Saturday, September 21, 2013

Costs of making a dream a reality

In planning a brewery, the most face-smacking thing you'll notice is the cost of everything.  You need a brewhouse?  That costs $X,000.  You need some fermenters?  That costs $X,000.  Even the smaller items all add up. Why? Because you don't just need one, you need about 5-10 tri-clamps or transfer hoses.

In creating the business plan and proforma (plugging in start up costs and projections), you'll immediately come to the stark realization that....this cost some major bokku bucks.  Now with that said, what would you be willing to do to fund this dream?

Yes, a dream. It's been a dream of mine to start this brewery with my crazy top-hat wearing monocle sporting chimp.  My dream of making some amazing craft brews and talking "beer" with happy patrons as they sip an IPA or some crazy Saison brewed up by yours truly.

In the spirit of the dream I've considered selling our home.  The place that gives shelter to myself and my two smaller apes.  Yes, to sell our home to fund Daddy's dream....  I have and am thinking and heavily weighing the pros and cons of that idea.  If I sold our home and put all of our "eggs" into one basket (creating and building this brewery), would that be a good choice for my family, my kids, my wife and myself?

No assurance.  You can check Bloomberg, Motley Fool or MSNBC...but there are NO prospectives, NO proformas nor sufficient estimates to tell you, "Yes, starting up a brewery is a good way to gamble your life savings".

Despite the lack of assurance or data, I think we're going to "call" and go all in.  Afterall, the road to success is paved with stories of people that have risked it all to make their dream into a successful business.

Yep, we can do it.  I know we can.  :-)