly with a strong faith for a Front of House position, creativity and reliability in your chef.

A well thought through and implemented recruitment drive can increase the quality of the employees you get, and through proper training, the performance level of staff can be improved.

5.2 Position Descriptions with Profiles

• A Café Supervisor or Manager will oversee, motivate and inspire staff in great customer service, quality control, health & hygiene compliance and spiritual ministry.
• The Head Chef will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the kitchen, overseeing kitchen staff, menu planning & costing, stock control, food ordering, food safety compliance, apprentice training and of course producing good quality and well-presented dishes.
• Barista’s & Front of House Staff – should ensure a seamless and quality customer service experience for guests at Miracle Café, able to promote the Miracle Menu, and provide ministry when asked for it. They will make drinks, manage bookings, greet and seat guests, take orders and payments, clear tables, and resolve any customer issues or complaints.
• Trainees in hospitality are an integral part of the vision for Miracle Cafés, and therefore we would encourage each partner to think about their potential to offer apprenticeships and/or training opportunities to those in need of re-skilling and employment.

You will find copies of our job descriptions and contract of employment under ‘Partner Resources’ at www.miracle.cafe

Section 6: Office Policies

6.1 The Employee Handbook

Our Employee Handbook has been devised to give staff a detailed overview of policies that are specific to your business along with other key procedures, guidelines, and employee benefits. It sets out clear expectations and precedence for staff while also stating your legal obligations as an employer and defining employee rights according to the law.

The Employee Handbook can help to protect your business against employee legal action, claims and grievances such as wrongful dismissal, harassment, and discrimination. The handbook is also a crucial introduction to your business for new employees, providing essential insights into your mission and values.

The Handbook covers topics such as key principles, how we do things, code of conduct, absences, flexible working and how we resolve issues.

You will find a full pdf copy of the Employee Handbook 2022 under ‘Partner Resources’ www.miracle.cafe

6.2 Health & Safety

Every business, no matter how small, should give serious consideration to matters of Health & Safety. Indeed, UK law dictates that every business must have a policy for managing health and safety at work (see https://www.hse.gov.uk/legislation/hswa.htm). A good health and safety policy sets out the general approach to health and safety for your business. It explains how you, as an employer, will manage health and safety. It should clearly state who does what, when and how (see https://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/policy/how-to-write-your-policy.htm).

You will find a full pdf copy of our Health & Safety Policy under ‘Partner Resources’ www.miracle.cafe

6.3 Fire Safety & Assessment

Fires destroy property, cause injuries, and take lives. However, most fires are preventable. As an employer, you are responsible for the fire safety management of your immediate business and any other buildings to which your staff and customers have access. You can mitigate risk by taking responsibility for and adopting the right behaviours and procedures.

Fire safety training can teach workers how to recognise fire hazards, conduct a fire safety risk assessment, prevent a workplace fire, and respond if a fire occurs.

You will find pdf copies of our Fire Safety Policy, Procedures and Risk Assessment documentation under ‘Partner Resources’ www.miracle.cafe

6.4 Food Safety

Food safety refers to routines in the preparation, handling and storage of food meant to prevent contamination and foodborne illness and injury. From farm to factory to fork, food products may encounter any number of health hazards during their journey through the supply chain.

As a food outlet chain, Miracle Cafes must comply fully with all legal and regulatory frameworks governing regions and countries. In the UK, a new food outlet business must register with its local authority and ensure that staff handling food have the relevant training and certification such as Basic Food Handling and Allergen Training. It is your responsibility to establish the regulation and legislative requirements governing your State or country and provide us with the evidence that you are compliant.

Safer Food Better Business is a complete pack produced by the UK’s Food Standard Agency (www.food.gov.uk/) which will help you show what you do to make and sell food that is safe to eat. We highly recommend that you complete and adhere to the good practice in this pack regardless of which nation you belong to.

www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/media/document/sfbb-caterers-pack-fixed.pdf

6.5 Quality Standards of Services

Quality is of the utmost importance because we value our customers and want to see them enjoy their Miracle Café experience. We must all therefore strive to provide our customers with services which meet and even exceed their expectations.

We must all be committed to continuous improvement and adhere to a Quality Management System which provides a framework for measuring and improving our performance.

We have the following systems and procedures in place to support us in our aim of total customer satisfaction and continuous improvement throughout our business:

• regular gathering and monitoring of customer feedback
• a customer complaints procedure
• selection and performance monitoring of suppliers against set criteria
• training and development of our employees
• regular audit of our internal processes
• measurable quality objectives which reflect our business aims
• management reviews of audit results, customer feedback and complaints

Our internal procedures are reviewed regularly and are held in a Quality Manual which is made available under ‘Partner Resources’ www.miracle.cafe

6.6 Handling Customer Complaints and Issues

Complaints and issues are sadly an inevitable part of customer-facing roles in hospitality. We cannot always account for the unexpected, and things do go wrong sometimes, but in the fast-paced world of hospitality, how we deal with complaints can have a significant impact on our business, our customers, and our staff:

1. Always listen with concern and empathy to an issue. Do not be defensive or take offence.
2. If possible, remove the customer from the earshot of other guests so that they won’t overhear.
3. Stay calm. Don’t argue with the customer under any circumstance.
4. Be aware of the customer’s personality showing a special interest in the issue. Find out and use the customer’s first name wherever possible.
5. Give the customer your undivided attention, concentrating on the issue at hand, do not under any circumstance apportion the blame or insult the customer.
6. Make notes of the issue. Writing things down ensures the facts are recorded correctly for future reference, and demonstrates you are taking the matter seriously.
7. Look for solutions with the customer; offer choices. Never make promises you cannot commit to and don’t exceed your authority. Take advice from your supervisor if necessary.
8. Monitor the progress of the corrective action.
9. Always follow up with the customer before they leave. Even if the matter was resolved by a colleague, ask the customer if they are satisfied with the resolution.

6.7 Employee Appearance (Trade Dress) and Hygiene

All staff should dress in a manner appropriate to the work that they do. Key factors include whether they meet customers and whether the requirements of health and safety require specific clothing.

Overall, most staff will be required to wear a branded uniform of some description as outlined in your Partner Agreement. You must ensure that staff are appraised of your dress code and supplied with the relevant items of apparel. Staff should be made aware that they will be expected to always wear this whilst at work, especially if they meet the public in the performance of their duties.

Staff must look presentable for work with uniform maintained in a good condition.

6.8 General Data Protection Regulation

The General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR applies to all businesses of any size and the penalties for breaches are high – up to €20 million or 4% of turnover – so businesses can’t afford to overlook it.

As a food business, the GDPR will have an impact on you. On an individual level, it should mean you will get less unsolicited mail and calls, people should not be able to buy your data as easily and they shouldn’t be able to communicate with you without your permission.

From a business point-of-view, you will need to ensure your business operates in such a way as to prevent these things from happening to those you hold data on. It’s important to make sure you can prove that any data you hold is essential to the business.

This relates to employees, suppliers, engineers that service your equipment, customers and any individual on whom you hold data. That means your database needs to be cleaned and updated regularly – you cannot just add someone’s details and hold them indefinitely. Under the GDPR, IP addresses, social media posts and photographs are also counted as personal data, along with information you may already expect, such as telephone numbers, email addresses or postal addresses. You must have policies and procedures for protecting personal data in the workplace. Access to personal data from within your organisation should also be responsibly thought through.

You must ensure that the businesses you work with are also GDPR compliant. This relates to all businesses you might work with, such as suppliers, engineers or organisations you may use to store your data, or back up your database, off-site.

And you must ensure that everyone on your database has opted in and you uphold their rights when it comes to accessing their data and objecting to its use. For instance, if somebody gives you a business card at a trade show, it does not mean they have automatically given you permission to contact them about your products – you will need to have a record of the consent they have given you and how they have agreed to you using that data. It may be simplest to have an electronic consent form available on your phones or tablets for people to sign up to at trade shows or promotional events.

You must also ensure that you are able to remove personal data or are able to update it within your database. If someone asks you to stop mailing them or calling them about a particular service you offer, you will need to be able to remove their personal data or update the information on your database to instruct how their data can be used – such as when and how you will contact them.

