SMALL BUSINESS feature

This month BUILDideas caught up with the incredible business mind behind the Green Dot Café. Ameera Cassim shares her business journey with her creative coffee café concept.

What is Green Dot Cafe and how is your brand different?

Green Dot Café is a speciality coffee bar with an acute focus on our take on brunch. What makes us special is our unique but limited menu offering this is for a very critical reason – sustainability which is our core value, as well as QC (Quality Control)

How did GDC come to be? What was the inspiration behind starting your own business?

This is such a personal name for me, green was always a favourite colour of mine When I was little I remember my mum adorning me in a bright lime green dress, this dress was so dear to me I had to wear it every weekend.

Dot resembles the full-stop in my life from an unhealthy lifestyle to a more conscious lifestyle – I was considered overweight when I was in middle to high school, and one afternoon, my mum had brought home an Akhalwayas sandwich for my brother and I for lunch, I immediately said no and opted for a green apple This was my DOT (my full-stop) my transition to a more conscious healthier lifestyle

Café: Resembles the street café culture in Europe Having had the opportunity to travel extensively in my teen years, I was able to broaden my knowledge on coffee culture as well as street cafes That's why it is imperative and part of the GDC brand to secure street locations We could not be more thrilled that we have THEE best street location in JOZI

Who is Ameera outside of GDC?

I am a wife to a very supportive husband and mother of 2 daughters aged 4 and 7 years. They are quite a handful so jugging school rounds, attending to homework and making sure my mind and body is active by getting up at 5am to head to the gym, is really important for me This mentally prepares myself for the rest of the day I enjoy doing outdoor activities - hiking, running, tennis and I thoroughly enjoy playing board games with my family members

It is crucial to give myself time off on weekends, where I have the ability to clear my mind and focus on myself. Realign

Share one of the most triumphant moments in your business journey?

Being awarded a multi facet corporate tender whilst up against the biggest name players in the coffee industry. This was truly a remarkable and memorable achievement for me and my business

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Share with us something in your business model that didn’t work, that you needed to pivot. Did you yield a better result?

Misreading the market where our first corporate site was We went in with the mindset of fancy, but realised very quickly in a corporate setting, clients want GRAB & GO and hence we developed our very own Grab & Go Range We now successfully supply many stores across JHB, with this Grab & Go concept

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Did you have any unsuccessful business ventures prior to GDC?

I had previously run a recruitment agency however whilst it was successful it wasn’t my passion I firmly believe that everything you do must come from a burning passion inside of oneself to ensure the longevity and success.

(Bearing in mind success is different for each and every individual)

What, in your opinion is something that is often over-looked as a small business, but that you have learnt is really important to pay attention to, for the success of your business?

Investing in oneself by means of having a functional mind The mind is a VERY powerful tool and if trained correctly you are on your way to greatness

A simple rule I follow – I look at three circles with each circle being larger than the previous. The smallest circle is what I myself am in control of, the second circle is partial control and the third (biggest) circle you have no control

Now if you focus on the smallest circle you will find infinite change, when focusing on the largest circle you will find yourself chasing your tail

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Our target audience is small women-owned businesses, which you can relate to. Would you like to share any advice or insight for other aspiring businesswomen, that you both learnt from owning and running Chilli Chocolate Chefs?

With passion you can pursue anything Don’t let finance or the “BUT” get in the way When you fail, you LEARN; First Attempt In Learning (FAIL)

I had failed many times before and I probably will in the future, if we didn’t fail life would be boring and nothing to challenge ourselves. A leader leads and speaks last, a boss will eat first and speak over others, to be a leader is truly inspiring I got awarded the opportunity to mentor a few younger students, because through actions your leadership will stand out

Green Dot Cafe

Green Dot is a beautiful coffee shop reminiscent of street-style cafes in Europe The space is clean and minimalist, yet yields a cosy a warmth

You can steal a few hours here and work without any distractions, except the wafting of #damngoodcoffee.

The perfect brunch spot for families or catchups with old friends. Green Dot Cafe is halaal certified and is situated in Sandton and Rosebank

Visit their Instagram @green_dot_cafe for more information

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