In this week’s Plastic Printer’s template installment, I’d like to talk about my addiction--my addiction to coffee.

Yup, I’m one of those people that needs a good, strong cup of coffee to start my day. In truth, my addiction goes a bit farther than that. I drink multiple cups a day, not enough to get the jitters, but enough to make me question whether it’s healthy or not.

I found out my addiction level has some surprising benefits, does yours? If so, you could be holding the piping hot key to a lucrative card-based venture.

More on that in a minute, right now, we have to suss out your level of caffeine addiction. To do that, we need some statistical and scientific data.

Coffee Drinking? In America, we celebrate it

Think I’m kidding? Mark your calendars because national coffee day is September 29th. If that’s not enough to convince you that we live in a nation of coffee lovers, I’ve brought statistical back-up.

It turns out, I can count myself among the 3 in 5 Americans who need coffee to start their day. In fact, 68% of coffee drinkers have their first cup within an hour of waking up; it isn’t a wimpy cup either.

The current average cup size is between 9 and 20 ounces. Have multiple cups per day, and you can probably guess why my red flag went up. My initial thought: this can’t be good for me. I know enough to know that this thought is usually the first indicator of a bad or unhealthy habit, so I decided to research it.

I figured, New Year’s is coming up, if this habit is a bad one, I will resolve to break it on January 1st(after the holiday rush, I’m realistic, not foolhardy). Then again, what I found out, surprised even me.

What Starbucks knows that you Don’t; The Truth about American Coffee Consumption

OK, time for full disclosure. I drink an average of 3 cups of coffee a day; 5 if I’m stressed. I just find that about 27 to 32 ounces a day makes me feel and function better.

Yes, I am among the 57% of coffee drinkers who puts sugar in my brew, but in my defense, I don’t drink sodas or a lot of sugary drinks. I mostly stick to water and coffee. Surprisingly, I am in the ideal coffee consumption range.

According to the Archives of Internal Medicine, women who drink multiple cups of caffeinated coffee (up to 3 cups) a day are 15% less likely to develop depression problems. Evidence also suggests that coffee helps counter neurological decline and certain types of cancer.

In fact, the Journal of Cancer Epidemiology recently discovered that regular coffee drinkers are 39% less likely to develop cancer in the head and neck. Coffee even helps scientists formulate ink and paint that dries evenly.

If all of this sounds a little too good to be true, there is a downside. Caffeine is a stimulus, so people do need to watch their intake. Too much coffee and you’re at risk for:

• Heart palpitations
• Headaches
• Jitters

Did I mention diabetes? To the 30% of you who like sweetening flavors in your coffee, try drinking one sweetened or flavored coffee a day and up to two coffees with nothing but cream. Also, try not to over-consume the beverage when stressed (writer looks into mirror sheepishly).

Otherwise, drinking several cups a day is actually a pretty positive thing.

There’s Billions in Beans

At this point, you are probably wondering what my coffee addiction has to do with the template of the week. I’m so glad you asked.

The positive effect of this addictive behavior has launched many a business opportunity. The average coffee consumption in the United States is 13 cups a week per person. That works out to about 150 billion cups a year or 20 million bags of coffee a year. All told, we import about 1/3 of the world’s coffee supply, that’s a $4 billion a year business.

Our coffee shop key tag template can help you carve out your own niche in this caffeine-fueled industry. It comes with the makings of its own loyalty program. All you have to do is customize the key tag and pick your loyalty incentives.

Combine coffee with free stuff, and your coffee shop key tag program will keep people, like me, coming back.

It’s the perfect time of year to start a coffee-themed loyalty program because our coffee shop key tag makes for a great holiday promotion or stocking stuffer.

Download your template at www.plasticprinters.com now, and we’ll help you do the rest. Simply contact us when you’re ready to start your loyalty program, and together, we’ll tackle the rest.

Wishing you a warm and well-caffeinated holiday season!

P.S. Can’t remember all of the stats listed in this article? I’ve included a nifty free infographic from GoFigure! to help.