Start-up Consulting Services

Start-up

brewery tank

In the start-up phase, everything is possible. You make really good beer/cider/spirits. All your friends are telling you that you should mass produce this really good beer/cider/spirit. So you begin to dream. Yes, I’m here to tell you that it is awesome and fun to work in the beverage industry. People are cool and the perks are excellent. But in the end, this is still a business. You have to make payroll and pay the bank back so it is important to know what you are doing and how you are going to open that taproom, production facility, brew pub, cocktail room, etc. This means that you have to create a kick-ass business plan and get all the components together before you open for business.

Business Plan

We can help draft dreams into concrete plans and actions. Not only do the words have to make sense, but the numbers do too. What kind of company do you want to be once you are grown up? Is a local operation a good stopping point, or do you want to be a regional powerhouse? Both dreams are attainable, they just need to be planned out. What is it really like to run a business like the one in your business plan? We’ve been where you are going, and it is valuable to bounce your ideas off of our experience.

Capital Acquisition

Money is what makes things happen. How are you going to fund your dream? There is a lot of money out there and a lot of investors want a piece of the pie. It is always hard to raise money at the beginning. Your biggest trump card is the equity share in the business. Like they always say, money talks, bullshit walks. Who is going to make the decisions? How is the investment tied into day to day decision making. Each type of investor comes with its own share of problems. Let us figure out how much you need, when you need it and how you are going to obtain it.

Business Formation

At this point, you have convinced enough people or institutions to give you money to fund your dream. There are a whole new set of questions that need to be addressed and quickly. The answer to one question typically leads to a follow up question. Now how do you actually organize your business? How are you going to keep your books? What kind of software are you going to choose? Do you create your own network or move to the cloud? How do you organize the files? What about payroll?

Opening for Business

How are you going to actually run your business? Are you going to start tracking all of your inventory right away? How about tracking the conversion of raw materials into wort into packaged goods into sales? All of those steps have a physical component (how do we handle the product) and a virtual component (what the accounting system says). It is vitally important to keep both in sync. Getting off on the right foot is important to keeping both realities in check. What about the point of sale system? What are you going to use, and will it integrate back to the accounting system?

There is no greater need for advice than at the beginning of operations. Opening for business is a really busy time for the company. Here are some examples of guidance we can provide in the startup to local phase.

Prior to ordering material we will:

Provide guidance to the creation and management of a filing system. This includes accounting files as well as HR and safety files.
Provide guidance on the creation of an IT infrastructure. We will cover networking options, guest wifi and backup issues.
Review the brewing worksheet for lot number and QC data inclusion.
Provide suggestions on the setup and layout of each warehouse.
Review chart of accounts and proposed divisional accounting.
Provide guidance on the selection and configuration of the point of sale system.
Setup and customize QuickBooks financial software specifically to the company’s current and future needs.
Discuss product labeling options.
Provide assistance in establishing good vendor relations including the creation of business terms.
Automate as many data feeds into QuickBooks as possible (including payroll and POS system)
Teach the organization how to order, receive and manage inventory.
Setup all accounting processes.
Document all accounting processes.

Once production has begun:

Teach everyone who has a hand in the system, the efficient and effective way to handle inventory from a physical and system standpoint.
Review safety protocols and a timeline for implementation.
Review physical inventory counts for areas of improvement.
Review costing on all levels and adjust as needed.
Begin the cash forecasting worksheet.
Ensure that the point of sale information is flowing smoothly to QuickBooks.
Document the inventory flow and process.

Once production has stabilized:

Create regular KPI (key performance indicators) reporting
Stabilize the cash forecasting worksheet.
Review inventory counts for areas of improvement.
Future implementation HR and safety guidelines.
Start reviewing data warehouse options.
Review 2016 budget. Suggest additional areas to cover in the budget.
Enhance forecasting with the use of sales forecasting and MRP (materials resource planning)--Obeer required