We are excited to welcome Chema Mora, Business Development Manager of the Cicerone® Certification Program.

We talk regularly of the importance of professional development, and programs like Cicerone are a valuable opportunity for you and your brewery taproom team to further your education.
 
The Cicerone Certification Program offers a path to advance your career and the knowledge of your team.

Join Advanced Cicerone Chema Mora, Business Development Manager for the Cicerone Program, as he shares an inside look at the program and shares tips and strategies to meet your goal.

Whether you are studying for the next exam or just hearing about the program for the first time, there is something for you.

Resources

• Contact Chema at [email protected]
• Learn more about the Taproom Success Manager Certification
• Sign up for the brewery financial newsletter

Today we hear from Tim Irvin and Chris Murphy from Clifton, Larson, Allen, LLP, a CPA firm that specializes in craft beverage businesses. 

Tim and Chris share their insights and best practices on brewery financial planning, cash flow planning, debt structures, and wealth management. 

Key Topics

• Brewery financial planning best practices
• Tactics to get a good understanding of your brewery cost structure 
• How to develop your capital plan
• Wealth management considerations and resources

Resources

• Learn more about CLA
• Connect with Tim Irvin and Chris Murphy 
• Sign up for the brewery financial training newsletter

Today we talk about open book management with Larry Chase.  Larry served for eight years on the brewer's association board of directors on the finance committee and as treasurer.
 
Larry's passion is to show brewery managers and employees how their role impacts the financial success of the business. 

Key Topics

• How to build a culture of ownership
• Keys to high involvement planning
• Tactics to create consistent financial results in your business
• Larry's favorite industry publications

Resources

• Connect with Larry Chase
• Learn more about the Brewery Open Book Management Course
• Sign up for the brewery financial training newsletter

Today we hear from Nancy Trigg, Chief People Officer at Arryved.  Arryved is the point of service system built specifically for the craft beer industry.

Nancy shares her perspective on the most important features of a POS system, key questions to ask when selecting a system, and her favorite taproom key metrics.

Key Topics

• Critical measurements for your taproom business
• Essential reports to run from your POS system
• Tactics to improve customer loyalty
• Future innovation for taproom point of sale systems

Resources

• Read the blog - 6 Essential Reports From Your POS System
• Sign up for the brewery financial training newsletter

In today's podcast we hear from Lift Bridge Brewing CEO Dan Schwartz.  We talk about all aspects of financial planning, business planning, compensation structure and much more.

We'll dig into the nitty gritty of the brewery financial planning process. Who should be involved, how long it should take, and exactly what you should be doing to build your plan.

Key Topics

• Best practices to improve financial results in your brewery
• Brewery software stack used by Lift Bridge Brewery
• Tips to build a detailed sales forecast
• Software stack used by Lift Bridge Brewery

Resources

• Learn more about Lift Bridge Brewery
• Sign up for the brewery financial training newsletter

In today's podcast we talk strategies for marketing beer to women with Kristen Bernier.  Kristen is a brand and communication strategist, and shares her insights on how breweries can grow sales in a challenging market. 

Key Topics

• How do identify what your brand is, what you stand for, and how to stand out from the crowd
• How to be intentional and build your brand 'on purpose' 
• Data points: 75% of buying decisions are made by women
• Tips and strategies: What breweries can do to appeal to women beer drinkers
• How to benchmark your marketing campaigns, and track a return on investment

Resources
Learn more about Kristen and connect with her
Sign up for the financial newsletter for craft breweries

Beer industry expert Bump Williams joins today with an update on retail beer sales. Bump shares trends in packaging, pricing, brands, styles and market channels.

As a special bonus, Bump gives his Top 3 Brewery Sales Growth Tactics that every brewery owner should consider to achieve sales success in 2022. 

Key Topics

• Trends in pricing and promotions
• New product innovation
• Market share tracking tactics
• 2022 Summer selling season outlook

Resources

• Learn more about Bump Williams Consulting
• Sign up to receive The Brewery Financial Training Newsletter

Financial literacy is a super power. It means learning to understand the numbers of your business so that you know how your business is doing financially. 

Marketing literacy is a super power. It means learning how to identify your customer and communicate the value your brewery has to offer. 

When you combine marketing and finance together...well, you have something special on your hands.  

In today's podcast, I talk with Chris Overlay from Hoptimized Digital, a marketing firm for craft breweries. Chris and I talk numbers, finance, marketing, and how to combine these ingredients to help you supercharge your brewery results.

Key Topics

• Beer Pricing (related to margins, market positioning, and ultimately business success) 
• Sales forecasting / budgeting / projects (as it relates to the marketing budget) 
• Sales Growth KPIs (related to measuring ROI with marketing)

Resources

• Learn more about Hoptimized Digital
• Get the financial training newsletter for the beer industry

How much should you spend on brewery marketing?  What is the right amount, and how do you figure this out?  Julie Rhodes from Not Your Hobby Marketing Solutions joins the podcast with answers. 

Julie specializes in helping breweries optimize retail sales plans, execute digital marketing plans and improve distribution management. And she has lots of great information to share about proven and profitable brewery marketing strategies. 

Key Topics

• How to budget your marketing dollars (benchmarks and rules of thumb)
• Profitable brewery marketing tactics 
• The brewery marketing plan (starting points to build a good one)

Resources

• Learn more about Julie and Not Your Hobby Marketing Solutions
• Get the Case Equivalent Conversion Calculator
• Check out the brewery financial training newsletter

Today we talk about the research and development tax credit with Brent Williams from Small Batch Standard.

Brent breaks down what the R&D tax credit is, how the calculation works, and how to determine if your brewery business will qualify.

Many breweries don't realize they qualify for this tax credit, and could be leaving money on the table. Listen to the podcast to learn whether your business qualifies.

Key Topics

• How the R&D tax credit works
• How to know if your brewery qualifies
• What types of costs are included to calculate the R&D credit 
• How much of a credit may be available for your brewery
• Where to get help to claim your R&D tax credit

Resources

• Learn more about R&D Tax Credits and Small Batch Standard
• Get the financial newsletter for craft breweries