It’s also important you are able to remove any personal data your business holds on someone. Under the GDPR, data subjects have the ‘right to be forgotten’. So, you must be able to remove personal data safely and totally from your system, if the data subject requests to be erased or forgotten.

Make sure your business gains consent in the correct way. Companies can no longer use pre-ticked or opt-out options to gain data consent from customers. A clear, positive opt-in tick-box must be used. It also means that mailings need to have clear and simple unsubscribe processes.

The wide-ranging nature of these regulations means it’s not wise to leave it until the last minute to implement any changes. Here is a basic GDPR compliance checklist to adhere to the rules:

• Recognise who your Data Protection Officer (DPO) is within the business – this is your data gatekeeper. If your business has fewer than 250 employees this is not compulsory, but it is always easier when someone champions a project.
• Make sure everyone within the business understands what the GDPR does for them as an individual and how it affects how they collect, store and use data at work.
• Clean your database and remove any information you know is no longer relevant.
• Ask everyone whose data you want to store if you can continue to keep their information. Tell them how they can see what information you’re storing on them, how you will store it, what specifically you will use it for and how they can have that information removed or altered.
• Make sure that, for each person’s data, you store the permissions you are granted and can show them if required.
• Have clear business privacy policies and make sure they are accessible to all employees.
• Regularly maintain your database and train your staff in their GDPR responsibilities.
• Make it simple for people to request to be removed from all the communications you send.
• Report any data breaches, whether internal or via an external company, to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Above all, if you haven’t already, act now. Get the information on what you’re required to do from a reliable source and start preparing your food business for the GDPR legislation before it’s too late.

Section 7: Café Operation and Maintenance

7.1 Housekeeping

One of our core values is having fantastic hospitality in all our cafes and bistros. A hospitable environment is absolutely pivotal to the services and the experiences we provide as is operating to a high quality & standard of service, food, ministry and premises.

Cleaning and maintenance schedules are an integral part of these core values and will ensure you keep your business clean, hygienic and organised. They act as a communication link between management and staff to ensure that necessary time and attention is given to the cleaning tasks.

Regular cleaning reduces the build-up of dirt, grease and bacteria and will help to maintain equipment in good working order. A clean front-of-house area and dining space affects how guests perceive your business and whether they choose to become repeat customers. And a clean back-of-house area is crucial for preventing cross-contamination and the spread of bacteria.

Each cafe will have slightly different cleaning schedules due to differing layouts, designs, and kitchen spaces, but most cleaning tasks should be universal. A daily/weekly/monthly cleaning schedule is paramount to ensure this is achieved.

Take time to assess your café’s front-of-house area and back-of-house area, as well as storerooms and restrooms to put together an efficient cleaning schedule.

7.2 Cleaning Schedules

Front-of-House Weekly Cleaning Tasks:

• Clean the inside and outside of all drink’s fridges.
• Pull out removable equipment (e.g., fridges) to sweep and mop behind them.
• Ensure the cash register area is organised and clutter-free.
• Clean coffee grinders with blue roll only.
• Deep clean all sinks.
• Deep clean the dishwasher.
• Deep clean rubbish bins.
• Drain and clean ice machines.
• Wipe down light fixtures.
• Clean over light switches and plug sockets.
• Wipe down and sanitise doors.
• Use glass cleaner to clean windows.
• Sanitise chair and table legs.
• Check teabags are all in date.

Front-of-House Monthly Cleaning Tasks:

• Wipe down and sanitise café walls.
• Knock cobwebs from ceiling.
• Dust fire extinguishers and ensure they are in working order.
• Dust decorations, paintings, and artwork.

Back-of-House Daily Cleaning Tasks:

• Wipe over kitchen walls.
• Brush, scour and clean the grill.
• Clean griddle, fryers, fridges and surfaces.
• Wipe down any other appliances such as microwaves, toasters etc.
• Clean and disinfect all preparation surfaces, including cutting boards.
• Clean all kitchen utensils and cutting boards and put them through the
• dishwasher.
• Clean and sanitise all sinks.
• Refill kitchen soap dispensers.
• Put all dirty rags in the dirty laundry.
• Sweep and mop kitchen floors.
• Wash floor mats.
• Check all fridge stock is in-date, date-dotted and safe for sale.
• Place relevant food orders.

Back-of-House Weekly Cleaning Tasks:

• Clean the ovens.
• Deep clean taps and sinks.
• Boil out the deep fryer.
• Clean and sanitise kitchen and storeroom fridges.
• Pull out removable equipment (e.g. fridges) to sweep and mop behind them.
• Deep clean the dishwasher.

Back-of-House Monthly Cleaning Tasks:

• Check over pest traps and report any issues to management.
• Deep clean vent hoods.
• Clean behind fryers and ovens.
• Clean and sanitise kitchen and storeroom freezers.
• Sharpen knives.

Exemplar cleaning schedules from Miracle Café Bangor:

7.3 Opening & Closing Procedures

As well as cleaning schedules, we encourage maintenance schedules; creating daily checklists for both opening and closing to ensure all actions are completed.

These lists are going to slightly differ from café to café so take time to assess your café and staff needs and make your lists accordingly.

Exemplar Daily Opening Tasks

• Ensure all necessary lighting is switched on.
• Ensure the toilet is in working order; there is enough toilet paper and soap, the sinks, the lights are switched on etc.
• Switch on the dishwasher.
• Switch on the coffee machine.
• Ensure there are enough coffee beans in the hopper and the barista tools and clean and ready for use.
• Put out cake stock for the day – log any new cakes on the cake log sheet.
• Ensure all floors and surfaces are clean and dry.
• Ensure there are sugar sachets and condiments available to customers.
• Ensure there is plenty of cutlery rolled up.
• Switch on the music system and TV display.
• Take out A-Boards and outdoor furniture.
• Check the drinks stocks and replenish anything running low.
• Ensure the cash register is ready for use and the card machine is switched on.
• Check any bookings for the day and put out reservation signs when necessary.
• Check over weekly jobs assigned to the day.
• Flip the sign to ‘open’ at the correct time.

Exemplar Daily Closing Tasks

• Ensure all dishes are washed, dried, and put away.
• Make a stock list and replenish stock.
• Cash up and print the takings report.
• Complete evening cleaning tasks.
• Ensure all lighting and heaters are switched off.
• Lock the doors and put down the shutters.

7.4 Miscellaneous Duties and Responsibilities

7.4.1 Lost Property

We would recommend that you accept no responsibility for the loss or damage of personal property whilst on your premises, including accepting any liability should lost property be returned for any reason to someone who is not its owner – for example if someone makes false representation of ownership of property.

You should have in place policy and procedure which stipulates how you will deal with reports of lost property and found property. For example, for lost property to be reclaimed, a detailed description of the item(s) and/or proof of identity and the date the item was lost will be required. Every effort should be made to identify the possible owner of any lost property (which may involve searching the item).

Staff will not mail or courier any reclaimed found property back to the presumed owner unless the appropriate fees to cover packing and postage is first received. All items will be sent at the owner’s risk.

Keep lost property for 3 months, if the item is not claimed in that time donate/dispose of it.

Exemplar Lost Property Log Sheet from Miracle Café Bangor:

7.4.2 Stock Count

Stock Counting is when you manually check and record all the inventory that your café currently has on hand. It allows you to keep an accurate track on all the physical stock you have sold and what hasn’t sold. It’s about comparing your physical stock count with the digital report and then finding any discrepancies.

Assess your café’s needs as to whether a fortnightly or monthly stock count should be employed.

Stock Count Guidance

• Organise the storeroom(s) before conducting the stock count to make it easy to find and count stock and to decrease the likelihood of a miscount.
• Ensure you have the correct waste sheet for that period available to you as well as the report of sales.
• Supervisors should give all involved in the stock count clear goals and responsibilities. Consider pairing two staff to conduct the stock count; one member can physically count the stock whilst the other records it.
• Know which stock you need to count and how you are going to count it. For example, will you count individual napkins, or a sleeve of napkins?
• Categorise your stock, for example, food items, soft drinks, beverage components, merchandise etc.

