3 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Newport coffee shop turns redundancy into opportunity
Richard Collins, a former sales manager, launched The Rich Bean Coffee at Caerleon RFC Club in 2024 after losing his job.
The independent coffee shop is already showing strong early growth.
Mr Collins said: "With my background in business management and years of experience leading teams in the sales industry, I'd always dreamed of building something for myself.
"When I was made redundant, it felt like the right time to turn that ambition into reality."
The coffee shop is a welcoming, community-focused space offering ethically sourced coffee and locally produced goods.
Founder of The Rich Bean, Richard Collins (Image: Supplied) Mr Collins received support from Business Wales, including help from business adviser Ian Harvey.
With their guidance, he developed a business plan, financial forecasts, and secured a £2,000 Barriers Grant to cover equipment and branding.
Mr Collins said: "That said, starting a business from scratch is never easy.
"The guidance I received from Business Wales made a huge difference.
"From developing a business plan to understanding what it really takes to launch successfully, their advice gave me the confidence and structure I needed to take this exciting new step."
He also praised his adviser.
Mr Collins said: "Ian was fantastic from the word go.
"I built a lot of trust with him and really felt confident that the advice he was offering would guide me in the right direction.
"I credit him with a lot; he's honestly worth his weight in gold."
Richard Collins, a former sales manager, opened The Rich Bean at Caerleon RFC Club (Image: Supplied) Business Wales' Green Growth and Equality pledges helped shape The Rich Bean Coffee's commitment to sustainability and ethical sourcing.
Mr Harvey said: "When Richard first approached Business Wales, his knowledge and experienced background was clear.
"All that remained was to draw on our range of resources to help assist him in building the skillsets and logistics needed to establish The Rich Bean Coffee."
He said the coffee shop's progress highlights the potential of Welsh start-ups with the right support in place.
Mr Harvey said: "In this case, I'm sure that Richard's work will soon see new locations arriving across the region."
Less than a year since opening, Mr Collins is already exploring new locations around Newport to expand the business.
