I was looking to start a micro brewery and was looking for some partners not sure if this is the right section. I have a couple of ideas for beers that should sell fairly well. The problem is I don't have any knowledge on making beer and the cost associated with starting a micro brewery would be fairly high. As a result I am looking for a partner or partners in the beer industry that I can team up with and hopefully create a successful business. I have thought of an interesting marketing idea that should garner some brand recognition in each city. I would prefer to find people with similar political views basically a supporter of Ron Paul.
I was looking to start a micro brewery and was looking for some partners
- Thread starter buyloewen
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
Your best bet is to brew beer first. Than get good at it. Take a few classes. Than get even better. Get about 10 years of brewing under your belt. THAN think about partnering with someone.
Having an "IDEA" for a particular beer sounds great. But ideas dont sell, good beer does. Your doing everything backwards. First you make a GREAT beer and start selling small pubs. Than you go on to expanding the amount you make. Than you open a micro. Finding someone who is willing to put there reputation on the line by partnering and investing money into a brewery with someone who has no experience in brewing is not going to be an easy find. And to start requesting "similar political views" is a recepie for disaster since you are already breaking laws with political discrimination.
Having an "IDEA" for a particular beer sounds great. But ideas dont sell, good beer does. Your doing everything backwards. First you make a GREAT beer and start selling small pubs. Than you go on to expanding the amount you make. Than you open a micro. Finding someone who is willing to put there reputation on the line by partnering and investing money into a brewery with someone who has no experience in brewing is not going to be an easy find. And to start requesting "similar political views" is a recepie for disaster since you are already breaking laws with political discrimination.
I have to strongly disagree to me the most popular beers taste similar and some of them are not that good. I think marketing is the most important thing in the beer industry, how will anyone know about your good tasting beer without marketing. I would rather work with someone who has similar political views as it is important to get along with your business partners. I found another site that is more catered to finding business partners if anyone is interested let me know.
Here..this is where you wanna hang out at.
http://probrewer.com/
They'll set you straight.
Just outta curiosity, how many batches of beer have you brewed so far????
http://probrewer.com/
They'll set you straight.
Just outta curiosity, how many batches of beer have you brewed so far????
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2008
- Messages
- 64,951
- Reaction score
- 16,517
That's actually the type of partner us as homebrewers should want if we were to go "commercial."
Just because I can brew excellent beer doesn't mean I have the slightly clue about permits, licensing, acquiring mass-production equipment, contracts, LLCs, buildings, distribution, marketing, etc...
The last thing you should do if you want to open a micro is to get a bunch of people together who's main talent is making good 5-gallon batches.
And probably no passion about it either. Just that it's a good way, in his mind to make a buck...
So, you have no experience brewing (even at the homebrew scale)... and it doesn't sound like you have any capital... and you're going to let your political beliefs significantly influence your business decisions.
Good luck with that.
Good luck with that.
So, you have no experience brewing (even at the homebrew scale)... and it doesn't sound like you have any capital... and you're going to let your political beliefs significantly influence your business decisions.
Good luck with that.
My point exactly.
buyloewen - IF you are serious about starting up your own brewpub go to UC Davis and take the "Brewmaster" course. You would have more people interested in your idea. You can market the crap out of piss in a bottle, but that doesn't mean that it will sell. The craft brewing scene is a bit harder to get your name out there than designing the next snuggie.
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2008
- Messages
- 64,951
- Reaction score
- 16,517
Tell that to Anheuser-InBev which owns ~50% of the entire beer market....
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2008
- Messages
- 64,951
- Reaction score
- 16,517
I'm actually a little surprised with the repsonses here. Minus the Ron Paul issue - OP is basically saying: "I'm a marketer. I'm here to find some quality beer makers; and then let's go find someone to finance it."
I would love for some business man to realize that they could turn a profit with a micro, and my small part would be to brew the beer. Sounds like "the dream" to me that we hear about so much here...
I mean, is the goal of a micro to lose money, not market the product, and just be satisfied with being passionate about craft beer?
I would love for some business man to realize that they could turn a profit with a micro, and my small part would be to brew the beer. Sounds like "the dream" to me that we hear about so much here...
