February 2009 Coffee News

-2008 Velasquez Family Coffee Financial Report
-State of the Green Economy

Money is on everyone's mind these days -- the state of the economy, the loss of jobs, the status of our personal finances. We too have been paying closer attention to financial matters and doing some careful planning for the future. As an informal annual report to you, our partners in this coffee venture, we want to share with you what we've found out about how Velasquez Family Coffee fared in 2008 (the news is good actually) as well as offer up a few resources we've found to be helpful in thinking about the crazy times we are in.

2008 Financial Report for Velasquez Family Coffee
Looking at the 2008 financial reports Quickbooks nicely created for us, we were pleased to see that, contrary to the state of the general economy, Velasquez Family Coffee has seen a nice growth in our sales and a modest growth in our profits. Last year we reported that our 2007 gross sales were $49,490 an increase over $38,590 in 2006. And this past year (drum roll please) our gross sales were $61,524! This increase is due to the increase we've seen in our monthly customers (home deliveries and mail orders) from 92 in January 2008 to 114 in December 2008, as well as the addition of several new fundraisers and increased website sales.

Also increasing was the amount we sent to Honduras -- $19,562 for coffee and $1,318 for recycled handbags (compared to a total of $13,906 in 2007). After other expenses were taken out, we were left with a small profit of $13,200 just about double what we kept in 2007. Not a huge amount, but enough to allow Cathy to cut back her work hours to dedicate more time to the coffee business, which seems to be paying off.

The Green Economy
After looking at our own situation, we wondered how other green and fair trade businesses were faring in this economy and found some interesting resources - if not a concrete answer. Green America (formerly Co-op America) sees the current economic mess as "a huge opportunity...to turn today's problems into opportunities for a more just, sustainable and joyful world." You can read their "7 Fixes from the Green Economy" on their website at: www.greenamericatoday.org as well as some good ideas for saving money in "Cooperation is Green".

If you want to get deeper into the green economy, GreenBiz.com just released it's 2nd annual State of Green Business Report 2009, an informative summary of the good and bad news in our collective efforts to create a more sustainable and just economy.

On a local and more practical level, you can check out the Twin Cities Blue Sky Guide full of coupons for saving money at great green and local businesses. We also noticed that our food coop, Mississippi Market, is offering a monthly class called "Shopping on a Budget." You can find details and an article with the same name in their latest newsletter. (There is also a link on their website to other Twin Cities food coops if you aren't in St. Paul).

We hope you are hanging in there during this difficult economic storm, and perhaps even finding a few silver linings in all the dark clouds hanging over us.