Craft Brewery Financial Training Podcast

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 Topics Use a template for your job descriptions and job postings - get it in writing, and get it in the hands of the job candidate Be crystal clear about the priority or goal for the position...

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...

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 Topics Benefits of working with a wholesaler Pitfalls to avoid in the brewery-wholesaler relationship Distribution contracts: What you need...

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 outloo...

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 Topics Contract brewing tracking data  How to structure contract brewing pricing  The key steps in the contract brewing process  Lessons learned, mistakes to avoid, in...

In today's podcast you'll hear the audio version of the Taproom Success monthly Q&A. In this session, Andrew Coplon and I discuss a wide range of topics, including best practices and lessons learned from taproom owners and managers. Key Topics Covered 2022 beer industry look ahead: packaging trends, seltzer outlook, on-premise business, and overall beer consumption rates.  Focus on t...

In today's podcast we hear from Lester Jones, chief economist for the National Beer Wholesalers Association. Lester provides a recap of 2021 and his outlook for the beer industry in the year ahead. In our conversation we dig deep into the data and review the key topics for beer wholesaler owners and managers: Total beer consumption in the US Packaging trends, and the outlook for cans, bottles...

Today we talk brewery financing and get an update on the state of the lending industry with Jason Sleeman, VP of Craft Beverage Lending for United Community Bank. Jason shares his perspective on the current state of the market,  financial relief packages, and the inner workings of how the loan process works. Key Topics Banking behind the scenes: What you really need in order to get a loan Loan pro...

In today's podcast you'll hear the audio version of the Taproom Success Membership monthly Q&A call.   In this discussion, Andrew Coplon and I talk about a wide variety of topics ranging from contingency planning for taprooms to how to build relationships among your front/back of house taproom staff.  Key Topics How to reward and motivate your taproom employees  Team building tactics...

Today we are going to talk about goal setting and New Year's Resolutions. We'll talk about a framework you can use to create goals that stick. We'll look at systems, models, and techniques you can use to set your goals and achieve them in 2022. Key Topics Business Plan Goals...Start with your Core Values (what do you stand for?) Financial Plan Goals SWOT Analysis Process vs. Outcome...

In today's podcast we hear from Kim McKinnish, CFO and SVP of the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA). Kim and I talk about a wide range of topics including the mission of the NBWA, membership benefits,  NBWA's Next Generation Leadership Group, and the newly launched BREW initiative, Building Relationships and Empowering Women . We also discuss the current state of the beer indu...

Preston Andreini is a firefighter, first responder and now he's opening up his own brewery: Red Engine Brewing. And if that's not enough, he's started his own podcast to share lessons learned with others who may want to start their own brewery. In this podcast, Preston and I walk through the details of creating a startup brewery financial plan. Preston talks through the obstacles he...

What if there was a place where you could learn everything about starting a new brewery? And what if that place was online, accessible to anyone, and totally free? No need to think about the 'what ifs' because Laura Lodge and attorney Candace Moon have built such a place, and they call it StartABrewery.com. In today's podcast you'll hear from Laura Lodge about why she co-founde...

In today's podcast we hear from Josh Lance, founder of Lance CPA Group. Josh's firm specializes in breweries, with a focus on bookkeeping services, tax planning and preparation, and small business advisory services. Josh and I talk about a number of issues facing brewery operators these days: year end planning strategies, cash management tools, and how to make sure you're in complia...

In today's podcast we talk about legal year end planning tactics with attorney John Szymankiewicz from the Beer Law Center. The Beer Law Center provides legal solutions to the craft beverage industry, and John provides tips that brewers need to know right now. Key Topics Best practices, tips and checklists for legal planning How John is guiding his brewery clients with year end planning What...

Today we review year end planning tips and strategies with Chris Farmand, founder and CEO of Small Batch Standard.  We cover the most common questions, concerns and obstacles that brewery owners are facing these days, and provide resources to help solve these challenges.  Topics Covered Planning tactics for PPP, ERC, and EIDL Benchmarking tools for breweries Accounting technology: Chris' favo...

In today's podcast we hear from Jon Reynolds from BrewPlan, LLC and dig in to all the details of an ABP (annual business plan). We talk about what an ABP is, why it's important, why you need it, and how it works. In a nutshell, the ABP is a brewery-wholesaler planning process that sets the game plan for getting your beer to market.  If you work with a wholesaler you need to understand th...

In this episode you'll hear the audio version of our webinar to introduce the Taproom Success Membership.   This new  membership opportunity connects you with a community of experts and taproom owners/managers to help you achieve success in your taproom. The Taproom Success Membership gives you the tools, resources, and support you need to manage and grow your taproom business.  From fundamen...

Today we'll talk about one of my favorite topics: Open Book Management (OBM). OBM is a system to share financial information with everyone in the brewery. It's about open, honest and transparent communication. And it's a great way to engage and empower employees. Topics Covered What open book is...and What it isn't... Why you might consider OBM  How to evaluate if it's rig...

Brew Movers was recently featured in Forbes under the heading: The secret weapon for breweries? A shipping company called Brew Movers.  A cool title and a very interesting read. Brew Movers is a farm to glass shipping and logistics company for the beer industry. They specialize in beer shipping and understand the unique challenges facing craft breweries. In this podcast we'll hear how Brew Mo...

Craft Peak is a technology company that builds websites and e-commerce solutions for some of the world's leading craft beer brands. In this episode we hear from CEO and Founder, John Kelley.  He describes Craft Peak as a hybrid of a web agency and a technology company. But mostly, he loves developing cool tools for breweries. Main Topics Key metrics: What to measure when talking websites How...

A lot of businesses fail because they run out of cash. In this podcast you’ll get a crash course in brewery cash flow planning to help your brewery survive and thrive in tough times.  Key topics covered in the podcast: The 10 Laws of business... Cash flow basics: Accrual vs cash accounting How to identify and monitor the key drivers of brewery cash flow Simple cash flow templates you can use in yo...

In this podcast you’ll get a crash course in brewery debt financing so that you can create a solid funding plan for your business.  We’ll cover loan terms, types and typical brewery financing structures. We’ll review how your lender will evaluate your brewery business so that you can prepare and put yourself in the best position to get the funding you need.  Key topics covered in the podcast: How...

In this podcast you’ll get a crash course in brewery financial forecasting so that you can create an action-oriented plan to help you improve financial results in your business. Key topics covered in the podcast: How to create a brewery financial pro forma Financial planning basics - first steps to get the plan on paper Key considerations in building your financial plan Listen to the podcast and l...

In this podcast you’ll get a crash course in brewery finances. A good working knowledge of brewery finances will allow you to track, measure and monitor financial performance of your business.  At Craft Brewery Financial Training.com we believe in the sanctity of the beer, and the sanctity of the numbers. In this podcast, we’ll help you with the numbers! Key topics covered in the podcast: What bre...