7.4.3 Waste Sheet

A waste sheet is a record of all stock that has not been sold, but instead, disposed of and therefore will not appear on the record of sales, for example damaged stock, expired items or items given away for free. An accurate account on the waste sheet is essential to account for discrepancies in the stock count.

Exemplar Waste Sheet

7.4.4 Order Sheets

Order sheets can be helpful for the member(s) of staff responsible for orders and to keep stock replenished. Staff can fill out what needs to be ordered and on what day and they can refer to this sheet when placing the order digitally or by phone call.

Exemplar Order Sheet from Miracle Café Bangor:

7.5 Welcoming Customers

A key value of Miracle Cafes is for every person to experience fantastic hospitality and ‘a taste of heaven’ from the moment they enter the building. So as soon as a customer comes through the door, ensure eye contact with a smile and a warm greeting such as: “Welcome – table for 2?” or “Welcome – someone will be with you in a moment!” Being taken to their table and seated by a server is ideal, so that the customer is looked after from the time they arrive, and a sign near to the entrance: ‘Please wait here to be seated’ is recommended.

The server should then seat the customer at a suitable table – if two people, try to seat them at a table for two unless not a busy period and there is plenty of space.

7.6 Taking Customer Orders

As customers are seated, establish whether they have been to the Miracle Cafe previously. If not, you will need to explain the menus to them – point out the food menu and let them know of any specials, soup of the day etc and then show them the Miracle Menu. They may be surprised at this, so briefly explain what it is – all the items on the Miracle Menu are free and they can order them when they order their food or later when they order dessert.

If they don’t seem interested, don’t spend long on that and don’t try to force them, but if they want to ask questions in detail, you could suggest that they look through first and then you can answer any questions when you come back.

Return to take their drinks order and food if they’re ready, and find out what they would like from the Miracle Menu. Perhaps put their food and drinks order through first at the bar/kitchen then return to chat more about the Miracle Menu if they have questions. If you have volunteers specially to administer spiritual ministry, let the customer and volunteer know and the volunteer can either answer the customer’s questions or return later to offer the ministry.

The best time to minister to the customer is after they have eaten, unless the cafe is busy and there is a long wait for food – then a good time to minister is while they are waiting, if the customer is happy to receive it then – but stop as soon as their food is ready. Always allow customers to eat in peace and never force any spiritual ministry onto them. They are more likely to return if their interest has been piqued and they haven’t been pushed into anything.

7.7 Customer service

After the customer has received their food and any sauces they require, after a short time check back and quickly ask if everything is OK. This gives the customer opportunity to say if the food is not right. If there is a problem, do your best to rectify it as soon as possible and keep smiling! Apologise if there is a mistake. Customers are usually happy as long as the problem is rectified quickly. If their drinks are empty, you could also ask if anyone needs another drink.

Once everyone at the table has finished eating, return to clear the table and take the dessert and Miracle Menus and let them know that you or another member of the team will be back to offer the spiritual ministry that they have asked for.

Section 8: Cafe Equipment, Inventories & Supplies

8.1 Cafe Furniture & Equipment

When you’re opening a cafe, it can be difficult to think through each item you’ll need to run a successful business. From industrial bean grinders to refrigeration systems, flatware, paper products, storage, and so on, the number of items you need can be immense.

Nevertheless, acquiring the necessary equipment is crucial. After setting up Miracle Cafe Bangor, and doing the necessary research, we have developed a Cafe Start-up Equipment Checklist to ensure you have considered everything you may need before opening your doors to the public.

8.1.1 Food and drink preparation

The preparation of barista style drinks and great food will be at the centre of your business, and you’ll need a wide variety of equipment to ensure you can provide your customers with the items they want.

Your list of equipment should include:

• Drip coffeemakers
• Coffee presses
• Coffee beans
• A high-quality espresso machine
• Industrial coffee grinders
• Food preparation tables
• Food storage bins, bottles, and pumps
• Commercial blenders
• Ovens/toasters/grills/fryers/microwaves
• An ice maker

While your needs will differ depending on the items, you’re serving they’re almost all essential.

Another aspect to consider is the make and model of a high-quality espresso machine, rather than just going for a cheaper model that fits your budget. Great coffee will be crucial and your machine will need to reflect that. When looking for the right machine, make sure you choose a model that can produce a high number of cups a day quickly. Remember busy periods will put strain on your staff and pressure on your equipment, so having a machine that supports the process is key.

There are different options for acquiring expensive pieces of equipment such as these, such as buying new, buying good quality used, lease purchase, leasing and so on. Shop around and take advice. Look for a business that is closing down and selling off equipment. The premises we rented for Miracle Cafe Bangor was previously a restaurant that had closed down, so we were able to purchase the equipment in situ. Ensure that your equipment is regularly serviced and kept in good working order.

8.1.2 Software

Software is an often-overlooked aspect of running a business, particularly in hospitality. However, selecting the right software for your business is a must for your continued success.

At a minimum, you’ll need:

• A robust security system
• A POS system
• Employee management/scheduling software
• Payroll/accounting software
• These products will support your business operations.

8.1.3 QR Code Check-ins and Contactless Ordering

2020 changed hospitality forever with the advent of Covid and its need for safety check-ins for contact tracing purposes and social distancing. Regulations in most countries have now relaxed and check-ins are not enforced anymore, yet the systems introduced in this period remain. Moreover, contactless ordering has seen massive growth over the past 12 months, whether online ordering and delivery, or order at table solutions. You may want to weigh up and consider adopting these systems from the offset.

However, we have found that taking orders in person means that customers are more likely to order from the Miracle Menu and waiting on staff are able to up-sell food and drink items more easily. Since our core values include great hospitality and customer experience, we recommend taking orders in person.

8.1.4 Integrations

The level of integrations with third party applications to make your life easier are endless. From accounting to rostering, reporting, order ahead, order at table, delivery, payment, and everything in-between.

8.1.5 POS system

Whether you are setting up a cafe for the first time, or you are an experienced merchant, having the right POS is essential for your success. Your POS, or Point-of Sale system is the central component of your business, and much more than just a way for customers to pay for their purchases. A good POS system can merge and simplify crucial business operations as well as providing you with a steady stream of data which you can use to make informed business decisions. Some of the capabilities of a quality POS system include:

• Inventory management
• Accounting
• Employee management
• Customer management
• Sales reporting

However, with many different POS systems out there, how do you know which is right for your business? Whether you are looking for your first POS system or looking to upgrade to a new and improved one, finding the perfect solution needn’t be a headache. Here are some things that you should consider when choosing a retail POS.

a. Set-up cost and compatibility with your hardware – While the running costs of a great POS can be relatively low, the initial costs to get set up may be more than you expect. Not only do you have to invest in the software, but unless your chosen POS is compatible with your current hardware, you may have to invest a considerable amount in new cash drawers, barcode scanners and more.

b. What features do you think you’ll need – POS systems can be used in many different businesses, from cafés and salons to gyms and retail stores. As a retailer, the features that your business needs may be somewhat different to many other merchants that may require a POS. As such, you need to be sure that the system you choose has the right features to make your business a roaring success. Before you start looking around, make a list of what you need most from your future POS and use this as the basis for your search.

c. Decide if you want a cloud-based POS system – an increasing number of businesses are switching over to cloud-based POS systems. Unlike conventional POS software, which is all based on servers either at your physical location or somewhere else belonging to your company, cloud-based software stores all of your data in the cloud – a digital space that can be accessed at any time, anywhere; all you need is an internet connection. Cloud is good because data secured on the cloud is encrypted, and therefore the responsibility of the system service provider. Since they protect the data for so many different users, they invest heavily in the greatest security possible, which is usually far beyond the affordability of an individual company.

d. The usability of your chosen POS – choosing a POS that is simple to operate and can be used day to day without a constant need to refer to the manual is essential if you are to remain productive. This is particularly important in fast-paced environments that have a higher turnover of staff than usual.

e. Simple training procedures – hospitality is renowned for its high staff turnover rate, often unavoidable when employing students and casual staff. Extensive training can be a serious drain on company resources as experienced staff are taken off of their usual roles to educate and demonstrate to newer team members. By choosing a POS that is very user friendly and offers plenty of training resources, you can streamline the training process and get your new staff up to speed in no time.

