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!