Owning a distillery seems like a dream business. You learn new technologies and you embrace them, so you can prepare liquor for everyday use, or sell it to bars and other alcohol-related businesses, and make money from it. The spirits business can be a little complicated to run, but here we are, to make things easier for you. If you are wise, dedicated, and professional all the time, it wouldn’t be a problem for you to run this business successfully.
You should decide what you will produce in your lab. You can start with one or two spirits types, and then see how things are going. We suggest you have a nice idea of what you want to accomplish, and which one would be your main product. That means you need to initially decide if you’ll produce gin, vodka, or other beverage. We highly recommend talking to your attorney or hiring an advisor, so you can overcome the challenges, and get to the point immediately.
During these hard times for the whole world, many people don’t even think to launch a new business. But, those who risk, can be winners later. Don’t let the current situation change your mind. If you have a great idea on how to run your spirits business and create a brand, you can go for it.
Here is how to do these things:
1. Make a nice and clear business plan
This is something you must do, in order to get a license and approval for your business. Make sure you include any key factor to the plan, so the new business can be viable. That means you will have to research and explore a little, test the current market, and see how you can fit there. Also, you have to calculate the initial costs, like buying or renting a working space, the equipment, but also the ingredients you will need for the distillery.
You will also have to define some price ranges for the products. Make sure you do this with help from your friends, accountants, lawyers, and even your family. Again, you will have to check on how the market is going right now. In order to get approved, you will need to give a timeframe of when you expect to have the first bottles available for sale, so you can move to larger quantities after that.
2. Collect some recipes
There are so many ways to produce alcoholic beverages, and you only have to find the one that will make you recognizable. Make sure you have an idea of how to pack it, and how to deliver it to the customers properly.
3. Come up with a strategy
Plan all the steps you need to take. First, make sure you have the conditions for your distillery or you will need to hire another to start your own brand story. Next, you need to decide what will make you different from everyone else. That way you secure a place in the market. When you are sure that the first phase is over, you need to present your project and get a work license. Having your own brand is not easy, so you need to have a strategy that will mean promoting and maintaining it.
Also, consider the logistics part. Are you able to distribute the required quantities yourself? Can you procure raw materials for production yourself? All of these things should be included in your strategy for improving your alcohol business. Formal things need to be resolved in a timely manner so that production can proceed smoothly.
4. Raise the brand awareness
You need to do everything you think will improve your presence on the market, and boost your sales. Protect your brand name and logo as intellectual property, so you can be sure no one will try to use them. Also, make sure to design your label, which includes the name and logo, but also other information related to the product. But, don’t use any misleading description, since that’s considered a crime, and you can get sued because of that. It’s always better to be honest, instead of writing some nonsense to the label, and risk losing your brand.
5. Create a website to sell your product
Online sales rise every day. If you have a website and social media profiles, you can significantly improve your online presence and make it easier to promote your products. Make sure you have a good and optimized website design so that you can provide an exceptional user experience for your customers. That way you will be sure that they will come back to you to buy your product again (which we already know is good quality and good). If you cannot do it yourself, make sure you hire an expert who will help you realize your idea and place your spirits brand on the market.
6. Maintain a consistent quality of the product
There is nothing more important than this. Make sure you always buy quality raw ingredients, so you can always deliver the same product quality to the customers. You need to be aware that they appreciate that. If something is changed, you need to address that on the label. That’s how you build trust, and make sure they will buy again from you. You need to know that the customers are more likely to spend their money on something that ensures a nice quality all the time.
Conclusion
You have the basic tips on how to launch a distilled spirits brand, and use the best strategies to place the product on the market. The next step is to make sure that your quality is consistent, and that you will always deliver great products to the customers who love your spirits. And probably, this is everything you need in the initial phases. We hope that we will have a chance to try your products pretty soon.
