It’s time for another exciting Behind the Biz interview and this week we’re diving into the world of tea. Behind the Biz is my weekly interview series where I discover awesome businesses, the people behind them and their business journey.
In today’s interview I’m chatting with Joe, the founder of Tea Revv.
Please tell us about your business.
We are pretty simple, we turn water into tea.
We make creative and interesting blends, and want to make proper tea understandable, easy to buy and easy to brew.
Where did the inspiration for Tea Revv come from?
I first started to sell tea in my previous business. I quickly became aware that there was more to tea than the basic dusty tea bag and found the different types and possibilities with blends, super interesting.
How did you decide upon the name of your business?
Inside scoop Tea Revv was formerly called Tea Time. We changed it because we are a tasty tea revolution and we want proper tea to become part of the hot beverage culture that goes further than standard black and green tea, therefore Tea Revv seemed fitting. I thought the name should be simple and self explanatory. The reason Revv has two V’s is purelybecauseI like the way it looks! The vv is used a lot throughout our branding.
What did you do before starting Tea Revv?
My first business, a gift shop which I had for 5 years before selling it to concentrate on Tea Revv.
Did you always plan to set up your own business?
Yes! I set up my first business on my gap year and never ended up going to University. I was rather naive and thought how hard can it be, I soon learnt the answer! Although I didn’t really know what I was doing, it seemed a good idea at the time and I like to think it was a good one.
What has been the biggest challenge in running your business so far?
Getting the right balance of mint in the #99 Chocolate Mint Rooibos… It is tricky! More seriously I would say as for any young company its not having enough hours in the day to get done what you want to.
What has been the highlight of your business journey to date?
Getting the right balance of mint in the #99 Chocolate Mint Rooibos…
What role does social media play for your business and do you have a favourite social platform?
Social media has to be one of the most important tools for young companies. Its free and it allows you to be seen, heard and connect. When researching a product or brand its the go to for consumers. Its key to project your brand and what you stand for. Instagram – a picture speaks a thousand words, two thousand if you’re dyslexic like myself. I naturally lean toward imagery.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?
Drink lots of tea (major key), preferably ours.
If you keep knocking you’ll eventually be let in.
Where do you hope to take your business in the year ahead?
Short term: we have some great new products coming out that allow consumers to try lots of our teas. We have a Christmas calendar this year and some awesome gift packs.
Long term: The major part of our concept is hybrid tea bars. We are looking at temporary locations this year and hope to have a more permanent location next year. We will then look to grow the business from there.
You can browse the full collection of teas over on the Tea Revv website and there’s even the chance to grab a free sample. Don’t forget to support Joe’s biz on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
I want to say a huge thank you to Joe for getting involved with Behind the Biz. He originally emailed me to let me know about Tea Revv and as a big fan of tea I was excited to discover a new independent brand. I also loved the Tea Revv branding but it was this sentence that made me want to discover more about Joe and his biz journey – “armed with no business experience and a Richard Branson business book”. I can totally related to this and it’s been a real pleasure finding out all about the business. I hope you’ve enjoyed the interview and don’t forget to get your hands on some free tea.
Keep an eye out for my Tea Revv review next week!
If you’d like to get involved with Behind The Biz please leave a comment below or drop me a message over on Twitter.