Take any Econ 101 class and you’ll be told that the commodities world is based on supply and demand. Jimmy Butler gets it.
Jimmy Butler’s $20 coffee hustle is the best business in the NBA bubble
Rise and grind (your beans).
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
While many NBA players used their precious personal item slots to bring memories of home, or their favorite video game console — Butler decided to bring a French press into the NBA bubble, and is now running his own coffee business out of his room.
First of all, I absolutely love this scam. I don’t know what the coffee game is like inside the Disney resort, but considering Butler’s burgeoning business I have to imagine it’s a little lackluster. Everything about this sign is genius.
- Everything being $20. This lulls the consumer into a false sense of security by setting a ridiculous bottom line. Naturally most people are going to get a $20 large, because it seems like a deal compared to the small. Before they even think about the fact they’re paying $20 for a coffee they’ve already been bamboozled.
- No IOUs. This is just smart entrepreneurship. Not only does it keep the free cash flow running effectively, but it means no messy debt collecting on the back end.
- Lots of options. Giving the customer choice is key. I don’t really know how Butler is making a pour over, macchiato or cappuccino in a French press — but I suppose that’s for his customers to grapple with.
- Smiley faces. Ingratiates you to the business, even while being robbed blind for $20 coffee.
I think the reason I respect this so much is that I too ran a hustle much like Butler’s when I was in the fourth grade. I turned myself into a human Uber and gave kids piggy back rides around school for 20 cents a ride. Business was booming too, until my mom began to question why I was coming home from school with a pound of candy every day.
In hindsight if my child came home from school with an abundance of unknown candy I’d probably be a little concerned too. Good looking out, mom.
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