Set up sidewalk coffee cafe’ during busy times? Is the sign easy to read as driving by? I have found many times I can’t read shop signs as I’m driving because it is too fancy or has too much info on it. Find craft fairs that have the same type of items you sell and go to with your coffee and products.

Punch card rewards program. It’s easy and people love them.

Do you have the space to host events? Open mic, poetry nights, board game tournaments, etc. that can be a good way to get more people in the door.

Maybe you can host plant related classes or workshops? Advertise having some kind of inhouse plant consultant that people can talk to about plant issues, what kind of plants they should get, maintenance, etc.

You may want to reconsider your strategy. I like houseplants and have several but it’s the sort of thing I buy once a year tops, and I would never associate it with coffee no matter how many ads I see about it.

You may want to reconsider your strategy. I like houseplants and have several but it’s the sort of thing I buy once a year tops, and I would never associate it with coffee no matter how many ads I see about it.

Maybe collaborate with a local nursery to run classes on growing and caring for plants? Or collaborate with local artists to hold events to highlight their handmade products and get their followers in the door?

You could also try geofencing to serve up mobile ads to local foot and car traffic.

Send out 10,000 flyers to local neighborhoods.

Offer local groups (hoa, scouts, AA, non profits) a meeting space

Host networking nights/days for local businesses. Even do a monthly realtor day, monthly lawyer day, doctor day, anything where businesses can network.

Hold game nights. Maybe an annual chess tournament or board game tournament?

Sounds like you need to get more first time customers who then go “wow this place is awesome!, i need to come back and bring so and so”

Once a month have “free coffee for cops” or something.

Anything that people enjoy so much they make it their daily stop instead of Starbucks or dunkin.

try www.fucimo.com where you can buy targeted out of home advertising starting from 50USD/Day

Figure out how to operate given the constraints of what you have right now.
Assume no growth at all.

What can you do to become sustainable, if not profitable? Can you work more hours yourself and thus cut on staff costs. Can you close the shop for hours when you have the least traffic? Can you cut down expenses on items that don’t sell well, and start selling more things that have higher margins? Can you ask your landlord/bank to defer/reduce payments?

You are in a brick and mortar business and while you will probably find a way to grow 10% here and there, you are very unlikely to double your customer base fast; it’s just what it is.

You might consider focusing on your best customers and up-selling them, but even then, you would need to sell $10 worth to 50 customers, $50 to 10 customers every day, or a $500 item to 1 customer, every single day (revenue, not profit). This just sounds very unlikely. Maybe some seasonal offers, like Xmas stuffed toys for kids, or maybe cruise tickets to Bahamas, but again, unlikely.

No one tells you this when you start a small business (we’ve been there too), but you need a good amount of savings to survive the first 3+ years while you figure things out, and even then, it might not work out.

Sorry I don’t have a better advice, just being honest with you here.