Craft Brewery Financial Training Podcast

Jon Reynolds from Brew Plan joins us today to talk strategic planning and keys to marketing success for breweries. At Brew Plan, Jon works with brewery owners on pricing strategy, market analysis, concept development, and sales forecasting.SummaryBiggest brewery marketing mistakes...and how to avoid themCustomer buying trends and how breweries can position their brands for successSpecific marketing tactics that really move the needle for small/mid-size breweriesResourcesConnect with Jon Reynolds, brewplanmarketing@gmail.comGet the free brewery financial training newsletter

Today on the podcast you'll hear the audio version of our brewery financial round table meeting. This month we focus on how to how to analyze your financial statements to unlock profitable opportunities.  In our monthly workshops, brewery owners and managers share ideas and best practices to improve profits and cash flows. To join our membership or learn more, visit the Beer Business Finance Association. SummaryHow to use financial trend analysis to spot problems with gross marginsSimple break-even analysis toolsTactics to present the income statement on a "per barrel" basisResourcesGet the free brewery financial training newsletterLearn more about our network of brewery owners and managers

Today on the podcast we reveal the Secret Formula to Create a Successful Brewery with Jake Lohse, founder of Presidential Brewing Company. Jake is the author of the book Shifting Gears, and founder of the Legendary Success Academy. SummaryThe 4 key factors to a successful breweryCreative funding for a start-up breweryStrategies to bring guests back to your taproom again and againResourcesConnect with Jake, jake.lohse@presidentialbrewing.comListen to the first podcast with Jake: Ultimate Road Map to Create Your Legendary BreweryGrab the FREE brewery financial newsletter

For the first time, in a long time, more breweries are closing than opening. One of the success factors for breweries that survive and thrive vs. those who do not, is a feasibility study. Jon Reynolds from Brew Plan Marketing specializes in feasibility studies, market research, and data gathering. In today's podcast, Jon shares trends, growth areas, and the details of how to build a feasibility study for brewery success.  Summary What a feasibility study is and why it's important7 benefits of market analysisResource run-down of brewery data to make informed decisionsResourcesConnect with Jon Reynolds from BrewPlan Marketing, brewplanmarketing@gmail.comGrab the FREE brewery financial planning newsletter

Today on the podcast we hear from Bob Higgins of P3 Cost Analysts. Bob and his team specialize in identifying and reducing over-spending in your business. We talk all things expense management, cost reduction strategies, and share ideas on how your brewery can save money.  HighlightsBob's process for identifying and eliminating unnecessary expenses Biggest cost-saving opportunities that companies commonly overlookThe most surprising savings P3 has been able to secure for clientsTrends in business expenses today, and where breweries will need to focus their cost-saving efforts in the futureResourcesConnect with Bob, bhiggins@costanalysts.comGet the free brewery financial training newsletter

This month in our brewery financial round table meeting we take a deep dive into financial standard operating procedures.Financial SOPs help you create complete, timely, and accurate financial statements so that you can make better business decisions.Highlights from our session:Use this hack: Rather than writing out a long SOP, use a screen recorder and show how the process is doneFollow a simple SOP template: Define the goal of the SOP, define how success will be measured, identify a responsible personGrab this Inventory Management SOP templateJoin the conversation with your membership to the Beer Business Finance Association. Monthly financial workshops, access to a library of financial training courses, and network with owners and managers in the beer industry. 

In today's podcast we review the Top 12 Financial Challenges facing Craft Breweries. This list was assembled by our network of brewery owners and managers in the Beer Business Finance Association.In the podcast, I review each challenge and provide one thing you can do right now to help overcome the difficulty in your beer business. The Top 12 Challenges:Cost management. How to implement cost controls and identify areas for cost reductionBenchmarking and KPIs. How do we measure up against our peers?Budgeting. How do we help managers own their budget?Employee retention. What can we do to provide more competitive wages and benefits?Succession Planning. How do we thoughtfully implement a succession plan?Gross profit management. What are best practices to actively manage margins?Mergers and acquisitions. How do we evaluate a potential acquisition? Sales compensation. How do we "re-imagine" sales comp to create a system that rewards the right behaviors?Operational efficiencies. How do we achieve improvements in this area and what are best practices?Financial planning. What are the best tools to automate the process?Building a better culture. How do we break down silos across locations and departments so we can operate as one company with a common vision?Financial training. How do we increase financial literacy and understanding of the business?ResourcesGet the free brewery financial training newsletter - financial tips and tactics to help you run a successful beer business

On today's podcast you'll hear the audio version of our brewery lease negotiation workshop. You'll learn strategies and best practices to tackle a lease negotiation (or re-negotiation) for your brewery. Key PointsLease terms, definitions, what you need to knowHow to build 'optionality' into your brewery leaseTriple net lease watch-outsNegotiation strategies and tacticsResourcesJoin the Beer Business Finance Association and gain instant access to financial training courses, resources, and video replays of past training workshops

Today on the podcast we hear from Dave Williams, the Analytics Czar from Bump Williams Consulting.Dave provides a recap of 2024 beer industry data, trends, and insights. We also cover “Dave’s Top 7”. These are the hot topics that he's been hearing about recently in the beer business.Key PointsGrowth in non-alcohol beer and ready-to-drink productsOn-premise resultsHealth guidelines and the impact of tariffsTrends in cannabis and crossover brandsResourcesConnect with Dave, dave@bumpwilliamsconsulting.comSign up for the free Craft Brewery Financial Training newsletter. Financial tips and tactics to build a stronger brewery, delivered straight to your inbox.

In today's podcast you'll hear the audio version of our workshop on brewery expense management and cost cutting tactics. We hold these workshops monthly for our Beer Business Finance Association members.  If you'd like to join 150+ other breweries in financial success, learn more about membership packages here. Key Takeaways2 cost analysis models to identify and reduce unnecessary spending5 cost cutting tactics to reduce expenses5 initiatives to implement right away to quickly lower costs ResourcesOne of the best books out there on cost-cutting: Double Your Profits in 6 Months or Less, Bob FiferFree brewery financial training newsletter