Craft Brewery Financial Training Podcast

Today we dig into the legal side of contract brewing with attorney Derek Allen from Allen Stahl + Kilbourne. Derek shares best practices on how to create the brewery service agreement (the document that will govern your contract brewing arrangement) and where to turn for help on navigating the state regulations around contract brewing. Key TopicsContract brewing vs alternating proprietorshipsReasons to contract brew (that you might not have thought about)What you need to get right in your brewing contractPitfalls to avoid in brewery service agreementsResourcesLearn more about Derek Allen and contract brewing services his firm provides  Watch Derek's presentation on contract brewing Get the financial training newsletter for the craft beer industryReady 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.

Brewers Association supply chain subcommittee chair Mitch Steele joins us to share tips and best practices on how brewers can navigate today's challenges. In the podcast Mitch shares his outlook for the next 6-12 months, and strategies to navigate ongoing supply chain issues.Key TopicsMitigation strategies for supply chain challengesBest practices for purchase contracts: cans, malt, COs, etc.How to build relationships with your key suppliersResourcesLearn more about Mitch Steele and New Realm Brewing CompanyBrewers Association supply chain resourcesGet the craft brewery financial training newsletterReady 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'll review best practices to improve cash flow in your brewery.  You'll learn the cash flow reports to run, metrics to track, and how to focus your time and energy to create a solid cash management plan for your brewery business. Key TopicsThe main drivers of brewery cash flow (and how to manage them)How to build cash flow metrics for each manager in your breweryBest practices for your brewery financing planResourcesGet the financial training newsletter for craft breweriesLearn more about the craft brewery financial training membershipReady 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 with Tim Near from Agrowgate, a group procurement organization, that helps breweries manage their supply chain and buy better.Pound for pound, supply chain purchases represent the largest outlay of cash for a brewery.  In today's podcast, you'll learn tips and tactics from a supply chain expert to improve purchasing in your beer business. Key Topics The 5 Rights of Purchasing...and why they are important to your breweryHow to implement a 9 Step Sourcing ModelSourcing strategy example using Porters' Five ForcesCommon purchasing pitfalls...and how to avoid themResourcesLearn more about AgrowgateGet the finance newsletter for brewery professionalsReady 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'll talk about best practices for recruiting and hiring for your brewery. Finding the right employees is harder than ever these days, but a few simple tips can make the task easier. Key TopicsUse a template for your job descriptions and job postings - get it in writing, and get it in the hands of the job candidateBe crystal clear about the priority or goal for the position - how do you define success?Set proper expectations for the position People exist to make a difference: Use the job description, tell the job candidate how they will make a difference in the breweryResourcesSubscribe to the free finance newsletter for craft  breweriesCheck out the Brewery Job Descriptions Guide, it's included with your Craft Brewery Financial Training SubscriptionReady 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.

If you sell beer through a wholesaler, you have inventory management challenges. In today's podcast we talk with Bud Dunn from GP Analytics and hear about a solution to these challenges called the Craft Portal.The Craft Portal is a tool that allows you to easily track inventory and orders without losing time, money or your mind. Wholesalers and breweries can quickly track what was sent, what is inbound and what is needed in the future.The rapid expansion of brands and SKUs in the beer wholesaler's portfolio has made inventory forecasting very complex. The Craft Portal helps simplify the forecasting process so that you can reduce out of stocks, over stocks, and increase sales of your beer brands. Key TopicsInventory forecasting best practicesHow to identify (and quantify) lost sales due to out of stocksThe high cost of over stock inventory Understanding wholesaler incentives related to inventory levelsResourcesGet the Craft Portal One PagerSubscribe to the Finance Newsletter for Craft BreweriesReady 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 dive into the wonderful world of beer distribution with Laura Lodge from Customized Craft Beer Programs. Laura has a tremendous amount of experience with beer distribution and in our conversation she shares her knowledge freely. Key TopicsBenefits of working with a wholesalerPitfalls to avoid in the brewery-wholesaler relationshipDistribution contracts: What you need to knowKey elements to a good brewery-wholesaler partnershipResourcesLaura's book: Distribution Insight for the Craft BrewerListen to our first podcast: StartABrewery.com with Laura LodgeThe Finance Newsletter for Craft BreweriesReady 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 Bart Watson, chief economist for the Brewers' Association. Bart is a self-described "stats geek, beer lover, and Certified Cicerone®." And he holds a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley.  So, the Beer Data Doctor is in the house. In our conversation we dig into the 2021 beer data and get Bart's key takeaways, trends, and outlook for the coming year. We also talk about "craft's leaky bucket" and how brewers can use this concept to maintain or grow market share. Key Topics 2021 beer trends and outlook for 2022Bart's key takeaways from the 2021 dataThe state of big seltzer (and craft seltzer)On-premise outlook ResourcesBart's articles on benchmarking data, survey results, and packaging trendsThe Finance Newsletter for Craft BreweriesReady 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 talk contract brewing with Brewmaster Mitch Steele from New Realm Brewing.  Mitch shares what the contract brewing process looks like, the contract terms you need to know, and how to structure pricing.Key TopicsContract brewing tracking data How to structure contract brewing pricing The key steps in the contract brewing process Lessons learned, mistakes to avoid, in contract brewingResourcesLearn more about New Realm Brewing CompanyContact Mitch for info on their contract brewing services: msteele@newrealmbrewing.comSubscribe to the Finance Newsletters for Craft BreweriesReady 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.

The podcast covers key topics like 2022 beer industry trends, taproom metrics, financing updates, and creative staffing solutions. They discuss the importance of customer engagement, unique job descriptions, industry data analysis, networking, and financial outlook for breweries.