f. Supporting business growth – While you may be content with just one bricks and mortar store for now, there is no telling how well or how quickly your business may grow. You may want to consider a POS system that does not restrict the number of outlets and registers that can be used.

g. Inventory Tracking – Conventional inventory control can be a complex and time-consuming process, but thankfully, most POS systems can make managing your stock a much simpler task. This is especially important if you have multiple branches as information about current stock, incoming stock and stock at other retail locations are needed for your daily operation. A good POS will do more than just track your inventory. Many now offer options such as purchase order creation, re-stock reminders and stock transfer between locations. We highly recommend that you choose a POS that has strong inventory capabilities.

h. Integration with third party software – although the software that comes with a quality POS system should offer you an abundance of great and useful features, you may also consider the way that it integrates with third party software as this could further streamline your operations. Integrations can save a lot of manpower in terms of double or even triple entries, and instead mean that all of your customer data, accounting information or sales figures are stored in one central system and any updates need to be performed just for the change to filter through and be visible in all of your third-party software. Alternatively, your POS could integrate with your eCommerce store, centralising all orders and stock figures. Third party integrations can dramatically help simplify many day to day business processes, so when you choose a POS system, check what integrations are available.

i. Reporting – for your business to be successful you need to understand it as well as possible. This means having access to the data that will empower you to make the right decisions. The more reporting options that your chosen POS can offer, the deeper you can drill down to get the specific information you need to have full awareness of your business.

8.1.6 Wi-Fi

Including a free customer Wi-Fi connection in your cafe is crucial in today’s world. From business professionals through to those on-the-go, give back to your customer base by allowing them to access free internet within your venue. This will also keep them onsite longer, enticing them to stay for another coffee (or two). Additionally, you’ll inspire those looking for a work lunch spot or meeting place to choose you over competitors who may not have this functionality.

The Miracle Cafe Bangor Wi-Fi is easily accessible by all, and we have the password up on the wall. However, you may wish to ask customers to log in and, in this way, gather email addresses to your database.

8.1.7 Heating & Cooling

It goes without saying, but no business (be it within hospitality or not) should open doors without a solid heating and cooling system in place. If you’re trying to tick all elements off your cafe equipment checklist, this should be among your top priority.

8.1.8 Storage and refrigeration

Working with perishable goods and a lot of different ingredients means you’ll need a comprehensive storage and refrigeration system to make sure your perishable foods adhere to regulatory guidelines. You should have:

• Industrial refrigerators
• A large freezer (walk-in for larger businesses)
• Insulated containers for cream and milk
• Industrial shelving for dry storage
• Food storage containers for opened ingredients
• Industrial plastic wrap

Consider your design and interiors when purchasing as you’ll want something that suits your aesthetics, all the while providing the functionality you need. Ensure you also position them in accessible areas, as this will be the make-or-break factor during busy periods.

8.2 Miracle Café Starter Pack

Your Miracle Cafe Starter will consist of the following items to get you started:

• Miracle Café Aprons x 2
• Name Badges
• Loyalty Cards
• Afternoon Tea Vouchers
• Clipboards & Menu Templates
• Coffee Advice
• Crockery, Cutlery & Glassware Advice
• Food & Beverage Manual
• Employee Handbook

Section 9: Administration

9.1 Record Keeping

Record Keeping is vital for running a successful business. It serves to help manage costs, ensure legal and regulatory compliance, safeguard information needed for tax purposes, help manage, develop and improve your business and services and so on. It’s therefore crucial to have great systems from the outset to help you collect, store and effectively analyse your data. But keeping track of your data isn’t always easy. Questions emerge such as why keep data, what data should be kept, and how long should it be kept for?

First and foremost, you have a legal obligation to maintain adequate records. Whether you are a limited company, a Community Interest Company, a charity or some other legal entity, you must already have, and keep information relating to your business such as your articles and memorandum of association, a record of directors or trustees, minutes for periodic meetings, your registered office address and any rights people may hold over any of your assets.

You must also provide adequate accounts to HMRC or the IRS and these must be supported by corresponding records and processes. Failure to keep this information can lead to inspections by the regulatory bodies and fines, suspension of trading or even imprisonment. Furthermore, service industries such as hospitality and food services are seen as high risk, meaning that it is more likely your records and processes will be inspected at some stage by the governing authorities. Certainly, you can expect to be followed up by Environmental Health officials in the UK if you are serving food or beverages of any kind to members of the public.

The UK’s HMRC guidance explicitly states: “You must keep records of all your business transactions …. if you do not keep adequate records or you do not keep your records for the required period of time, you may have to pay a penalty.”

Furthermore, there are other bodies/organisations that may request historic information from you from time to time such as Insurance providers, banks and other financial institutions, any associations you are a member of, or perhaps Trading Standards or even law enforcement or the courts if you have a legal complaint made against you.

Moreover, keeping records will undoubtedly help improve and grow your business. Records enable measurable outcomes without which it would be impossible to quantify your journey and monitor progress.

Financial information such as costs, revenues and profits will be kept and be available from your accounting software; information on sales through your POS system, whilst customer information could be gleaned from your internal database system if you have one.

Maintaining good record systems can also ensure you have a knowledge base from which to help your staff grow and develop. Storing certain information and making it available to staff can help them progress and develop in their various roles, empowering them to make decisions on-site without having to call for advice.

Good record keeping will also help focus your time in a more productive and beneficial way. One of the main reasons businesses fail is that the owners spend too much time on the operational day-to-day tasks. Freeing up your time should allow you more time to further develop your business. Analysing and monitoring your management accounts can help you allocate your time to aspects of the business that ensure profitability and see where changes need to be made. Simply taking a step back from time to time can often unleash the creative juices and give your ideas for new ventures or direction.

Knowing what information you should keep, and best methods for storage is also crucial. It’s also important to keep a record of the work you’ve already achieved and the business agreements you’ve made in case you or the other party has a question about it at a later date.

9.1.1 Customer database and feedback

We recommend you set up a customer database, so that you can share updates, promotions and events with customers on a regular basis. Mailchimp is currently free of charge up to a certain number of contacts and there are other similar providers to choose from. We have developed a customer feedback system that allows your customers to easily access our feedback form through a QR code, share feedback about their experience including testimonies, and be easily added to your customer database. You will find more details of this along with all other resources mentioned, at www.miracle.cafe

9.2 Accounting Services

The types of records you may be required to provide to your government tax department include

• Business expenses
• Bank statements / credit card statements
• Annual tax returns
• Quarterly tax filings
• Payroll
• Inventory
• Sales
• Revenue
• Petty cash
• Vehicle logs
• Invoices
• Cancelled cheques and cheque stubs
• Purchase orders

9.3 HR Records

HR records such as employment applications, emails and other business correspondence are good to keep. You should also keep a personal records file on each member of staff along with accident reports, permits or any licences that are required in order to carry out your business.

As has already been noted in section 6.8, when storing personal information, it’s important to note that you have an obligation under the Data Protection Act 2018 which implements GDPR to store personal information securely and to be able to provide the information on request to the person the information is about.

9.3.1 Employee Management

Employee management refers to a process that includes most aspects of human resources, from the operational day-to-day and communication aspects to HR skills and attributes, including tracking employee hours-worked to scheduling, leave and forms.

At Miracle Cafe Bangor, we use www.connecteam.com which has a free version to get you started and is fit for purpose for small businesses, but there are many different software’s available – you may want to shop around. What’s crucial is that you have a robust system in place to support HR, particularly if you are employing staff on a casual basis or zero-hour contracts.

9.4 Business Records

At a minimum you need to keep a copy of your articles of incorporation, a record of the minutes from any formal meetings and your Companies House filings. You may also have Trademarks and registrations.

9.4.1 General business information

General business information could include vehicle-tracking data to help monitor and reduce mileage. It could include job-tracking data to help optimise your business or it could include correspondence from your customers.

The length you should keep business records will vary depending on country and region, so you must check with your governing bodies on this point. Nevertheless, with the vast storage and data retrieval clouds at our disposal now information can be kept indefinitely. The UK’s HMRC guidance states that if you’re self-employed or a partnership, you usually must keep your records for at least five years from 31st January following the tax year that a tax return relates to, whereas Corporation Tax records will normally have to be kept for at least six years from the end of that accounting period. If you send your return in late or the return must be checked by HMRC, you may be required to keep your records for longer.

