Winning, Losing and Surviving in the Craft Beverage Industry

WINNING

1. Your brands are strong in your top 50 accounts.
2. You get new distribution when you don’t even try.
3. You have more good ideas than you can implement.
4. Your new products are on allocation.
5. You know what to do without really thinking about it.
6. Positive cash flow just happens.

LOSING

1. You have to keep reselling the same accounts just to stay in the game.
2. The distributor salespeople don’t follow up.
3. Cash is going out faster than it is coming in.
4. You need a winning product, but don’t have the resources to produce it.
5. You need to fill capacity.
6. You’re not sure what to do next but you need to do something.

SURVIVING

1. You realize that working harder is not the answer.
2. You can make it, but you need help.
3. You manage your cash very tightly.
4. Some people survive on pure perseverance. But others hang on too long and end up broke.
5. Your brands have value even if your company is losing money.
6. You may live to fight another day.