Craft Brewery Financial Training Podcast

In today’s podcast we dive into the magical world of distributor contracts, and provide Five Steps you can follow to a better contract for your brewery.The distributor contract is a big point of contention between craft breweries and distributors. Before any beer is delivered, the contract has to be reviewed, debated, negotiated, and eventually signed.The challenge with most contracts is that both parties want the terms to be in their favor. Breweries want options to get out of the contract, and freedom to move their brand if the business relationship isn’t working.Distributors want the brewery to be committed to them indefinitely. From the distributor perspective, they invest millions or tens of millions, in infrastructure and want to be sure that brands stay on the trucks to pay for all the investment.Both parties want the advantage, but at a minimum, neither party wants to get stuck with a bad contract.With so much emphasis on the distributor contract, what steps are you taking to ensure you get the best arrangement possible?In this podcast I will outline five steps you can take to improve your contracts, and contractual relationships.Five Steps to a Better ContractSeek first to understand: Basic contract structure and termsKnow your state lawsDo your research, ask questions, determine the distributor optionsPlay a game you can win – Develop your own standard contract.Self-distribute – Enter into a contract with yourselfResourcesGet the free finance newsletter for breweriesLearn more about the Beer Business Finance Association - a network of beer industry professionals focused on improving financial resultsReady 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 learn all about SBA loans with Scott Birkner from Dogwood State Bank. If you need to borrow money to start or grow your brewery, then you need to listen to this podcast.Scott breaks down all the details of SBA 7A and 504 loans and shares his advice on how to best prepare for the loan process. Key TopicsFinancing trends in the brewing industryHow to prepare for an SBA loan: When to start and what information you'll need to finishLoan requirements for start-up breweriesResourcesLearn more about SBA lending with Dogwood State Bank, or email Scott at sbirkner@dsbnc.comJoin the finance network for brewery owners and operatorsReady 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 Roger Kissling, VP of Sales for Iron Heart Canning. Roger shares all the details you need to know about mobile canning services. Iron Heart has 28 warehouses in 27 stats, and packaged approximately 100 million cans last year.  If your brewery is thinking about canning solutions, Iron Heart may be the answer.  Key TopicsLogistics of mobile canningPricing, contracts, expectations, roles and responsibilities of mobile canningTrends in package sizes and configurationsResourcesLearn more about Iron Heart Canning and mobile canning servicesGet the free brewery finance 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.

Chris Holden is Director of Sales and Marketing for the Hop Guild and a grower in New York state.  In today's podcast, Chris shares his insights on the state of the hop industry, recent trends, and talks about a new product called HOPSAUCE."HOPSAUCE® is The Hop Guild‘s proprietary hop oil developed to replace traditional hop products on the hot side and in the whirlpool. HOPSAUCE® will enhance flavor and aroma as well as reduce wort loss. HOPSAUCE® is flowable at room temps and makes for a perfect whirlpool product!"Key TopicsState of the hop industry and recent trendsHop contracts 101Production forecasting tipsHOPSAUCE®, a new product that improves yield and saves money on shipping and storageResourcesLearn more about HopsauceSign up for the free brewery financial 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 talk lessons learned starting, running and selling a brewery with Jeremy Cowan, founder of Shmaltz Brewing. Jeremy's advice to those who want to start a brewery?  "Don't."  "100% do not start a brewery. Go find a really cool brewery where the owners are spread a little thin, and go buy one, or become a partner...before you ever start your own brewery."Key TopicsOptions to invest in a brewery, without actually starting one How to raise pricing and margins with sustainability initiativesJeremy's advice for brewery owners looking to sellResourcesConnect with Jeremy on LinkedInLearn about a new network of brewery owners and operators: Beer Business Finance AssociationReady 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 cash flow with ResolvePay co-founder and CEO Chris Tsai.  ResolvePay is a tool that takes the guesswork out of credit checks, and helps you manage and improve cash flow.Whether you are a brewery in self-distribution or a supplier servicing the beer industry, ResolvePay can help your business improve cash flow. Key TopicsHow to use "buy now, pay later" to increase sales and boost cash flowTools to automate credit checks and assessmentsA complete solution for accounts receivable and payment processing ResourcesLearn more about how ResolvePay can improve your cash flowGet the free brewery finance 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.

Today on the podcast we hear from Jeremy Cowan, founder of Shmaltz Brewing and Coney Island Brewing.  Jeremy shares his journey from starting to selling his breweries and lessons learned along the way. Jeremy talks about one of his passions: Helping breweries to lose less money.This may not be the most optimistic way to frame the problem (losing money) but it can be a very practical first step for breweries working towards profitability. Key TopicsLessons learned in starting, running and selling a breweryHow to "lose less money in your brewery"Contract brewing: Is it still relevant?ResourcesLearn more about Arryved POSGet the free brewery finance 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 you'll hear the audio version of our webinar with Kegshoe on Managing Your Keg Fleet: The Hidden Costs and Opportunities.The old saying goes that "kegs have legs", and they tend to go missing. On average breweries lose 5-10% of their kegs each year, which can add up to a lot of dollars. However, breweries using Kegshoe lose only 1% of their kegs each year - a substantial improvement, and substantial savings for your bottom line.   It is super important to have a good system to track and manage your keg fleet to safeguard this important asset and avoid expensive keg losses, and Kegshoe might just be your solution. Key TopicsKeg lease vs buy basicsWhy brewery owners care about tracking kegsTactics and tools to forecast keg needsTools to track, monitor and mange your keg fleetResourcesLearn more about KegshoeGet the free brewery financial training mini-courseReady 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.

Learn about how Attensi's gamified training simulations can improve brewery staff training by connecting KPIs, increasing sales through upselling, reducing turnover, and enhancing career development. The podcast explores the impact of simulation training on employee engagement, the importance of training part-time staff for customer service excellence, and the benefits of using mobile phones and gamification in training. Additionally, it delves into maximizing sales through upselling techniques and the future of brewery staff training and technology.

Michael Varda, founder of Craft Beer Advisory Services, shares his insights on how to use data to drive more customers to your taproom.  Michael's firm is the first and only full service market research firm exclusively dedicated to the craft beer industry.  And he has a lot of profitable information to share. Key TakeawaysUsing data to create a dynamic marketing planBeer industry trends, and keys to success in 2023A sneak peak at the Top Taprooms of 2022ResourcesGet the free brewery financial newsletterLearn more about Craft Beer Advisory ServicesReady 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.