9.5 Value Added Tax (VAT)

Some small businesses may choose to register voluntarily for VAT before their annual income reaches the compulsory limit of £85,000 on VATable turnover.

But why would a business volunteer to register for VAT and pay a tax before they hit the threshold? It’s because the benefits may sometimes outweigh the disadvantages – it really depends on individual circumstances.

VAT is a tax collected on behalf of HMRC. VAT registered businesses add VAT to their sales invoices and can reclaim any VAT included in the items they have bought. If VAT registered, you still have to pay the VAT on purchases but are unable to reclaim it.

Section 10: Reports, Audits & Inspections

10.1 Partner Reviews & Reviews

A Partner review forms part of your ongoing assessment; it’s where your business is reviewed, evaluated and appraised by us, good practice and testimony is shared and any recommendations for improvement made. It is to make sure that the essential needs and objectives of your Miracle Cafe are met.

Determining a cafe’s success depends on the partners review. To have a successful review, your manager or team leader should monitor the progress of your cafe, provide guidance to each member of the team, and align their duties by communicating frequently and clearly with the team. Each staff member is reviewed using regular staff supervisions, and their performance evaluated accordingly. This review is about the Cafe and its performance and success.

A review is achieved using the Partner Review Progress Report that ensures everyone is focused on the vision and core values and are working together to achieve them. All the necessary information is collected using the Partner Review Form.

View the Partner Review Form HERE.

10.2 Finance Audits and Inspections

As noted in your Partner Agreement, it is important that you allow us or our representatives to take audits and checks of your business where necessary.

To this end, any audits will always be undertaken by someone with suitable accounting qualifications. The audit is a tool capable of providing useful information to both parties to ensure as a partner, your Miracle Cafe is reaching its full potential, and ultimately is successful. Utilised properly, audits can be of enormous assistance in maintaining the integrity, reputation and financial wellbeing of a partnership network.

Section 11: Marketing

When it comes to marketing your Miracle Café, give serious thought as to who your potential target audience is, what they want, and how best to reach that audience with the resources you have available to you.
Identifying your target audience is the first step in the process of marketing. Part of the aim at Miracle Cafes is to reach people of every age and walk of life, but of course your location will partly determine your potential reach and you must be able to compete with other local businesses for custom. To achieve this, the most beneficial thing to do is identify your target audience and understand their needs well.

11.1 Target Audience

Who is your main target audience and what do you know about them? How old are they? – Are they wealthy, middle class or lower class? – What areas do they live in? – What do they tend to spend money on? What type of music do they primarily like? Which social media sites do they frequent most? Which websites do they visit? – What type of employment are they engaged in?

In the case of Miracle Café Bangor, half the population of the city are university students, so it makes sense to target our marketing towards them, as well as the rest of the population of lower to middle income households. Before marketing, we researched the area and were able to establish one of our primary target groups was between the ages of 18-30 on student budgets. They live in student accommodation spending their income on university costs and associated experiences such as nightclubs and social events, clothing, food, and beverages. Their taste in music varies but can be categorised as pop and Indi, and they frequent Instagram and other social media sites more than Facebook, although our other target audience are regular Facebook users.

Based on this research we launched our initial promotional campaigns on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram to target the students as well as the local residents. We took high quality pictures of our food, beverages, and décor to interest the relevant target audiences. To engage the permanent local population of Bangor we also introduced kids’ menus and kids colouring to appeal to families and coffee and cake deals to appeal to the older generation.

Another way we market is by advertising special deals that we may do on quieter days or at certain times of the year. Due to the transient nature of students and the fact that Bangor attracts tourists during the summer holidays, we didn’t need to include any general offers over the summer.

For local businesses close by, we have introduced ‘20% off beverages’ cards in order to build good relationships with our neighbours and to encourage them to come to us for their morning coffee. Through doing this, they also recommend us to their customers.

11.2 Online Marketing Strategies

11.2.1 Social Media

Today, social media is the most powerful tool for spreading information quickly. There are currently over 2.9 billion monthly active users on Facebook, making it one of the most popular platforms in the world for advertisers. Having active social media accounts that regularly update customers on opening times, changes to the menu and current deals demonstrates that you are an open and functioning café and that you value customer engagement. You can use Facebook’s Business Suite to schedule posts and stories at the beginning of the week to go live on different days so that you have a consistent online presence. And you can link Facebook and Instagram accounts to post on both at the same time for less effort.

Engage with customer comments and reviews – this boost’s café-customer relations and can lead to repeat customers. Ensure you have high quality, up-to-date photographs of the café’s exterior, interior, food and beverages that you can put out on social media to showcase your best items. Also have some photographs of staff when appropriate to put friendly faces to the brand; after all the aim is to be a friendly hub in the community!

Running a local campaign by targeting people who live within a 5 – 10-mile radius of your café can reap huge benefits. Usually, the reason people don’t come into your café is because they simply don’t know you exist. When placing an advert on Facebook you can choose who you want to engage and what the outcome you are looking for. For example, you can pick people who live locally, and you can also have a ‘call now’ button if you need telephone bookings or you could have a ‘see the menu’ button if you want people to engage with the menu section of your Facebook page. There are many different options to get the outcome you desire.

If you use Facebook/Instagram advertising you can track how many people are seeing your advert and how many people are engaging with it, i.e. clicking on your page/viewing your menu/viewing any links in the description. Continually assess your online advertising efforts to determine whether this is something that is working for your café. Perhaps if you’re based in a neighbourhood that is primarily older people who are less likely to use Facebook, this would not be the best source of marketing for you. In this case, it may be better to print flyers to be inserted in a local free newspaper, or pay for traditional newspaper adverts.

We set up @miraclecafebangor for the Bangor Cafe, and we suggest you copy that format, ie, @miraclecafe… then the name of your town or community, in order to keep the continuity.

11.2.2 Google Business Profile

A Google Business Profile is important because it allows you to post updates to searchers putting in queries like ‘cafes near me’ or ‘good breakfast near me’. Keep your page consistently up to date with opening times and menus. Have your phone number listed so that customers can call in to book a table and an appropriate email address as well as a link to your website.

Your updates appear on the local panel and on Google Maps, making them an efficient way to increase traffic to your website and boost sales.

Having a Google Business Profile makes it easy for you to create posts, offers and events, respond to reviews, send and receive messages and post answers to questions. Miracle Café Hub Social Media @miraclecafes is a Facebook/Instagram account run by the Café Development Team, sharing content and promoting all Miracle Café accounts whilst providing a hub of information regarding the Miracle Cafes. As a Miracle Café, photographs, reviews and updates from your café will be shared onto the Miracle Cafes page which will provide you with additional advertising.

11.2.3 Offline Marketing Strategies

Digital marketing is now essential to grow your café, but don’t underestimate the power of offline marketing strategies. One offline marketing strategy is offering a discount to students, military, pensioners, or healthcare providers. This demonstrates a level of care for the community and can increase loyalty to your brand. If you do offer such discounts, your café will travel through word of mouth to other people that can get discounts too. Other offline marketing strategies include attending local networking events to promote your café and build your reputation or placing an advert in the newspaper or university newspaper with a coupon for a free beverage or discount off the bill on first visit. You could also use direct mail to send out discount codes for a free beverage or snack to addresses within a 10-mile radius.

11.2.4 In-Cafe Marketing Strategies

Having current deals written on chalkboards, printed on leaflets, or communicated to customers by staff can be beneficial marketing. For example, if you have a deal for an upcoming holiday, inform the customer of this at the POS when they are paying their bill.

Posters and A-Boards outside the café can also display deals and are unique selling points for your café – make sure they are bold and colourful to attract the attention of passers-by. Having interactive artwork on the wall, for example, angel wings where customers can take a selfie and tag your social media can be a marketing tool. An angel wings mural also continues our Miracle Cafe theme. Check out the Bangor cafe to see how it works. If a person posts a photo with your artwork and name in the background, their followers will see this and may come to the café to snap their own selfie too!

