Today, we hear from Attorney John Szymankiewicz from the Beer Law Center in Raleigh, NC. John's last name belongs in the finals of a spelling bee, so we'll just refer to him as John S. In our discussion, John discusses the legal concept of force majeure and what brewery owners should know about this contract clause which is included in most supplier and wholesaler agreements. How is force majeure being used during the pandemic? What are options for breweries? John S. has the answers. John has wr...
Jun 30, 2020•58 min
Jim Keenan is an intellectual property guru who helps breweries protect their most valuable business assets: their brands. John Moran specializes in federal and state licensing and compliance and is the author of an essential resource for breweries: The Brew Kit. In today's podcast, we hear from these two attorneys who specialize in issues that are critically important to craft brewery owners and managers. Jim walks us through the process of how and when to file for a trademark. John takes us th...
Jun 24, 2020•47 min
In today's podcast we talk with attorney Trevor Brewer from BrewerLong Business Law. We cover a number of topics in Trevor's areas of practice: alcohol beverage regulation, beverage licensing, and distribution agreements. Trevor provides his guidance on executive orders and how brewery's can stay in compliance. We talk about the future of state alcohol regulation (e-commerce, curbside, home delivery) and whether the rules that have been relaxed during the pandemic will go back to the way they we...
Jun 11, 2020•40 min
In today's podcast, I sit down with Randall Behrens from Live Oak Bank. Live Oak is the largest SBA lender in the country, covering all 50 states with 650 employees. They also have a have a craft beverage team that understands the beer business. Randall gives his 'state of the beer industry' from a banking and lending perspective. He also provides tips and must-do's for brewery owners right now. More Resources Live Oak Bank COVID-19 Resources Contact information to connect with Randall Behrens. ...
Jun 02, 2020•40 min
In today's podcast, I talk with Kyle Smith from Gorman Smith Beverage Equipment company. In our conversation we cover a variety of subjects from brewery equipment sourcing to using Gap Analysis to model your brewery business. There's no better time than right now to focus on business fundamentals to improve and strengthen your brewery operations. Kyle shares his thoughts on how to re-build your business plan and use simple tools to perform a Gap Analysis. Links to More Resources Learn more about...
Jun 01, 2020•41 min
This sounds like an outrageous title for today's podcast: How to Increase To-Go Beer Sales 500% by Asking One Question . But Andrew Coplon from Secret Hopper has the answer. And the One Question. In the podcast Andrew also shares that taprooms who provide paper menus to customers get a 35% increase in sales. Paper menus can increase customer sales by 35%? Really? Really. In our discussion, Andrew provides even more tips on how to grow online sales during these days of curbside pickup. The guidan...
May 21, 2020•32 min
In this episode, I talk with retail beer sales expert Bump Williams. Bump is very connected in the beer industry - he knows everyone, and everyone knows him. He combines the knowledge he gains from his beer network with retail sales data to provide useful insights that brewery owners can use to grow sales, especially during this pandemic. We talk about a wide range of topics: What's going on at retail - sales trends, pack sizes and pricing. Best practices for beer recalls due to out of code...an...
May 15, 2020•1 hr 16 min
What is one lesson all breweries should learn from this crisis? Always have a financial contingency plan. In today's podcast, I talk to Audra Gaiziunas from Brewed for Her Ledger, LLC . We cover how to build a financial contingency plan, the importance of cash reserves, working capital lines of credit, and investor sources of capital. Other topics covered in the episode: The new beer margins and the need to right-size operating expenses. The most important (and most misunderstood) financial stat...
May 09, 2020•38 min
In these financially troubled times, the accountant has become an unsung hero. Brewery owners and managers are looking for someone who 'has their back' financially. They need a specialist to guide them, to help with cash flow planning, financial forecasts and navigating the documentation needed for SBA loans and insurance claims. These are complicated times, and now more than ever, the accountant can help simplify things. Enter Chris Farmand, from Small Batch Standard. Small Batch Standard is a ...
May 01, 2020•31 min
In today's episode, we talk to Julie Rhodes from Not your hobby marketing . Julie is a beer industry sales and marketing expert. She has over 20,000 hours of experience in brand management, wholesaler management, and using data-driven results to help breweries grow sales. Topics covered in this episode: How to use brewery sales and marketing fundamentals to navigate the Covid-19 crisis Essential skills needed most today: Agility, innovation, and flexibility Tactics and lessons learned for remote...
Apr 22, 2020•1 hr 9 min
In this episode I talk with Justin Kendall from Brewbound, a leading resource for the beer industry. We discuss how the pandemic has exposed a major flaw in the taproom-only model, and how breweries are responding. We explore topics ranging from brewery 'survival mode' to future diversification strategies for breweries. And, as Justin says,"Just keep fighting."
Apr 20, 2020•25 min
In this episode I talk to Jeff Saari from Workplace Culture Solutions about how brewery owners can manage their mindset during this crisis. We explore the challenges and benefits of remote working, how to stay connected and engaged with co-workers, and how to use this time productively to build new skills so that we emerge from this crisis stronger than ever. Links to resources we talk about in the podcast - Lean more about Jeff Saari and his teaching - https://workplaceculturesolutions.com/tool...
Apr 11, 2020•38 min
Now, more than ever, cash flow planning is a financial survival skill. In this episode we review a 3-step process you can use right now to keep more cash in your brewery. I also share the model that I use to keep a close eye on cash to monitor money moving in and out of our brewery business. To get regular brewery financial tips and strategies, sign up for the free Craft Brewery Finance newsletter . Get the Cash Flow models in this blog post ....
Apr 11, 2020•12 min
In today’s podcast we present Best Practices to manage your empty keg inventory. It’s 8am, do you know where your kegs are? Unless you have a good system in place to […] The post Podcast: CBF 003 Best Practices for Managing Kegs appeared first on Craft Brewery Finance .
Jan 10, 2019•23 min
In today’s podcast we’ll review the nitty gritty details of borrowing money to start up or expand your brewery. The decision to expand your brewery is a big one. You’ve […] The post Podcast: CBF 002 Brewery Financing Basics appeared first on Craft Brewery Finance .
Jan 07, 2019•27 min
