Starting a brewery is one of the biggest dreams for many beer lovers. It gives them a way to make money and spend time doing something they love. However, starting a company isn’t as easy as it seems.
With over 8,600 breweries in the United States, you have a lot of competition to contend with if you want to see success. Because of that, there are a few things you need to consider if you’re going to start a brewery. Read the short guide below to learn everything that starting a brewery takes.
Create a Business Plan
Even if you have a passion for craft beer, that doesn’t mean you can just start a brewery and see success straight away. There are many breweries out there. What makes yours better than the others?
If you want to find success as a brewer, you’ll need a business plan. Your plan should lay the framework for how you’ll launch your company and run it in the future.
Of course, you should leave some wiggle room to allow for change. You never know what will happen in the future, so you need to adapt when unexpected things happen.
Build a Budget
While you don’t need a ton of expensive equipment to start a brewery initially, you’ll need something to do your craft. Because of that, you’ll need to create a budget to account for the things you need.
Of course, you can go larger if you want to start with a larger brewery. Here are a few things you can consider:
- Beer tap system
- Barrels
- Beer ingredients
- Brewing space
- Customer space
- Employee salaries
There may be more costs depending on your business plan. Figure those costs out, so you have the money needed to start successfully.
Purchase Your Equipment
You can now start buying equipment since you learn all your equipment needs when you figure out your costs. Start your search for reputable suppliers to find someone that can meet your needs.
Make sure to check customer feedback to ensure you buy from someone with great products and customer service. You don’t want to partner with a bad provider and end up not meeting your customer needs as a result.
Create a Marketing Plan
Once you have your equipment, it’s time to start looking for customers. The chances are good that you won’t be the only brewery in your area. The question is, how can you convince customers to head to your location instead of one of your competitors?
Think about the things that set your brewery apart from the others in your local area. Once you do, craft a campaign that targets the people most likely to visit your brewery. You’ll need to constantly test in the beginning until you optimize your messaging to produce the best results.
Now You’re Ready to Start a Brewery
It isn’t enough to have a passion for beer to start a brewery. You need to know what it takes to open a new business and do things right. Keep the guide above in mind when starting a business in the beer industry to ensure you do things the right way.
Of course, you have more work to do after starting a company. Check out the blog to learn more advice to help you run your new company.
