In today's podcast we hear from Lester Jones, chief economist for the National Beer Wholesalers Association.

Lester provides a recap of 2021 and his outlook for the beer industry in the year ahead.

In our conversation we dig deep into the data and review the key topics for beer wholesaler owners and managers:

• Total beer consumption in the US
• Packaging trends, and the outlook for cans, bottles and draft
• Forecast for on-premise business
• Past, present and future of seltzers

Lester also shares his favorite beer industry reads, and provides tips to use US Census data, labor statistics, and TTB reporting to better analyze your market.

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Today we talk brewery financing and get an update on the state of the lending industry with Jason Sleeman, VP of Craft Beverage Lending for United Community Bank.

Jason shares his perspective on the current state of the market,  financial relief packages, and the inner workings of how the loan process works.

Key Topics

• Banking behind the scenes: What you really need in order to get a loan
• Loan processing times: 45 days to 14 months...tips to get approved faster
• How to build your team of brewery professionals (insurance, legal, accounting, banking)
• An update on mergers in craft beer
• Jason's favorite sources for beer news and information

Resources

• Podcast: Expansion Financing 
• Learn more about United Community Bank

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In today's podcast you'll hear the audio version of the Taproom Success Membership monthly Q&A call.  

In this discussion, Andrew Coplon and I talk about a wide variety of topics ranging from contingency planning for taprooms to how to build relationships among your front/back of house taproom staff. 

Key Topics

• How to reward and motivate your taproom employees 
• Team building tactics to help drive more revenue through your taproom
• How to use accountability and a proven system to build your financial plan

Resources

• Craft Brewery Professionals Live Event: Feb 2022
• Learn more about the Taproom Success Membership

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Today we are going to talk about goal setting and New Year's Resolutions. We'll talk about a framework you can use to create goals that stick.

We'll look at systems, models, and techniques you can use to set your goals and achieve them in 2022.

Key Topics

• Business Plan Goals...Start with your Core Values (what do you stand for?)
• Financial Plan Goals
• SWOT Analysis
• Process vs. Outcome Goals
• The 3 Step Secret Weapon for 2022 (Eliminate, Automate, Delegate)

Resources

• Learn more about the book Re-Work by Jason Fried from Basecamp
• Tim Ferriss on a technique to become more productive in 2022
• Learn more about the Craft Brewery Business Plan course

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In today's podcast we hear from Kim McKinnish, CFO and SVP of the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA).

Kim and I talk about a wide range of topics including the mission of the NBWA, membership benefits,  NBWA's Next Generation Leadership Group, and the newly launched BREW initiative, Building Relationships and Empowering Women.

We also discuss the current state of the beer industry, best practices and business lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Key Topics

• How wholesalers can use financial skills to navigate challenges in the market
• The BREW Initiative: Building Relationships and Empowering Women
• Industry consolidation: Key factors behind wholesaler acquisitions

Resources

• Learn more about the BREW Initiative
• NBWA Membership Benefits
• Nex Gen Leadership Conference

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Preston Andreini is a firefighter, first responder and now he's opening up his own brewery: Red Engine Brewing.

And if that's not enough, he's started his own podcast to share lessons learned with others who may want to start their own brewery.

In this podcast, Preston and I walk through the details of creating a startup brewery financial plan. Preston talks through the obstacles he faced while creating his plan, and shares how he overcame these challenges.

Key Topics

• Using "Knowns and Assumptions" when starting your plan
• The simple magic of the "Sources and Uses" schedule
• A tactical approach to build up your sales, margin, and operating expenses

Resources

• Learn more about Red Engine Brewing
• Check out Preston's podcast: Built and Brewed

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What if there was a place where you could learn everything about starting a new brewery? And what if that place was online, accessible to anyone, and totally free?

No need to think about the 'what ifs' because Laura Lodge and attorney Candace Moon have built such a place, and they call it StartABrewery.com.

In today's podcast you'll hear from Laura Lodge about why she co-founded StartABrewery.com, who the site is for, and what resources you'll find there. 

Key Topics Covered

• Tips on where to begin: Starting points for starting a brewery
• The four stages of StartABrewery.com: Plan, Act, Open, Grow
• Fundamental principles for your distribution contracts and relationships

Resources

• Learn more about StartABrewery.com
• Check out Laura's book Distribution Insight for the Craft Brewer
• Need a REAL business plan for your brewery? Check out the Brewery Business Plan course

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In today's podcast we hear from Josh Lance, founder of Lance CPA Group. Josh's firm specializes in breweries, with a focus on bookkeeping services, tax planning and preparation, and small business advisory services.

Josh and I talk about a number of issues facing brewery operators these days: year end planning strategies, cash management tools, and how to make sure you're in compliance with all the rules surrounding PPP, ERTC, RRF and other stimulus packages. 

Key Topics

• Most common financial questions brewery owners are asking these days
• Key considerations when buying new brewery assets (calculate the return on investment, estimate additional costs associated with getting the asset into service)
• Brewery cash management tools: Fathom, Float and Helm 
• First steps to build a brewery cash forecast

Resources

• Learn more about Lance CPAs
• Podcast: The Ultimate Brewery Software Stack
• Check out the online course How to Build a Brewery Profit Plan

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In today's podcast we talk about legal year end planning tactics with attorney John Szymankiewicz from the Beer Law Center. The Beer Law Center provides legal solutions to the craft beverage industry, and John provides tips that brewers need to know right now.

Key Topics

• Best practices, tips and checklists for legal planning
• How John is guiding his brewery clients with year end planning
• What you need to know about: Contract reviews, lease reviews, and trademarks
• Watch out for these legal areas that are overlooked (and what usually goes wrong)

Resources

• Learn more about the Beer Law Center
• Learn more about John's book Beer Law: What Brewer's Need to Know
• Check out the Brewery Business Plan course

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Today we review year end planning tips and strategies with Chris Farmand, founder and CEO of Small Batch Standard. 

We cover the most common questions, concerns and obstacles that brewery owners are facing these days, and provide resources to help solve these challenges. 

Topics Covered

• Planning tactics for PPP, ERC, and EIDL
• Benchmarking tools for breweries
• Accounting technology: Chris' favorite software stack for breweries
• Rules of thumb for when you need a brewery software tool
• Top benefits of working with a brewery-specialized CPA firm

Resources

• Learn more about Small Batch Standard
• Check out the Brewery Business Plan Course

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