Enough about choosing a proper business name. Paul & Louis (both spending the summer of 2012 - in China) gave a commitment to build this thing called ROCC. I was in America for the summer. We had work to do.

A short list of essential items to check off included:
1. Raise a first round of capital ($70,000 USD) by sharing the vision with and recruiting additional shareholding partners.
2. Register an American Limited Liability Corporation.
3. Find a secondhand shop roaster (5-15kg batch size) to purchase and ship to China.
4. Figure out how to ship a giant roaster to China without getting stuck in customs with a giant import duty.
5. Coordinate all startup plans, analyze potential locations for our shop, choose a location, prepare and sign rental agreements, etc. etc. with Paul & Louis across the Pacific Ocean and 12-15 hours time difference.
6. Identify and hire attorneys, CPAs, etc.
7. Open bank accounts and create books to run the new US company accounts.
8. Miscellaneous tasks that come alongside opening a business to have operations on the other side of the world.
9. Be a good husband, father and son while "vacationing" in Michigan and Washington for the summer.

All of the above was essentially pulled off successfully in one whirlwind of a month (July 2012). Each with an anecdote and lesson of its own.

Far beyond names and beans, our business quickly became one of education. Educating the emerging Chinese Specialty Coffee market was part of our Sales & Service. Our clients and customers wanted to understand coffee. We desired they understood how to best use it and enjoy it to maximize their business value. This led Adam into training and certification with the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE). After completing his coursework and becoming certified as an Authorized SCA Trainer (AST) our coffee clients became our students and partners in an even greater way.

If this was a worthy read, please consider sharing and liking.

Thank You! ~ Adam