Daniel Lust is co-founder and partner of PINTS LLC, a beverage advisory firm that partners with suppliers and distributors across the country to provide objective support, guidance and best practices related to the beverage alcohol industry.

In today's podcast Dan and I talk about performance metrics for beer wholesalers and breweries: Out of code, out of stocks, gross profit %, profit per stop and many more.

We also dig into the details of brewery-wholesaler business relationships, and what breweries can do to make sure their brands get attention and focus to grow sales. 

Resources
Contact Dan Lust at Pints, LLC

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Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.

In this podcast we talk with Jim Gunther from Gunther Creative Agency. Jim specializes in creating beautiful visual identities: branding, packaging, print, digital and more. He has recently added beverage formulation to his list of services.

Jim has created a Product Launch Checklist which includes all the things you should consider when launching a new product.

The product launch checklist includes to-do's for legal, product development, graphics, marketing production, operations, and much more. The checklist pulls it all together in one place to help you have a profitable brand launch.

Time is money. You can't afford to make mistakes or have delays during a product launch. Listen to the podcast and use Jim's checklist to keep your team on task and on deadline.

Resources
Get the Brewery Product Launch Checklist
Contact Jim Gunther at Gunther Creative Agency

Sign Up for the Free Craft Brewery Financial Training Newsletter

Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.

In today's podcast we hear from Jason Sleeman from United Community Bank. Jason has 20 years' experience in banking, and the last 6 years running the craft beverage vertical for United Community Bank.

The hot topic on everyone's mind is the second round of PPP funding. 

• What do breweries need to know right now to take advantage of this relief package?  
• How does the NAICS code factor in to the PPP?  In other words, will production breweries who also operate taprooms qualify for a larger loan?  3.5x vs 2.5x of monthly payroll, for example.  
• What about new breweries that just opened up as the pandemic was starting...will they qualify for relief?  

You've got questions, Jason has answers.

Key Topics:

• PPP Round 2...Q&A with the lender
• How to raise funds for a start-up brewery
• Expansion financing overview...how to fund the new canning line

Resources:

• Contact Jason Sleeman at United Community Bank
• email: [email protected]
• phone: 404-375-3945
• Coronavirus Resource Center from McLane Middleton

Don't forget to sign up for the Free Craft Brewery Financial Training Newsletter

Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.

Financial planning in a pandemic requires that you have an accelerated process to get your brewery budget done. You don't have weeks or months of time to complete this task, you have hours or days.

In order to help you speed up the planning process, I'll share financial models that are easy to use and quick to update. These models are also be flexible so that you can update your numbers frequently as new information becomes available.

Today's podcast is the audio-version of a webinar on Brewery Financial Planning in a Pandemic. (To watch the full webinar click the link in the Resources below.)

Resources
Watch the Webinar Replay: Brewery Financial Planning in a Pandemic

Sign up for the FREE World Famous Craft Brewery Financial Training Newsletter

Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.

Today we talk about ESOPs with Rocky Fiore, Managing Director of Prairie Capital Advisors. Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) can be a great option to reward employees and keep your brewery business independent. 

Craft breweries are all about collaboration, camaraderie, and employee empowerment. Employee ownership may be a natural evolution in the craft beer culture.

Rocky oversees client engagements related to employee stock ownership plans (ESOP) feasibility and structuring, valuation, fairness opinions, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), estate planning, capital structuring and more for clients across the country.

Topics covered:

• Top reasons a craft brewery would choose an ESOP
• Brewery Valuations
• Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) in the craft beer space

Resources

• Contact info for Rocky Fiore
• Learn more about ESOPs

Sign up for the World Famous Craft Brewery Financial Training Newsletter

Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.

Rich Lindsay is a former CFO for Boston Beer Company, a U.S. Navy Veteran, and a valuation expert. We hear from Rich about common questions from brewery owners:

• How do I value my beer business?  
• What is my brewery worth?  
• What information should I provide to potential investors?

Topics Covered:

• Boston Beer Company  Secrets to Success (hint...it's sales training)
• Brewery valuation basics
• Common metrics that drive brewery value

Resources:

• Contact information for Rich Lindsay
• Email:  [email protected]
• Phone: 617-697-7248

Sign up for the World Famous (and Free) Craft Brewery Financial Training Newsletter

Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.

Today we hear from Matt Hopkins, Executive Director of Independent Brewer's Alliance, the nation's only craft brewer owned cooperative. The cooperative has 100 craft brewer members with a combined 675,000 BBL of beer production.

The mission of the organization is to pool purchasing power to save money on supplies and services for all member-owners. 

Topics Covered 

• Savings programs offered - cans, labels, services
• Average/expected savings by using the programs 
• The hot topic today: Cans, supply chain issues, and Matt's view on how long before supply catches up with demand

Resources
Learn more about the Independent Brewer's Alliance (IBA)
Frequently asked questions about IBA

Sign up for the World Famous Craft Brewery Financial Training Newsletter

Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.

Today, I sit down with Maria Pearman a principal with the firm of Perkins & Co.  Maria is a CPA and her focus is on the beverage alcohol business.

Perkins & Co. provides a full range of services to craft breweries, including tax, audit, bookkeeping, business transaction services, controller and CFO services.

Topics covered in the podcast:

• Business transactions, mergers & acquisitions in the craft beer space
• Top financial issues facing breweries today: PPP filing and tax implications
• Economics of shifting from draft products (generally high margin) to package products (generally lower margin)
• Financial year-end planning tips and tactics
• Maria's book - Small Brewery Finance

Resources
Learn more about Perkins & Co: Food and Beverage services
Contact information for Maria Pearman, CPA
Check out Maria's book - Small Brewery Finance

Sign up for the World Famous (and Free!) Craft Brewery Financial Training Newsletter.

Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.

Today we chat with Harry Schuhmacher, Editor and Publisher of Beer Business Daily, Craft Business Daily, and Wine & Spirits Daily.  These publications are read on every continent in the world except Antarctica. 

Harry has worked in the beer business for over 30 years, and has published Beer Business Daily for the last 20 years.  Harry is also the producer of the Beer Industry Summit and the Wine & Spirits Summit.

In the podcast we cover a wide range of topics:

• Brewery - Distributor relationships
• The age of effervescence - is seltzer here to stay?
• The latest on beer wholesaler consolidation
• Predictions on the future of the 3-tier system 
• Beer business lessons learned during the pandemic

Resources
Learn more about Beer Business Daily
Learn more about the Beer Industry Summit

Sign up for the World Famous Craft Brewery Financial Training Newsletter!

Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.

How do you finance your brewery? What does a good loan strategy look like? How can you make the most of your relationship with your lender?

So many questions. In this podcast we'll provide answers so that you can create a successful financing plan for your brewery business.  

Topics Covered in the Podcast

• Brewery Financing Basics
• Loan Terms, Loan Types, Typical Loan Structures
• Working with Lenders
• How they evaluate breweries, What they need from you, How to make the most of the relationship
• Loan Covenants + Calculations
• Debt Service, Leverage…add these to your financial reporting 
• Loan schedule spreadsheet
• Map out what you owe, monthly obligations

Resources
Get unlimited access to financial training courses, guides and resources with the Free 60-Day Trial to the Craft Brewery Financial Training Membership

Ready to transform financial results in your beer business? Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of owners and managers working together to build more profitable companies.