Recent Posts

Mind the Gap – COGS

When I visited London as a teenager I still remember seeing “Mind the Gap” everywhere. Street vendors and tourist shops were filled with merch plastering the words on hats, shirts, bags, etc, etc, etc Looks like that might still be the case today… Anyways. So it’s been a week since I’ve asked you to book […]

Mind the Gap – COGS Read More »

Revenue Obsessed

Happy December, damn this year flew by. Brewery owners are obsessed with revenue. Sometimes referred to as “Sales” or “Top Line” “Bruh, sales are down 20% quarter over quarter and we don’t know what to do.” I am getting the sense that as long as revenue remains the same or grows, you think everything will

Revenue Obsessed Read More »

Debt to Assets Ratio

I talked recently to a brewery looking to build a new taproom across town.  Their current taproom was packed nightly and they knew the potential new location to be a beer desert. They would make a killing.  The bank said no. They were too risky.  They talked to several investment firms, only to be told

Debt to Assets Ratio Read More »

Is this a business or a hobby?

Are you running a business or a hobby?  You might say:  “Of course I’m running a business. I have a tax ID. I have a building. I’m selling a product. I employ people. My business is 5 years old already.” Turns out, it takes a little more to differentiate between a business and a hobby. 

Is this a business or a hobby? Read More »

Finding Clarity Through COGS

Do you know the cost of your beer?   Do you spend evenings tinkering with a multi-tab, multi-thousand cell costing spreadsheet you made, where you think you’ve added in all possible ingredients, trying to nail down exactly how much money you’ll make on your beer? And do these numbers not jive with what’s happening in reality? 

Finding Clarity Through COGS Read More »

Own Your Backyard

We have a Scottish Terrier named Wallace, and he’s the quietest dog I’ve ever been around.  In the house, there is no barking, no whining; basically silence. You might hear the occasional grumble or huff when he’s annoyed, but that’s about it. However, Wallace owns his backyard.  When he’s allowed in the yard, he patrols

Own Your Backyard Read More »

Revenue per square foot

I want to talk about taproom revenue per square foot.  I’ve been at Small Batch Standard for a little over a year, and on multiple occasions I have heard the metric of taproom revenue per square foot brought up.  We consider your taproom square footage to be the space usable by your customers.  We do

Revenue per square foot Read More »

Case Equivalents

I want to talk about case equivalents. Let’s start off with a definition of CE.  CE is case equivalent, and this is the language of distributors. Start introducing this verbiage in sales meetings.  And to quote our friend Kary Shumway: “The case equivalent, or CE, is a standard unit of measure for a beer wholesaler.

Case Equivalents Read More »

You hired who?

I must admit a rather large mistake I have made on my entrepreneurial journey. It has to do with hiring.  More specifically my methodology on hiring. Or better yet, my old methodology. Being the astute bean counter and tax stallion that I am, I thought I needed to surround myself with other astute stallions to

You hired who? Read More »

image of taxes

Obligatory Tax Post

Well folks, It’s that time of the year again when we start planning for…  Tax time! Arguably everyone’s favorite time of the year. Said no one, ever. Pardon the sarcasm. This will be the only tax post for the year, so bear with me.  The stance I take on taxes is, it is a form

Obligatory Tax Post Read More »

Scroll to Top