Arguably the most powerful marketing strategy is by providing customers with a good experience. Being encouraged and refreshed by your cafe’s hospitality and ministry, as well as delicious food and beverages, encourages customers to return, and they will be loyal. Often visiting a café can feel rushed or impersonal, but at Miracle Cafes we are redefining the word ‘hospitality’ with our warm and personable service as well as the free Miracle Menu that each customer can experience. Get customers in, provide them with an unforgettable experience and they will return.

You could implement customer loyalty cards where a stamp is given for every hot drink purchased and when the card is full of stamps, the customer receives a free hot drink. People love getting something for free and this will encourage customers to buy their coffee from you instead of the competition. Good deals matched with good experience = customer loyalty.

11.2.4 Menus

Food and drinks menus should be seen as a prime marketing tool. The way your menu looks is extremely important, including the way each item is described. Using quirky names for dishes can work well. We have included a sample of the menus used in Bangor within the resources section of www.miracle.cafe

Ensure menus are clear and easy to read and not covered in greasy stains.

The Miracle Menu must always be included with the food and drinks menus and offered to every customer free of charge. When seating first time customers, explain the menus to them and ask them to let you know if they have any questions. We find most customers are receptive to Miracle Menu items, but don’t be pushy with offering ministry, or up-selling sides or desserts. Offer them to every table, but if customers say no thank you, then leave it at that. We find that they are more likely to return and will perhaps ask for more on their following visit.

When setting prices for each dish, the rule of thumb is to add up the cost of all the raw ingredients, not forgetting sauces or toast on the side, and multiply the total by 4. This will give you a ballpark figure. But also research other local cafes and restaurants and check their prices for similar dishes, so as not to price yourself out of the market. Of course, if your food is made freshly or your premises more upmarket, then you are able to charge more. And if operational costs skyrocket, as they are at the time of writing, then the retail price per dish may need to be adjusted.

11.3 Websites

The main website for Miracle Cafes is www.miracle.cafe and in fact the logo includes the website – miracle.cafe

All our Miracle Cafe partnerships, including yours, will be featured on the homepage of this website with location and opening hours, together with a link to your own website or contact form.

We recommend that you set up your own website with your cafe information. There you can add menus, table bookings, photos, reviews, afternoon teas, maps and so on. We can recommend website developers if you need that. There is also information on getting started on our resources page at www.miracle.cafe if you would prefer to set up your website yourself.

Section 12: Structures & Processes

On the whole, a Partnership business should be allowed to adopt whatever legal structure suits best. Partners will be required however, if they want to operate through a limited company, to guarantee to Miracle Cafes CIC the obligations of the limited company so that limited company partners will be treated, at least in relation to liabilities to us, in the same way as if they were sole trader or other partnership. Limited liability partners will still benefit from limited liability when dealing with third parties. Essentially there are three options in relation to the legal structures. The simplest that involves no formalities is to operate as a sole trader. If there is more than one person involved in the business you would operate as a partnership, which would require a partnership deed. The most complex, because it requires the preparation of a memorandum, articles of association and lodging forms with Companies House, is a limited company, although limited companies can be set up quickly and easily in the UK.

Which structure is best will depend on three issues. The first is how important it is to have limited liability in relation to third parties, tax and set-up costs. In relation to tax, partners will need to obtain tax advice from an accountant but, as a rough rule of thumb, if you are making substantial profits, and committing to lengthy rents or hire purchases, limited liability may be best. In terms of set-up costs and continuing costs, limited companies can be more expensive.

12.1 Setting Up Your Entity

The first thing you must do before setting up your entity, is of course select a name for your business, however before you can register the name, you will need to check the name with Companies House. There are a number of restrictions to bear in mind: your name cannot be the same as another registered company’s name. If your name is too similar to another company’s name you may have to change it if someone makes a complaint. You must choose a name for your business if you’re setting up a private limited company. There are different rules for sole traders and business partnerships.

You can choose whatever name you want if it is available but add in T/A (trading as) Miracle Cafe. So as an example, you could choose ‘Sarah Jones Cafe T/A Miracle Cafe’ as your company name. Miracle Cafe logo would go above the door and on all branding, but in this way, you could personalise the legal entity and make it your own.

Check the Companies House Register against your chosen name: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company-name-availability

12.2 Legal Business Structures.

There are thought to be four different types of business structures in the UK: sole traders, partnerships, limited liability companies, and private limited companies. A legal structure, also known as a business entity, is essentially a classification given by the government to regulate business. Choosing the right business structure from the start is crucial.

12.3 Types of Structures

A Sole Trader is the legal classification for self-employment and is the easiest entity to enter into in the UK. You are required to register with HMRC for self-assessment as soon as you begin trading and will be held responsible for running your business in line with all UK legal requirements. You get to keep your profits after tax; however, you are also personally responsible for any debts your business accrues. You can employ staff.

A Partnership is where you and another share responsibility for a business, and share any profits made. Each individual partner will be responsible to pay tax on their share of the profit. Considerations at the point of set up include choosing a name, choosing a ‘nominated partner’, and registering with HMRC. The ‘nominated partner’ manages tax returns and record keeping. You will need a partnership agreement to outline liabilities, ownership, how profits of the business are split and what happens if one partner wants to leave. Partners will be registered as self-employed and submit individual tax returns.

A Limited liability partnership (LLP) has no limit on the number of partners however two must be ‘designated members’ responsible for filing annual accounts. Just as with a limited company the LLP model protects its members’ assets, limiting their liability to however much they have invested in the business and any personal guarantees they may have given when raising loans. Similar to the partnership model above, members are responsible to register as self-employed and all that encompasses. They must also register at Companies House and develop a members’ agreement stating how profit will be shared out.

A private Limited Company (Ltd) Arguably the most common, this is an entity that is limited by its shares. A limited company will have a minimum of one director and one shareholder with liability to creditors limited to the original investment. This means that personal assets are protected in the event of insolvency.

Social, charitable, or community-based entities are also worth considering if your business is community focused: different models include charity, a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO), co-operative, and community interest company (CIC), unincorporated association.

Miracle Cafes CIC was set up as a Community Interest Company which allowed us to operate as a private limited company with a reach into the community. A CIC is a special type of limited company which exists to benefit the community rather than private shareholders. Set up includes drawing up a ‘community interest statement’, outlining your business plans and how they benefit the community. An ‘asset lock’- a legal promise stating that the company’s assets will only be used for its social objectives and setting limits to the money it can pay to shareholders. There are two types of CIC – limited by shares or limited by guarantee. If you are wanting to raise donations, then limited by guarantee is advisable. This is the setup we have used for Miracle Cafes CIC. Directors are unable to receive dividends or any other share of profits. All profits go back into the organisation for the benefit of the community.

12.4 File Necessary Paperwork

When starting a new business, it’s important to know the right processes and requirements. From registering your business to employing staff and knowing what is legally required to comply with employment laws, it helps to know what you’re up against from the outset.

