Bean Basket Business Manager

WELCOME TO THE ASUW Bean Basket! 

Bean Basket Manager 2020-2021

Contact Information:

Business Managers 2019-2020

Christie: leey58@uw.edu// 415-634-8012

Introduction Letter:

Hello lovely, lovely new Bean Basket manager.

I want to congratulate you on getting this position. You were chosen for a reason, and I want you to know that you deserve this! 

This position has taught me about myself, the university, and the food system. Next year, Bean Basket will become its own entity separated from Student Food Cooperative, meaning that you would mostly work individually or work with the Bean Basket cashier. Bean Basket Cashier is a new position and both of you would be working at the Bean Basket every week during its office hours. Therefore, communication and your relationship with each other is the key to success of the Bean Basket and your own sanity (and can lead to a really meaningful friendship, too). 

One thing that is an absolute necessity in this role is to know your vision for the Bean Basket. One year would pass by so fast so make sure you set goals, set goals, set goals. Big and small. Physically write them down. Make them visible in the office. Timeline out how you’ll achieve them. Use your strengths and know your weaknesses. Keep organized and be confident. Setting a goal gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation. However, if you end up not achieving your goals, that’s okay!! You can always ask help from your student activity advisor (Patrick) at HUB second floor or even reach out to me. This job is really about how much effort you want to put in and what you envision Bean Basket in the future. I believe success comes from hard work and perseverance so don’t ever give up if things are not going well. You definitely have the potential to succeed because you are here for a reason. 

Let me know if you ever need any suggestion or help! I will still be around campus. 

Best,

Christie Lee 

LOGIN INFORMATION: (change all BOLD asuwsfc password to only Bean Basket email!!) 

Bean Basket History:

Previous Managers (add yourselves bro)

Christie Lee: 2019-2020

Emma Turner: 2019-2020

Hannah Alethea Jordan: 2019-2020

Emma Dorazio: 2018-2019

Cat Ratajczak: 2018-2019

Tiara Adler: 2017-2018

Emily Doyle: 2017-2018

Zoe Frumin: 2016-2017

Gunnar Colleen: 2015-2017

Erica Weisman: 2015-2016

Hunter Sapienza: 2015

Sophie Soloman: 2014-2015

Madison Wright: 2014-2015

Matt Wildey: 2013-2014

History Timeline:

2010: Co-op starts as CEP senior project

2010: Attempt to open cafe fails due to lack of support by ASUW

2013: Attempt to open food truck fails

2014: SFC joins ASUW, becomes ASUW SFC

2016: ASUW SFC participates in the opening of the campus food pantry

2017: Bean Basket opens in HUB Kitchenette

2018: Bean Basket located at 131 J 

2019-2020: Bean Basket becomes its entity in ASUW but seperated from SFC (not a co-op system anymore) 

IMPORTANT ASUW NOTES:

1) Slack: the messaging hub for ASUW. In the beginning, it can feel overwhelming. Don’t let it. Respond in a timely manner, but don’t over-exert beyond office hours!   

2) Office hours: Your own office! Hours where you need to be there! Nice! Stock it with tea, coffee, snacks, whatever you need to make the space feel warm + welcoming. Sunday nights before the work week you will input when you are able to work on hours.asuw.org. (TIP: use an incognito browser to log into your ASUW email/hours webpage! Otherwise the website gets confused with your personal myUW account! )

EVERYDAY TASKS:

DAILY SCHEDULE

• • Step #1: get up-to-date.
    • Check your email
    • Check your Slack
    • Check Facebook for messages to the ASUW Student Food Cooperative and Bean Basket pages.
    • Check Instagram for messages and inquiries.
  • Create an agenda for the day of what you need to get done
  • Here is a list of things I find myself doing on a day-to-day basis
    • Reply to emails
    • Work on the weekly Bean Basket email, sent out to our ListServ through mailchimp (see login)
    • Track any inventory (food or equipment) and send orders to Patrick.
    • Reaching out to organizations for partnerships (Pantry, Food Kitchens near campus)
    • Clean the Bean Basket (take out trash, wipe off counter, and sweep the floor) 
    • Restock items that are running low ( get them from the storage room located at the office) 

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

• • Update your office hours for the week on hours.asuw.org – must be done by sunday night
  • Check-in with your board liaison about operations and plans and finances
  • Update Patrick (SAO Advisor) on all the details
    • Organize a weekly meeting with him
    • You go to him, instead of waiting for him to come to you – Patrick is busy so if you need him to do something, bother him about it or do it yourself.

MARKETING

• • • Make Canva marketing materials
    • Use FB and Instagram to talk about any promotions
    • MailChimp for any Bean Basket updates 
    • Collaboration with other groups (we already work with the Food Pantry!! Keep this going, talk to SEAN FERRIS! We also want to work with UW Farm, and other food collection groups)
    • Keep working towards expansion!!

BEAN BASKET FIRST, MUST-DO’S

• Coordinate quickbooks, the scale, card reader, and computer (talk to Patrick and the Finance person on Board! A lot about this)
• Change the phone number associated with Hummingbird Wholesale account so they don’t show up with a delivery without you knowing
• Post on facebook and instagram! Think of fun marketing techniques and get them rolling 🙂

Goals

• My main goals for this year were: to collaborate with other groups on and off campus, to promote Bean Basket online and offline, and to expand Bean Basket( which we did by becoming its own entity but can do more) 
• I  struggled with making meaningful collaboration in which I was not only with familiar faces. Talk to “new” crowds, make the Bean Basket something accessible to ALL. 
• Have some damn FUN, make food an experience, to connect with others, love what you’re doing and learn something along the way.

