Page 123 of Just One Fake Date

“Of course, there is,” Tyler said. “How can you prove it? Think outside of the box. Between having no facilities and running a successful craft brewery, there are incremental steps. Itemize them and list what you need to accomplish each one. Can you get a job as an assistant to a brewmaster? Can you begin to brew some small batches on the side? Can you rent equipment to brew your own? You need to move from never having brewed beer, to having mastered the skills to do it, to having evidence that you can do it.”

Aidan nodded.

“And then you might be able to answer my second question.”

“That’s only the first question?”

Tyler smiled. “Do you know how to sell beer?”

“How hard can it be?”

Tyler shook his head. “You need to prove that you can build a brand from nothing. You need a logo, a website, some bars serving your beer, blogs talking about your beer. You need customers and you need buzz. This will go so much better if the bank has heard of you before you walk in their door.”

Aidan made more notes. “You’re making me start this business without any investment,” he grumbled.

“That would be the best plan, then no one owns a piece of the result.”

Shannyn saw the proverbial light go on.

Tyler turned the paper around and flipped it over, then drew a timeline. “So, phase one, you get a job at a brew-pub and work your ass off. You learn every job.”

“Which means it’s probably a small operation,” Shannyn said.

“Two years? Three? You apprentice to the brewmaster, make connections, learn your craft.”

“Then rent a fermenter from them,” Aidan said, nodding.

“If you can. How long does it take to make a batch of beer?”

“A couple of weeks. It depends. Call it a month from mash to keg.”

“How long will it take to sell it?”

“I don’t know.”

“The first one will be the toughest, because you won’t have samples to give.”

“Unless I make a batch in a smaller fermenter first,” Aidan said, taking back the pen to make more notes. “Let’s say I can sell it in a month, while the next batch is brewing.”

“All good. Be conservative and plan that you’ll sell it in two months.”

“And if I sell it faster?”

“That’s a good problem to have, but you need a solution for that, too.”

“Maybe the company you work for will have strategies you can learn,” Shannyn said.

“And then I buy my own?”

“I’d wait until you had enough sales to need a second fermenter. Try to get an option on that first one to renew the lease for up to a year, maybe even longer. Then figure out where you’re going to put the first fermenter you buy.”

“Along with all the other equipment. I’ll need a building.” Aidan smiled. “I was thinking of Cedric’s place back in Harte’s Harbor...”

“A building!” Tyler said sharply. “And buying it outright? That’s a lot of capital.”

“You did it with Flatiron Five Fitness,” Shannyn noted.

“Because we didn’t have a choice. We needed to grab a site when we could and it was hard to swing. We had some cash, too. Is Harte’s Harbor a hot real estate market? If not, maybe you could make a deal for part of the building, maybe with a subsequent option to buy.”

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