As Your Brewery Scales, How Do You Keep Track?

Two words that probably weren’t at the forefront of your mind when you started a microbrewery. Why would they be? You were focused on brewing the best beer possible.

Whether you’ve been keeping a keen eye on compliance from the get-go, or finding out for the first time about your reporting responsibilities that you didn’t know you had, Brew Ninja software can help you stay in control as your business grows, with total functionality at your fingertips. Because when you’re not-so-micro brewery scales, so do the roles and responsibilities.

Brew Ninja’s co-founder Matt Hon, and Customer Success Manager, Lyndsey Schmidt, share their industry insights into handling control and compliance.

Lyndsey’s customer-facing role means she’s familiar with the many reasons why brewers turn to Brew Ninja for their day-to-day brewery management, “Primarily, something’s happened that’s pushed them in that direction.” That could be due to business growth, or in some cases, a need to tighten regulatory compliance after an audit.

Regardless of the reasons, the bottom line is always the same: it takes two to brew. That’s because every craft brewery under the sun needs a brewer, and someone to do the accounting, from sales to mandatory inventory reporting. And if you’re a single-person start-up that presents a challenge. Especially, if you’re also the owner, the delivery driver, and the sales rep. The roles within a brewery team vary depending on the size and scale of the operation. Smaller breweries rely on at least two, whilst medium-sized businesses will need staff in delivery, the tap room, sales, and accounting. The list goes on.

Presumably, you got into this business to brew great beer, not to stare at spreadsheets until late into the night, trying to determine the value in your storage room, cooler, tanks, and taps. So accounting-wise, if you’re not a trained professional, you’re going to need someone with industry-specific experience in the manufacturing-style of accounting. Someone who can give you regulatory oversight, and help you track your financials.

Because in terms of regulatory reporting, there are no concessions for small breweries.

That’s where Brew Ninja can help.

Often the tipping point for calling in Brew Ninja’s brewery management solution is the moment you realize you’re doing everything yourself, or your team has grown to such an extent that you need better oversight and control.

Brew Ninja’s software scales with you, and with all your data in one place, you’re not going to lose insight when the person responsible for it moves on. As your brewery grows, you need better controls. From inventory tracking to monthly reporting, Brew Ninja makes it easier.

Not only that, every province handles liquor handles slightly differently.

So before you even begin to brew, or consider making a profit, you need to know your route to market, and how to keep your accounting compliant.

For example, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the liquor board takes the orders and tells you what to send and to whom. In British Columbia and Alberta, you have to sell your kegs to your own tap room as a separate business, and there’s a tax on that. Needless to say, the business-side of brewing beer can be hugely complex, without the right tools to help you.

Regardless of where your brewery is located, the bare essentials for compliance remain the same. How much beer have you produced? How much have you sold? How much do you have leftover?

And there comes a point, when the magic costing spreadsheet reaches its limit. Need to pull reports for a federal inspection? Fancy a quick glance at the sales figures? Pull a Brew Ninja move, take out your phone, and you’ve got it on-the-go.

Better inventory controls. And compliance on all levels.

Why stew when you can brew?

At Brew Ninja, we can’t tell you how to run your business, but we can help you with those two c-words (and a keg-load more). Our mobile-friendly software as a service (SaaS) helps you keep track of everything, so you can spend less time reporting and more time brewing.

Want to find out more about our reliable, scalable, time-saving brewery management software? Contact Brew Ninja today.