Larry Chase is a certified Open Book Management Coach and teaches companies how to be financially transparent with all of their employees.

In this podcast, Larry and I talk about brewery compensation and bonus plans. Larry shares what NOT to do, and best practices to follow if you are thinking about putting a bonus plan in place for managers or staff.

Key Topics

• Top reasons why bonus plans fail...and how to avoid them
• Bonus plan best practices
• How to use mini-games to create 'early wins'

Resources

• Connect with Larry Chase
• Learn more about the brewery financial round table

Today on the podcast we hear from Chris Overlay, CEO of Get Hoptimized, a craft beer marketing and advertising agency.

Chris' company helps breweries and craft beer businesses grow with effective and affordable marketing services, from label designs, to social media ads, to strategizing world domination.

Key Topics

• How much to spend on brewery marketing
• The marketing metrics that matter for craft breweries
• How to use 'funnels' to bring more customers into your taproom

Resources

• Connect with Chris Overlay
• Learn more about the brewery finance network

Today on the podcast I'm joined by Jack Kessler and Steven Welborn from Ohanafy - the only brewery and wholesaler software platform built on SalesForce.

If you're interested in growing beer sales (and learning about the financial aspects of the beer business) this podcast is for you.

Key Topics

• Why it's crucial for beer producers to understand the financial intricacies of their business in today’s competitive market
• Insights on how understanding financial metrics can directly impact the cash flow and profitability of a beer businesses
• The role of technology in optimizing revenue and finances within the beer industry
• Common financial challenges that beer distributors face, and how can they navigate through them effectively
• How technology influences the operational efficiency and financial performance of breweries and distributors
• Advice to aspiring breweries and beer distributors who aim to enhance their understanding of the financial aspects of running a successful business

Resources

• Learn more about Ohanafy, or schedule a Demo
• Join the network of brewery financial professionals - the Beer Business Finance Association

If you're ready to get serious about improving brewery profits and cash flow, the Beer Business Finance Association is here for you.

The association is a network of brewery owners and managers who come together to share ideas and best practices to help run a financially successful beer business.

In today's podcast, I'll share why the network came to be, and how you can join and transform your brewery financial results.

Key Points

• Quarterly financial round-table meetings with beer industry peers
• 24/7 online access to a library of brewery financial training courses
• Access to brewery workshops and webinars
• Brewery planning templates, models and spreadsheets

Resources

• Book a 15-minute discovery call
• Learn more about the benefits of the Beer Business Finance Association

Today we talk variable compensation and incentives with Aaron Gore, Director of Partnerships and Community at Arryved.

Key Points

• 99% of breweries in the U.S. see taproom operations as the biggest profit driver
• How to align employee compensation and incentives with top brewery objectives
• Examples and benchmarks to follow when setting up incentives
• First steps to implement a variable comp plan in your brewery

Resources

• Connect with Aaron Gore, aaron.gore@arryved.com
• Learn more about Arryved POS

Michael Varda from Craft Beer Advisory Services joins the podcast and shares early insights on 2023 taproom data trends.

The goal of Michaels data is to show you why customers come to your taproom and what you can do to keep them coming back.

Key Points

• The #1 factor in negative experiences: It's food.
• What the "Food Ladder" can teach you about a customer's likelihood to come back to your taproom.
• Michael's mind blowing data point: 1 in 3 negative experiences are related to first impressions.
• Two years ago, 1 in 10 negative experiences mentioned price. Now it's 1 in 4. Pricing matters. Michael shares tips on how to be strategic when pricing food and beverages.

Resources

• Learn more about Craft Beer Advisory Services
• Join the Network of beer industry professionals

Today on the podcast we hear from Brynn Keenan from Grist Analytics. Brynn and I talk all about brewery data and key metrics to track to ensure cost effectiveness in production.

Key Topics

• Case studies of how Ninkasi and New Belgium cut production costs and increased tank capacity
• KPI's used to track efficiency, throughput, resource utilization and equipment performance

Resources

• Connect with Brynn, brynn@gristanalytics.com
• Connect with other brewery owners and operators

Today on the podcast we hear from Justina Marcial, Director of Operations at Cape May Brewery.

Justina shares Cape May's story of selling their distribution rights, how they build a strong culture with their 7 core values, and how they take company communication to a new level with a structured process.

Key Topics

• Cape May's financial and business planning process, software stack and 2024 goals
• SWOT planning, Swim Lanes, and Resolutions - Cape May's keys to success
• How to use a business coach in business planning

Resources

• Connect with Justina Marcial at Cape May Brewery
• Learn more about the financial network for brewery owners and operators