“How to Start a Microbrewery” by Cole Ferguson was the exact book I was searching for. I wanted a book on opening a physical business, but I also wanted some information on brewing beer. I dream of maybe brewing my own beer one day as something for me to do in retirement.
I also wanted the book to be short and to the point. I don’t need a 300-page book on the topic. Well, all my demands were answered, and the book was terrific. The author covers everything from the equipment you need, how to hire employees, protecting trade secrets, and how to get financing to start a brewery.
I was intrigued by all the intricacies of opening a physical business. I have mainly focused on online and home-based businesses, so this was definitely new information for my toolbox. A lot goes into opening a physical store and hiring employees, and I am glad I have an overall of the process.
The book would be suitable for any store that you want to open because of the depth of the topics. I like that the author has a realistic attitude towards the business and doesn’t allow the reader to live in dreamland. He is honest and direct, and anyone would be well-served to listen to him. Let’s get into the takeaways.
1) There is a difference between a traditional brewery and a microbrewery. A microbrewery is only allowed to produce 15 thousand barrels per year. A nano-brewery is even smaller than a microbrewery.
2) To start a microbrewery, you will have to get a “Brewer’s Notice” from the TTB, which stands for the Alcohol and Tobacco Trade and Tax Bureau, a federal agency. This is an agency that I have never heard of personally.
3) There are a ton of different types of insurance the author recommends for a brewery. These include general insurance, health insurance, liquor liability insurance, worker’s compensation insurance, commercial auto insurance, overhead expense business insurance, and umbrella insurance. Opening a physical business with employees takes a lot of insurance!
4) Marketing research and SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) are two vital components of the business plan you will present to investors. You want to ensure you do as much research about the local market, your advantages (and disadvantages) and have them ready to give to your investors. And be honest.
5) A microbrewery requires tons of equipment to get started, and there are varying levels of quality. Some types include fermentation systems, cooling systems, filter systems, control boards, cleaning equipment, and kegging equipment. You must ensure you cover all these costs in your initial estimate for the start-up.
The author also talks about the best ways to get funding for a microbrewery and that giving up equity (and therefore some control rights) can be stressful on you in the long run. He then goes into marketing in the physical and online worlds. He talks about opening a blog and a Youtube channel. These are things I constantly talk about!
Overall a refreshingly direct book, and I feel a lot more informed about opening a physical property business. This was my first book as a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, and it was a good start to hopefully a long relationship.
I recommend this book to anyone opening a business in a physical space or with employees. Even if your business is entirely different from a microbrewery, you may want to serve alcohol or hire employees. This book straightforwardly goes through the process and provides lots of suggestions for funding, hiring, and marketing. Please read!
This link is to a physical product. The link above is to the digital book. Sorry. I get no credit for digital product links.
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