I mean, is the goal of a micro to lose money, not market the product, and just be satisfied with being passionate about craft beer?
shamrockdoc
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2009
- Messages
- 1,320
- Reaction score
- 13
I actually like this guys idea. He wants to open and run the office side while his partners the brewmasters make the beer that they have passion for. Shoot I wish somebody would come up to me and say"Hey I want to open a brewery I have the money and will handle all the front office stuff you just brew M'kay!?"
a10t2
Well-Known Member
All the more reason not to try to crack that nut.
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2008
- Messages
- 64,951
- Reaction score
- 16,517
So why do they hold such a market-share? Marketing?
I think I already said that
Thx for the replies guys I appreciate the feedback your right I have never made a batch of beer. Ya I just found probrewer I'm waiting to get approved. I've tasted many beers in my time but what do I usually buy Bud or some cheaper brand and so do the masses of people. Are they the best beers out there no. Why do I buy them price and familiarity. Brand recognition is what keeps Bud on top. For a new beer to become popular quickly marketing is the only way for this to happen and I think I have this covered. I would like to find some beer people who also have some ability to sell it is what drives any business. The politics is just something I believe in and it's good for a team to be on the same page. Let me know I'm not in Texas but I think it would be a great place for what I have in mind.
shamrockdoc
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2009
- Messages
- 1,320
- Reaction score
- 13
That's fine. As long as you have a solid business plan, and can secure financing, you don't need to be able to brew. A brewer can easily be hired.
shamrockdoc
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2009
- Messages
- 1,320
- Reaction score
- 13
No Texas. Tacoma has a fledging brewery scene that the city is more than ready to support and buy. Trust me if the chamber of commerce whom two folks on there are home brewers are looking to reestablish the old Rainier brewery and put a craft beer manufacturer in there its ready to blow up. Plus it's close to B.C.
MarsColonist
Well-Known Member
Just curious what you are bringing to the table. Business experience? Marketing experience? Money? Ever written a business plan?
Bud/Miller/Coors have been around for a long time with HUGE marketing expenditures. What kind of market share do you think you can muster?
kaiser423
Well-Known Member
I'm in for a subscription. I hope that he keeps updating.
All the more power to ya man! Do what you can, give it your best shot and best of luck to you!
My unbiased opinion is that someone whom knows nothing about beer, making it, the costs associated with it, has no startup capital, has no idea about the beer laws and such surrounding it, has no idea where to start making and selling the beer at (how can you not have a market defined?!?!?!), isn't presenting well (English, clarity, brevity, grammar) on the places he's looking for partners, and so on, but wants to be the big chief in the overall operation is likely not going to get off the ground....You might have a million dollar idea, and if you do, awesome, but really given your position it really has to be a million dollar idea, not just good advertising if you want good people to join up with you.
All the more power to ya man! Do what you can, give it your best shot and best of luck to you!
My unbiased opinion is that someone whom knows nothing about beer, making it, the costs associated with it, has no startup capital, has no idea about the beer laws and such surrounding it, has no idea where to start making and selling the beer at (how can you not have a market defined?!?!?!), isn't presenting well (English, clarity, brevity, grammar) on the places he's looking for partners, and so on, but wants to be the big chief in the overall operation is likely not going to get off the ground....You might have a million dollar idea, and if you do, awesome, but really given your position it really has to be a million dollar idea, not just good advertising if you want good people to join up with you.
If I were a brewer who wanted to go pro, I wouldn't be looking to partner up with someone who's just thinking in marketing terms. Tell me how you're going to help us raise capital. That's the biggest challenge for any startup. Marketing, yeah... you need it. It's irrelevant if you can't get the $$ to buy equipment and get a space and have enough working capital to get off the ground.
Well, that was my point- in a kinder and gentler manner!
If the business plan is done, financing is in order, the marketing plan is underway along with the branding (double checking trademarks) and all you need is a brewer, that's super easy. You can hire a quality brewer for cheap, probably under $30,000/year.
If all you've got is a good idea, but no business plan, no financing, no business experience, no college degree, no capital, HAHAHAHAHA. Good luck with that.
But he has ideas for beers he KNOWS will sell well!