1. Register your business with the relevant authority. This requires you to choose which type of business suits your needs: self-employed, partnership or limited company. Starting a small business can be daunting but as soon as you are registered, the sky is your limit!
2. Get insured – that will include business insurance, public liability and employers liability. Remember employer’s liability insurance is a legal requirement for all businesses (unless you have no employees, or only employ family members). It’s designed to cover any compensation costs that crop up if an employee becomes injured or ill in the workplace.
3. Equal opportunities – It is unlawful for employers to discriminate against anyone on the basis of their protected characteristics (ethnicity, gender, age etc). During the recruitment process, there are multiple stages where employers can inadvertently make mistakes, so it’s important to get clued up on discrimination law from the start. Keep the job description specific to what skills and experience your ideal candidate must have, advertise widely and check whether any reasonable adjustments need to be made for the interview process. During the interview itself, avoid questions such as ‘Are you planning to start a family?’, as this could be seen as discriminatory if a job offer is not then made. However, since it is important that Front of House staff have a personal relationship with Jesus, at interview stage you can explain how the Miracle Menu works and the vision of the Miracle Cafe. Ask them how they feel about that and what they know of Jesus.
4. Comply with data laws (see Section 6.8 for further information on GDPR).
5. Make sure you have Health & Safety policies and procedures in place (see Section 6.2 for further information on Health & Safety).
6. In the UK all businesses are legally required to pay all workers at least the National Minimum Wage, which can vary on the basis of the worker’s age or if they are an apprentice. Those over the age of 25 will be entitled to receive the National Living Wage (https://www.gov.uk/am-i-getting-minimum-wage).
7. For small business owners, payroll can seem a huge and complicated system. However, with the right software and an organised procedure in place, you can ensure the process goes smoothly.
8. If you run payroll yourself, you will need to report to HMRC each month with the amounts paid to each employee, and any Pay As You Earn (PAYE) deductions for Income Tax and National Insurance. With payroll software, PAYE deductions will be automatically calculated to minimise errors and save on HR time.You should also inform HMRC when you hire a new employee, and when an employee reaches State Pension age. An annual report is required at the end of each year, which will provide information about any expenses or benefits.
9. For employees over the age of 22 and earning over £10,000 a year, you’ll need to enrol them in a workplace pension scheme. A scheme needs to be put in place as soon as you hire your first employee, and you must pay at least 3% of your employee’s ‘qualifying earnings’ into it. You can check the pension scheme you’re using to find out what counts as ‘qualifying earnings’.
10. You’ll need to deduct pension contributions from an employee’s pay each month, and pay them into the individual’s pension scheme by the 22nd day of the month. Make sure you keep records of all deductions and payments to show to HMRC if needed.
11. Within the hospitality industry it is common practice to employ part-time workers on a ‘zero hour’ contract. This is where you agree the hours of work with the employee at the start of each week, or the week preceding. You may find that certain days are quieter than others, or times of the year and so this is a common practice and works well with students or part-timers who want to fit work in with other activities.

12.5 Selecting a Suitable Location

Selecting the right location and premises is a serious consideration. A prominent location, like a town centre or heart of a community with great footfall, or a shopping complex next to a busy road, will serve as built-in marketing where passers-by will notice your shopfront or sign as they visit other stores and businesses in the locality. Where you operate your business can have a huge impact on sales.

Give some thought to your target audience – consider your market when choosing the location for your cafe. Miracle Cafe Bangor is situated on the town centre high street of a university city serving over 10,000 students in term-time. We are located near halls of residence, and so are able to attract both the student population and shoppers.

Footfall, parking and traffic are key considerations. How will your target audience get to you? Customers should be able to easily reach your cafe. If you want to establish your business in an area that will require travel by car, make sure the space has ample parking nearby. If you want to locate your restaurant in a pedestrian-friendly area, make sure there are public transportation links nearby.

Testing your customers’ line of sight to your cafe should be an essential part of your location analysis. Potential customers should be able to see your venue from the street. While strategic signage may help customers with wayfinding, signs alone may not be as enticing as a glimpse of your patio or your menu options.

If you can’t afford a space in the location you desire, get creative by securing a venue in a nearby but up and coming area, and dedicate the money you save on rent to marketing. With time, your second-choice neighbourhood could even become prime real estate and you will often get a bigger space being slightly out of town.

Always do your research before investing in a cafe premises. Study your potential competition. Is there room for another cafe in your location, or should you look elsewhere. Are you looking to attract passers-by or destination customers? Is there space outside for outdoor seating? This is also a great marketing tool as passers-by are enticed in after seeing customers enjoying food and drinks outdoors.

12.6 Planning Permission & Licences

You may need planning permission from your local authority if the previous use of your potential premises was anything other than a food outlet. You will need to apply for class A3 use for a café/bistro/restaurant. A3 use permits the sale of food and drink to be consumed in-house. If you are planning a pop-up or takeaway facility however, you will need A5 use. A5 is for the sale of hot food for consumption off the premises. i.e., premises where the primary purpose is the sale of hot food to take away.

In addition to planning permission, you will need to consider any licenses you may require for your new business. The best way to ensure you are compliant is to use the gov.uk license finder link which will help you assess your own particular need https://www.gov.uk/licence-finder. Populate the menu bar – what is your activity or business with ‘Catering’ 🡪 ‘licenced and/or unlicenced restaurants’ and add the activities that relate to you.

At Miracle Café Bangor we needed to consider and, in some cases, obtain the following licences: to licences to play background music; public space surveillance (CCTV) licence; a premises licence (England and Wales); a Live music licence; permission to place tables and chairs on the pavement; a licence to place furniture on the pavement; a pavement, or street display licence (England and Wales);

permission to distribute leaflets (England and Wales); and a personal licence to sell alcohol (England and Wales).

12.7 Fundraising

There are different ways to fundraise for your new cafe but generally speaking, there are two main pathways when funding a business. The first is to borrow money to be repaid at a later date or a loan; the second is to sell equity shares in your company. In addition, because Miracle Cafes are for the benefit of the community, not just a typical business, there are also options for receiving donations.

For typical business funding, within each of the two ways mentioned above, you will find that there are options. The most appropriate for you will be determined by your circumstances, such as the size of your business, how much finance is needed to get started, how much control you want to keep, and your future growth plans.

Borrowing options may include Bank loans, Peer-to-peer lending such as Ratesetter, Funding Circle etc.

Investor options may include Angel investors, Venture capital or Crowdfunding

Borrow from the bank – Almost all high street banks offer small business loans, generally between £1,000 and £50,000 and with relatively flexible repayment terms. Securing a loan can be a challenge, rather like getting a mortgage but even more so, as you need to demonstrate that you are a good investment and will be able to repay. A watertight business plan is a must (with figures and forecasts built into it by your accountant), along with a very clear strategy for how you will use the funding.

Peer-to-peer finance – Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending matches up smaller-scale investors with small businesses looking for funds, cutting out the middleman. You apply online, and get a loan drawn from cash pooled by savers looking for a better return on their money. This type of finance is easy and simple to apply for, and you can borrow as little as £1,000 or as much as £1 million. Repaying a P2P loan is similar to repaying a bank loan, with the interest rate agreed upfront.

Angel investors – Angel investors are usually high-net-worth individuals who invest in early-stage businesses. It’s sometimes called ‘seed’ funding and you can generally expect to raise anything up to £1 million. Like venture capital, angel investors tend to invest in exchange for a share of the business, so they must believe in your business and in you. Often successful business people in their own right, angel investors may have expertise and advice that can be as valuable as their money when it comes to growing your business.

Venture capital – The next step up from the angel investor is the venture capital (VC) firm. You might try a VC firm when you need a serious chunk of money (often in excess of £1 million) in exchange for a large percentage of your business. VC is the fundraising method of choice for high-growth start-ups, many of which go through several rounds of funding before becoming profitable. It’s a very competitive area, so you’ll need an outstanding strategy, a bulletproof business plan and a great pitch.

Crowdfunding – You can also raise funds online via crowdfunding. This works best with a consumer-facing business, with a product or vision that ordinary people can get behind. You put out the message that shows why your enterprise is a good investment, and a (hopefully large) number of investors each take a small stake in the business. It’s essentially a digital-age version of selling shares, and has been seen to raise impressive sums – some companies have sourced over £4 million via thousands of micro-investors.

Use your own money – You can of course use your own money to fund your business, assuming you have enough. If your business is a company, then one way is to invest in share capital, by buying more shares. This has the effect of increasing the assets of the business, but will tie up your money until you sell those shares.

You can however put money into your company on a temporary basis by lending it, via your director’s loan account. You can then have this money paid back to you when this becomes necessary or practicable.

Small business grants – You may be eligible for a small business grant to cover certain types of expenditure. Government grants are available for startups and other small businesses to cover things like the cost of premises, plant, machinery and IT equipment.

Each grant will have its own application process and strict qualification criteria, so there is no guarantee you will be eligible. But it is worth exploring your options, particularly if yours is a new business.

Donations – As soon as you confirm you will be opening a Miracle Cafe in your community, start letting people know. Once you have set up a social media account, post regularly to raise awareness, increase engagement and bring a sense of excitement. Set up a way that people can give easily and point them to it. You can look for regular givers and one-off donations too. It all helps! You can set an amount that you are looking to raise and celebrate the stages you reach along the way. Tell people what their money will be used for: set up costs, a specific project etc. We showed people photos of old pub tables we wanted to buy and raised a lot more than we asked for, simply because people could visualise the tables and thought of all the ministry that would be happening there. They wanted to be a part of all that God was about to do and were happy to sow financially.

