Have you ever been interested in starting a brewery?
Beer has been popular for as long as it’s existed, and it’s continuing to grow in popularity.
If you start a craft brewery, you’ll be able to earn passive income that’ll increase over time. While many people aren’t aware of how to start a brewery, the steps are similar to starting any other business.
Read on to learn more about how to start a craft brewing company.
Create a Brewery Business Plan
One of the most important things you must do when starting a brewery is to come up with a business plan. Like any other venture, breweries require you to think about your business model and the things you’d like to achieve.
When you start planning, you’ll want to consider who your target customer is. You’ll have to go for adults since you want to make alcohol, but what kind of adults? Do you want your beer to have a classy feel or attract those who love to party?
Deciding who your target audience is will make it easier for you to advertise your brewery. You’ll also be able to decide how you want to make your beer. For example, you can craft beer that has a higher content of alcohol if you’re trying to appeal to party animals.
Finance Your Brewery
Financing your brewery will be the most important part of the process because you can’t start one without money. The best way to finance your brewery is to save money until you have enough to afford everything.
While it can be tempting to start a brewery ahead of time, saving money will prevent you from having to take out loans. Loans will require you to pay interest, which will increase as time progresses, taking more money out of your pocket.
Should you decide to start a brewery before saving enough money, there are options for you to get loans without paying a lot. For example, you can pay for your facility with cash but finance the equipment that you’re using.
If you need to take out a loan, try to put down as much money as possible to reduce the amount of money you’ll need to pay back.
Choose a Location
Unlike most businesses, a craft brewing company doesn’t need to have a facility in an area where there’s a demand for beer. When you start crafting beer, you’ll be shipping it to stores and restaurants.
Unless you decide to open a store, the location of your brewery should be in an area where you’ll be able to conveniently ship products. You wouldn’t want to have your brewery in California if your main clients are in New York.
Many people research how to start a microbrewery because it allows them to produce beer while selling it directly to customers. Microbreweries aren’t as large as standard breweries, so keep in mind that you won’t be able to produce much.
If you’d like to open a store that’s attached to your brewery, you’ll then need to find an area where people usually drink. Towns that often have outdoor activities and events are great places for your store because people will actively seek alcohol.
Hire Employees
To have a successful brewery, you’ll need to hire employees who can operate the equipment. Breweries consist of a variety of machines responsible for producing beer, so you may have to fill several positions to keep the brewery running.
Having a shop attached to your brewery will mean you’ll have to hire a separate group of employees. It’s in your best interest to start with the brewery alone until you establish yourself; then you can work on opening a store.
Advertise
Advertising will be the main way you establish yourself as a business. When you’re fresh on the market, it’ll be difficult to gain clients and customers unless you advertise. You’ll need to reach out to people and start forming connections so you can sell your beer.
The best way to advertise your brewery is to place ads on social media. When you advertise there, you’re giving your brewery a platform to talk about its products while allowing people to give feedback.
You can use a variety of platforms to advertise your products, all of which allow you to choose the demographic that you want to target.
Aside from advertising on social media, you can take the traditional route and use physical ads. Rather than putting your company on a billboard, you can get creative and make merchandise that people can use.
When you start a craft brewery, you can make clothing that people can wear, which will act as mobile advertisements. You can also use things like koozies to accompany your products. You can shop here to customize koozies with your brewery’s logo and motto.
Starting a Brewery Is Simple
Starting a brewery is something many people aspire to do because they can make beer they love while earning money. The process is much simpler than most businesses because it doesn’t require you to manage a plethora of things.
After reading this guide, you’ll no longer have to ask how to start a brewery. You can start by making a plan, deciding how you’ll finance the business, and choosing a location. You can then move onto hiring employees and advertising your brewery.
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