CASE STUDY
Small Batch Standard Helps Four Saints Brewing Company Gain Momentum by Increasing Profit, Operating with Confidence, and Reducing Risk
SERVICE
Numbers Powered Growth
LOCATION
Asheboro, NC
"It’s helped boost my confidence in being able to run the business. It’s helped me set realistic goals for the company, for my teams. It’s given me a sense of safety because the decisions are being made based on information and not just gut checks. And when a question does come up or I need to check on something, they’re available. They give a damn. And that means a whole lot."
Read the full case study
"It’s helped boost my confidence in being able to run the business. It’s helped me set realistic goals for the company, for my teams. It’s given me a sense of safety because the decisions are being made based on information and not just gut checks. And when a question does come up or I need to check on something, they’re available. They give a damn. And that means a whole lot."
Read the full case study
Four Saints Brewing Company is the first and only brewery in their county, after the residents of Randolph County voted to end 60 years of prohibition in 2008.
They host an eclectic and wide mix of brews, from experimental releases to classic imperial stouts, and have cemented themselves as a staple of their local community.
Overview
✗ Needed an increase in cash flow
✗ Wanted accurate financials to fuel confident decision-making
✗ Needed the ability to perform margin analyses to determine the strongest portfolio possible
✗ Engaged Small Batch Standard for their Numbers Powered Growth service
✗ Implemented an improved software stack to organize and streamline the back office while enhancing the accuracy of their financials
✗ Developed clarity on the financials, provided customized best practices, and established a pathway to increased profits
✗ Peace of mind, knowing the back office is handled
✗ Trust in the numbers and significant financial visibility
✗ A boost to ownership decision- making confidence
✗ A consistent sounding board for the direction of the business for 2021 and beyond
The Challenge
In Search of a Straight Answer
Within its first few years Four Saints operated successfully, but needed to increase cash flow. Unfortunately, having gone through several different CPA’s, they hadn’t yet established the accurate financials they needed to make the necessary changes to increase profitability as they grew.
"There were a lot of questions that I had been going around asking multiple people, either established breweries or brewery finance people, and nobody could give me a straight, simple answer. All I got was, well, it depends... Chris and Small Batch were the first people to give us those answers."
After their third year in business, they decided to reach out to the team at Small Batch Standard for help, and found that their focus on industry standards and metrics finally gave some answers to Joel and Andrew’s questions.
The Solution
A Trusted, Augmented Team
After engaging with SBS and their Numbers Powered Growth service, the process began by pairing the Four Saints team with an SBS Brewery Accountant, guiding them through the onboarding process, and enhancing their software stack and chart of accounts. This streamlined the bookkeeping and monthly accounting process, which set the stage for the SBS Consulting Team to then interpret their numbers and begin to uncover opportunities.
Once the financials were squared away, the SBS team was then able to spend time talking with Joel, Andrew, and the team at Four Saint’s to understand where they needed clarity in their decision-making, and then translated those needs into a set of goals and recommendations best suited to the brewery’s needs and the growth phase they were in.
"I think the number one thing that surprised me would be the people at Small Batch. The people that I’ve worked with so far, Chris and Allison and Tom, they all seem to have the heart of a teacher. Instead of talking at me or talking down to me, it’s a genuine conversation, it’s talking with me. As we were walking through the beginning parts and looking at some of the numbers, they made me feel comfortable to say: hold on, I don’t understand that. Tell me that again in simple, North Carolina speech."
The Result
Full Steam Ahead With Improved Confidence And Financial Clarity
As a result of their initial work with SBS, Four Saints was then armed with a set of customized directives as a result of the improved numbers and financial visibility on when to expand in their state, when to hold back, and which products were most profitable.
"It’s helped boost my confidence in being able to run the business. It’s helped me set realistic goals for the company, for my teams. It’s given me a sense of safety because the decisions are being made based on information and not just gut checks."
Since then, the team at SBS has acted as a consistent sounding board for Joel, who does not come from a typical business background. In turn, he has experienced a newfound confidence in decision-making and the overall direction of the brewery.
"They take the time to get to know you, and then once they do, they have your back a hundred percent."
Ready to Explore Whether
Small Batch Standard
Can Help Your Brewery?
Schedule a short exploratory call with the SBS team to learn more about our Numbers Powered Growth service.