Main Projects 

• Dawg Daze events are crucial for gaining members. You can set up an event with the Bean Basket Cashier over the summer so both of you will host in the beginning of the year. F&B director might already have something ready so ask them
• Tabling at Hub or Red Square with some sample to attract students and to talk about what Bean Basket is and where it is located 
• Work with other organizations both inside and outside of the UW
  • Within ASUW: Rainy Dawg Radio, AISC
  • Outside ASUW: UW Farm, HFJ, CARE, CSF, Factory Farming Coalition, UW cycling 
• The continual operation, management, and promotion of the Bean Basket.
  • Can we get a new storefront?
  • How do we contact other student groups (frats, etc.)

Bean Basket

Bean is a student run store that provides ethically, sustainable, and organic dried foods to the students. We serve non-perishable, sustainable sourced foods at the lowest prices so that every student can access them. 

All store revenue goes back into this budget for purchases. The model we are operating under is that hopefully as we slowly sell more and more food, we can buy more options from more places.

As we develop a customer base, build support from local business, and gain support from faculty and administration, we can demand to move to a better location with more space.  

1) Sourcing: The products we have bought so far have been based off of campus surveys of what foods students would like to buy. We also try to buy organic when possible. 

• • Contact Lauren Daniel to coordinate pickup times and potential help with storing orders before you can pick them up
    • Email Lmdaniel@uw.edu or head on down to the HUB Kitchen and talk there 
  • Hummingbird wholesale: We are currently ordering nuts, grains, and dried fruit from Hummingbird wholesale based out of Eugene Oregon. Minimum orders are $400. It takes about a week to get food ordered so plan in advance – fruit, nuts, granola are fastest sellers
  • To make an order go their website http://www.hummingbirdwholesale.com/

• Login: username = asuwsfc  and password = CooperativeCorgi (change to Bean Basket email!!) 

• Create a basket, save as a template if you’re creating it over time, and simply press order – tell your advisor and they will call to confirm
• Starwest botanicals: ordered organic tea and spices from starwest botanicals – it is easy and decent prices but we can do better with our sourcing.
• Change the phone number!!!

• To make an order go to their website: https://www.starwest-botanicals.com/
• Login (change to Bean Basket Email!!!) 
  • Username: asuwsfc@uw.edu
  • password CooperativeCorgi
• Make basket and tell advisor to login and make order
• There is $15 shipping

2) Bean Basket management and Operation

• Bean Basket Cashier coordination 
  • Expectations: 

1. communicate and work with Bean Basket Cashier
2. Figure out each other schedule and shifts 
3. Make sure Bean Basket opens at a regularly basis for each quarter (can change different BB office hours every quarter) 

• Community Involvement 

• • Offering a suggestion box at the store and constant surveying is also important
  • Discounted price for certain holiday or celebration
  • Can hire Bean Basket interns- need food handler permit

3)Finances

• We currently place a markup of 15% on all goods. 
• It is important to keep track of how much we buy and how much revenue we make
• It is important to keep track of all sales – currently we are doing this on paper receipts but we have also invested in technology for this year : WE HAVE A NEW COMPUTER, AND QUICKBOOKS PROGRAM

-IMPORTANT: we need you to spearhead usage of the cardreader, and exploration of how it will help us grow. Connect everything together–quickbooks will help with inventory etc.

• Be in frequent contact with financial member of ASUW Board – you will likely need a lot of help next year. We did too.

4) Other 

• A little dream that the previous manager and I have , maybe more a vision: the store will move out of 131K and into our current office, 131J–or another, non-HUB location. Eventually we will have fresh produce from local farms and will be serving fantastic, sustainable goods at a low price.
• PUSH FOR A BIGGER SPACE. People are hella on board with the bean basket, and time and time again people will say, “I wish you were more visible!”. Help. This could be a real reality. 

Board of Directors

I have had very little interaction with them but they can be a great resource in work to expand the store and get other work done around campus (and sometimes very different than us). If you have a way you would like to expand the store, make a proposal to them–they will be helpful. 

Accountability

• Make sure to stay on top of getting things done in advance. For events it requires a lot of prep-work, paperwork and follow up emails to get everything done on time. 

Main Contacts and resources

• Patrick (our SAO advisor) -located at Hub second floor 
• Finance and Budget Director
• Bean Basket Cashier  
• Me?? (Christie) 

Groups and individuals we have a relationship with:

• Mindfulness UW
• The UW Farm
• Campus Animal Rights Educators 
• The Campus Food Pantry
  • Sean Ferris (funny) is the absolute plug, and probably my (Cat’s) most-emailed contact
• UW Sustainability
• CSF
• ASUW Entities
  • AISC
  • RDR
• School of Nutrition
  • Jen Otten – requires her spring food systems course to attend humble feast
  • Adam Drewnowski – winter neighborhood nutrition class we provide a guest lecture in

I hope this transition is helpful for you and always ask for help if you ever need it. I know you are going to do great things in this upcoming year. I am excited!!!

Best, 

Christie Lee 

Bean Basket Manager 2019-2020