Seriously though, do some more research. Get a job as a sales rep for a brewery. Brew some batches yourself. Entrepreneurs aren't risk-takers, they're risk eliminators. Unless you absolutely need to start a brewery in the next five years, instead spend that time learning as much as you can about how operations and laws work. Do some networking, maybe get a job at a brew-pub, whatever you can to gain some insight. A stitch in time saves nine, and ask anyone who's started a successful brewery or brew-pub and they'll tell you dozens of things they would have done differently.
Also, I like Ron Paul too, but that's not really important when finding a partner.
I agree start some research. Even the marketing guy has to know about beer to be able to sell it. Does the "Kirby" marketing guys know anything about Vacuum's? Take a simple course at one of these fine locations and start home brewing so you can get the basics. Even extract brewing (that's all the big three do) would gain you some knowledge.
Start here!!!
Start here!!!
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2007
- Messages
- 62,016
- Reaction score
- 6,922
Got to say if I was getting into the beer market, the last type of beer I'd want to be marketing would be an American Light lager. I'd much rather make craft beer and compete with all these small companies then be competing with the likes of Budweiser and Miller Coors.
Am I seriously see this?
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2008
- Messages
- 64,951
- Reaction score
- 16,517
Yeah, uh, the big three do lots of things I don't like, but they aren't extract brewing.
Sorry guys... Meant to put "that's how we all started out"
I was telling my brother in law about the movie Beerwars and got the two conversations mixed...
a10t2
Well-Known Member
I know i am doomed to fail I should just quit now. Yes I need capital and expertise. That is why I'm looking for partners or I would do it myself. I figure 10 partners would bring enough brains to the table in different areas. I like Seattle but the Texas is market is huge and more catered towards the beer I want to sell. Someone asked what kind of market share I will be able to grab, I would say 5% should be easy to obtain within 10 years I know it sounds ridiculous but my idea is that good! Here is my business plan just change a few words presto
http://www.bplans.com/brewery_business_plan/executive_summary_fc.cfm
PM if you are a Ron Paul supporter and serious about getting a business going.
http://www.bplans.com/brewery_business_plan/executive_summary_fc.cfm
PM if you are a Ron Paul supporter and serious about getting a business going.
kaiser423
Well-Known Member
Why do we not have an animated popcorn gif? This is great.
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2007
- Messages
- 62,016
- Reaction score
- 6,922
I don't know whats more important to you. A successful business, or hanging our with Ron Paul fans.
check your pm's.
So, let's say I had some capital I wanted to invest, and I liked the idea of investing in a brewery. What exactly are you bringing to the table other than a marketing idea and a "business plan" you found on the web? Why would I partner with you?
That's the real question you need to be able to answer - what are you really bringing to the table that would entitle you to an ownership stake? I mean, I'm kinda being snarky but not really. No capital. No brewing experience. No industry contacts. No business background. You've got to bring one of these things to the table, or you're just hired help, not a partner.
And the Ron Paul thing... REALLY? What the hell does politics have to do with anything? What's important to you?
This statement tells me that you have done NO research and are doomed to fail...
5% is a not an easily reachable goal. I wish you the best... When you get there make sure you send HBT a few million$$$... Since the other 2000 microbreweries are fighting for the 5% available market share. And when you get ahold of it, only 0%. You may reach opposition. Dogfish head (if im not mistaken) is not even close to 1% yet...
jwheelz
Well-Known Member
Do you realize that Brewery plan you posted is a SAMPLE trying to get you to buy a product? Thats not an actual business plan.
Thats like showing everyone a picture of your wife, when in reality it's the chick who came in the cheap frame you got at Wal-Mart...
kaiser423
Well-Known Member
I understand that he may not want to put the good idea out on the table and tell all of us. In fact, it's a good idea for him not to, so I'm going to give him a bit of a free pass on this one. But if he has a really good idea, he's really going to wrong way about finding someone
He should have a small portfolio/brief that he shows in person to potential partners, possibly even under NDA.But he doesn't have an "elevator speech" as far as I can tell - you have to be able to sell you/your business in the time it takes an elevator to go a couple of floors for when that angel investor walks into one that you're on. If you can't sell yourself within 45 seconds, you're not organized and focused enough.
He hasn't sold himself at all to the people whom he is trying to court after quite a few posts.....messaging fail.
Similar threads
