What to know before opening a brewery

You don’t have to be a craft beer fan to know that the craft beer business is booming.  The past several years have seen impressive growth in Georgia beer and with the laws changing to allow direct brewery sales we’ve had a spike in new breweries in planning.

However, the market is shifting.  Large, national breweries are seeing slowing sales where smaller, local breweries are seeing excellent growth.  If you plan to open a brewery there’s a lot you need to know.  It takes a lot more than making great beer to successfully run a brewery.

In this two-part series presented by the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild we’ll hear from experts in the legal, banking, accounting, and tax fields on things you need to know before starting your brewery.  We’ll also hear from professional brewers who’ll share their insights on opening a brewery and some things they wish they’d known before starting the process.

Although these workshops are aimed at brewers in Georgia, most of the information will be valuable to brewers in any state.  Part 1 shares valuable information to anyone looking to open any business.

Experts Panel | What You Need to Know Before Opening a Brewery

PANELISTS

TOPICS INCLUDE

  • LEGAL
    • Operating within the three-tier system
    • Tied-house laws
    • Franchise law
    • Licensing and permitting
    • Distribution and selecting a distributor
    • Brand registration / ATT-104 filing
  • FUNDING AND BANKING
    • Credit and background checks
    • Equity injection
    • Investors
    • Construction costs
    • Location selection
    • Equity vs debt
    • Choosing the right size loan
    • Financial guarantees
    • Collateral
    • Repayment sources and terms
    • Managing growth (slow start vs growing too quickly)
    • Financial repercussions of quality issues
    • Understanding your competition
    • Evaluating your experience level
    • Cost of labor
  • ACCOUNTING, TAXES, AND CORPORATE ENTITIES
    • “First things first”
    • Shifting objectives as your business grows
    • Choosing a brewery or brewpub, financial considerations
    • Crafting a business plan
    • Evaluating capital needs
    • Choosing the right funding sources
    • Evaluating the proper use of funds
    • Choosing your business entity (LLC, LLP, S-Corp, C-Corp)
    • Partnering with the right professionals (Banker, CPA, Attorney)
    • Understanding tax structures
    • Choosing the right accounting software

Professional Brewers Panel | What I Wish I’d Known Before Opening a Brewery

PANELISTS

TOPICS INCLUDE

  • Common pitfalls for new brewers
  • Starting a brewery under Georgia’s new brewery laws
  • Budget allocation
  • Raising capital
  • Estimating the timeline of opening your brewery
  • Governmental, licensing, and permitting challenges
  • Types of experience needed to run a successful brewery
  • Things a homebrewer won’t know before opening a brewery
  • Deciding to use a brewery consultant
  • Estimating production schedules
  • Selecting the right location
  • What being a member of the brewers guild does for brewers
  • Own-premise sales vs. distribution
  • Using social media for your brewery marketing

We hope this information is useful as you start your journey to becoming a professional brewer!

 

 

 

https://beerguysradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GCBG-Header-Image-800x450.jpghttps://beerguysradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GCBG-Header-Image-150x150.jpgTim DennisBeer 101Brewery ProfilesBrewpubsFeaturesLegislationOn Demandbrewery,brewpub,distribution,Legal,opening a brewery,starting a breweryYou don't have to be a craft beer fan to know that the craft beer business is booming.  The past several years have seen impressive growth in Georgia beer and with the laws changing to allow direct brewery sales we've had a spike in new breweries in planning. However, the...Cold beer, hot conversations, stupid jokes.