12.8 Hire Employees

By now, you should be ready to start employing your new staff. In order to recruit the right staff, you will need to advertise the roles and interview candidates. You can use a recruitment agency to do this or do it yourself. As an employer you must make sure you recruit employees fairly, avoiding discrimination during the recruitment process. Always check your new recruits have the right to work in the UK and if necessary, do a DBS check to ensure they are suitable. Finally, tell HMRC about your new employee See Sections 5 & 6 for further information on Staffing your cafe).

Section 13: Branding

Branding is a way to identify a business and how its customers recognise and experience that business. A strong brand is more than just its logo – it is reflected in everything associated with the customer experience: staff uniforms, business cards and premises to marketing materials and advertising.

Our brand represents all our core values and promises to the customer and will allow the flow of continuity wherever the business is located. As a partner you are expected to always represent the brand positively and in line with our Branding Manual. The success of our brand name is as important to each of our partners as it is to us as Miracle Cafes.

The long-term success of our partnership network depends on individual loyalty and participation. Your own personal welfare is tied in with the group, therefore it is in your own interest to communicate freely and attend all meetings.

Develop a group attitude, run your business according to our Agreement and the associated Manual and don’t be tempted to alter our successful system. However, if you do have suggestions that could enhance the Miracle Cafes business, do get in touch with us as we’re always interested in hearing ideas.

13.1 Use of Branding & Colour Schemes

This section details our Brand and specifies how you, as our partner, is to use and represent that brand.

To help represent the brand, partners will be required to ensure the Miracle Cafe logos appear on items such as aprons and hats where possible and use the official Miracle Cafe logo on all stationery and marketing material when representing the business. If applicable, the official Miracle Cafe logo should also be added to any company vehicles.

Below are the specific details:

Aprons and hats/baseball caps should be ordered with the Miracle Cafe logo embroidered onto them as per the Branding Manual. Takeaway cups can also include the logo.

Stationery – All official stationery must be ordered using our official templates which you will find under ‘Partner Resources’ at www.miracle.cafe. This includes business cards, letterheads, flyers, order forms, invoices etc. Each partner is supplied with an electronic start-up kit of stationery. These can then be printed using a colour printer. The kit may include the following:

• Sample Letterhead
• Sample Invoices
• Sample Quote sheets
• Sample Receipts
• Sample Business cards
• Sample Flyer
• Sample Menu
• Sample Loyalty Card

Vehicle Signage – We will provide all the mock-up artwork for any vehicle to be sign written. The cost of the initial signwriting will be covered by the partner. We will work with you to identify a suitable company to sign write your vehicle and provide them with artwork directly.

Section 14: Trademarks, Copyrights and Trade Secrets – Protection Policies

14.1

According to the investopidia.com a trademark is a word, a symbol, a design, or a phrase that denotes a specific product and differentiates it from similar products. while copyright protects “original works of authorship,” such as writings, art, architecture, and music. Miracle Cafe has trademarked both its name and its logo.

Trademarks are used heavily in marketing and advertising applications providing protection for any word or symbol used for goods or in conjunction with services. These include colours, geometric shapes, or groupings of shapes that make a business distinctive. Trademark rights are territorial, meaning that protection in one country does not mean that protection exists in any other. Each country has its own specific requirements for use and registration that must be met in order to obtain trademark protection in that country.

Copyrights provide the creators of works and their heirs or their successors rights under copyright law. They hold the exclusive right to use the work based on their terms. They can restrict or allow others to reproduce the copyrighted materials. Copyright infringement does not always require copying each word. The protection is provided for generalisations of the basic premise.

If you hold a copyright and the copyright is infringed, you may recover special damages. This provides protection for your work.

A trade secret is in the formula, device, or information that gives the owner of the secret the opportunity to have a marketing advantage over its competition for those who do not know the secret. The trade secret cannot be public knowledge. Trade secrets are protected by law when reasonable actions are taken to keep the secret a secret. It protects the secret from being improperly acquired. However, trade secrets can be reversed and then is no longer a secret.

Trade secrets can protect things a patent cannot, for instance, knowledge. A trade secret may be the knowledge either business or technical that produces a business advantage over competitors. Process secrets, formulas, recipes, marketing programs and working know-how can all be trade secrets. Unlike patents, trademarks, and copyrights, there is no formal government procedure for obtaining trade secret protection. Trade secret protection is established by the nature of the secret and the effort to keep it secret. The difficulty lies in preventing employees from releasing the secret. These are the major caveats in maintaining secrecy.

We want to protect our intellectual property and may do so through a variety of mechanisms. There are many intellectual property agreements that form the fundamental forms of protection for your work. Ours is outlined in the Partner Agreement you will sign to enter our partnership agreement, but they can also be included in nondisclosure agreements, employee contracts, and contracts for your consultants or contracted workers. You should go to great lengths to protect our intellectual properties from conception, protecting ideas as they grow.

Intellectual property agreements define the obligation to employees and contractors during the stages of development of new products or processes. Many ideas can be protected including marketing programs, new ideas, identities and new product lines. Protecting the property is especially important for technical developments.

Disclosure agreements and employment contracts should always be made in writing and signed before work is begun. You are responsible to place workplace controls to prevent the dissemination of your business information.

14.2

The use of a third party’s mark without their authorisation is usually acceptable if you are referring to the third party or their products or services in a truthful manner. You may not use the mark in a way that mistakenly suggests affiliation with, or sponsorship or endorsement by, the trademark owner. You also may not use more of the mark than is necessary to identify the trademark owner and its products or services. So, for example, you cannot use a third party’s logo when a simple word mark would be sufficient.

14.3

Use of a trademark online – generally is no different from use of a trademark in print. Certain online uses of another’s trademark, however, such as in domain names, in metatags, as wallpaper on a website or as a keyword purchased from a search engine, may subject you to legal liability.

Section 15: Ten Good Pointers for the Directors & Leaders

Great leadership can help to boost staff morale by winning their trust and respect. It assures employees of the leader’s confidence in their abilities to deliver on the vision and mission of the organisation. High morale among employees reduces distraction and motivates them to devote their energies to achieve and run exceptional services. You will want to get the very best out of your amazing team. Here are a few pointers that we have learnt first-hand at Miracle Cafe Bangor:

1. Always lead your team by example and give them a voice to be heard. Draconian management only produces resentment and kickback. Regular team meetings and personal supervisions are an essential aspect of good management.
2. Never move a goal post. If you say you will do something, then do it. If you need to change arrangements, speak to the relevant persons and work it through. Never pull rank and change things without communication.
3. Don’t feel the need to make changes everytime you go into your establishment. If changes need to be made, make them through a process with your team at a team meeting; their thoughts and feedback are crucial to keep them feeling appreciated and they are at the cafe every day so will know what works best. Try to find solutions that work for everyone.
4. Never undermine a member of your team in front of the other team members. If you don’t agree with something or feel something needs to be changed, take it to the individual concerned.
5. Never bring up an issue with an employee that has already been addressed and dealt with within a disciplinary process. It makes them feel like everyone is talking about their mistake, which shouldn’t be the case. One person deals with an issue and informs you confidentially.
6. Never use the cafe as your own personal restaurant. Be a great customer, picking up your bill and tipping staff, even when you’re hosting visitors for meetings. This sends a message to your team that you have enjoyed your meal and want to reward them for their service. It also demonstrates Godly humility.
7. If you are rostered into a shift, try to start and finish the whole shift, helping staff with opens, cleaning & closes.
8. Always give staff at least 24 hrs notice before calling them into a meeting (whether formal or informal) telling them the purpose of the meeting before they attend. Remember, they have the legal right to request a 7 days’ notice for any employment meeting such as a supervision, a disciplinary etc under Employment Law. As managers and leaders, we must respect their rights. By notifying them that you want to meet with them and why, you give them time to prepare, and it prevents anxiety.
9. Don’t push them too hard spiritually if they don’t yet know the Lord. Over pushy evangelism can put people off and cause resentment.
10. Always make yourself accountable. Directors are at the top of the ladder when it comes to hierarchy, so ensure that you have someone you are working stuff through with, particularly the difficult decisions that affect the lives of others.