How technology helped Monk’s Chai founder John Anderson keep his purpose-driven, flavour-filled tea business on track during COVID.

“I believe that having a connection to what we consume is foundational to having a good life,” says John Anderson, co-founder of Melbourne-based organic chai business, Monk’s Chai.

So passionate is Anderson about this ethos, that he ditched a highflying corporate career to launch Monk’s Chai. However, the fact he did this during the midst of a pandemic may leave some of you scratching your heads.

For John, the time had finally come for passion and purpose to align. In 2015 the intrepid entrepreneur took a career break and spent months travelling around India, Pakistan and Nepal, sipping on chais and supping upon chapatis. Yet nothing he tasted on his journey could compare to the brew from his favourite local café back home.

“The first time I had a memorable chai was at Monk Bodhi Dharma cafe in Balaclava; that was nearly 13 years ago,” John tells Kochie’s Business Builders (KBB).

“I always enjoyed their spicy blend, and I formed a very enduring friendship with Marwin (Shaw), the owner. He’d built a devoted following for his vegan menu, coffee and chai, for a good reason – it’s all delicious! I would always say to him that we should find a way to bring the product to market,” John recalls.

Still, it took several years before John hatched a plan to bring Monk’s Chai to the people.

“I remember returning in 2016 and discussing the idea of making some changes to the blend and bringing it to more customers. Marwin and I agreed that we’d work on a plan together to make the newly named Monk’s Chai our ‘side hustle’. I went back into corporate sales and marketing with Shannon Bennett’s Vue Group, and the idea kept percolating.”

Three years of working with the Vue de Monde team had given him a wealth of knowledge and, as 2019 drew to a close, John decided the time was finally right to bring his passion project to fruition.

“I felt strongly that I should devote my time and efforts to bringing a plant-based specialty chai brand into the market. Australia has a strong specialty coffee culture, and I saw that there was also a place for a premium spiced tea blend.”

Most would say that 2020 was a tough year to launch a business, and John admits it was a challenge. Despite this, Monk’s Chai has grown beyond their first-year projections.

“We believe it’s because our team is connected to our purpose. People spend so much time dividing their energy that we wanted to give them more moments of calm – and we created our blend with that in mind.”

While these moments make up the business’s heart, John acknowledges it’s essential that Monk’s Chai keep a watchful eye on finances, logistics and their burgeoning eCommerce sales.

He tells KBB that technology is essential to the smooth operation of Monk’s Chai. He’s not alone in this opinion, with Xero’s recent Tipping point research revealing that 66 per cent of sole traders think tech is important for financial tracking, management and planning.

John explains it’s something Monk’s Chai can’t do without. Like many business owners, paperwork is the bane of his existence and discovering cloud accounting has proved a saviour.

“Thank goodness for Xero” he chuckles.

Xero’s Rebuilding Australia report found that some 72 per cent of businesses that thrived during the COVID-19 crisis used cloud accounting software. While 60 per cent of businesses that flourished during the crisis expect to invest in technology over the next three months.

For John, digital technology was vital in keeping Monk’s Chai on track during the pandemic. “We launched our new brand and chai blend to the public a few days before the first Melbourne lock-down. It was startling and scary. But we focused a great deal on digital to connect with wholesale and retail customers alike.”

“Cloud technology is invaluable for maintaining the day-to-day operations of Monk’s Chai. We can respond directly and automate responses to our customers in real-time through Shopify, Google and Xero.”

“A great deal of our new business leads come through Facebook and Instagram, and we can manage this from anywhere thanks to our phones.” he marvels.

As the business grew and experienced teething pains, John says Xero was there to help him pick up the slack.

“It makes our lives so much easier. Back when we were doing all contactless deliveries, we would literally communicate through Xero to manage invoices and terms with clients.

“It’s been incredibly beneficial for managing cash flow. I can check my phone anytime and instantly know if particular customers have outstanding invoices. Or if we need to have a friendly conversation to try and offer assistance.

“Being able to track all of our outgoings versus our sales revenue on our dashboard is also incredibly handy. This way, I always know my cash position.”

John tells KBB the response to Monk’s Chai has been “tremendous” and says he is honoured to serve so many customers across Australia.

“Our community has resonated with our purpose and our product. I think I was afraid of this level of accountability before I leapt, but now I love expanding to serve more people. I receive every win with gratitude.”

Find out more about Monk’s Chai here.

This helpful content was brought to you in partnership with our friends at Xero. Whether you lead a small team or are going it alone, Xero is online accounting software made for your business.