Feeling a little bit overwhelmed and not sure where to start? You’re most certainly not alone. One of the most important suggestions we can make is to attend classes, participate in workshops, watch webinars, read books, access professional organizations’ educational information, and otherwise explore to learn and meet qualified industry professionals. You can find a number of options on our Educational Resources page.

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In the PLAN phase, the first thing you really need to nail down is your brewery concept. That requires some market research to determine what kind of startup would work well in your general area, and should include anyone that you are considering as a business partner. Make sure your concept is actually possible/ legal before you proceed.

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Creating your business entity, beginning your business plan, and searching for a location will be next if you’re truly starting from scratch. Financing, finding an architect/design firm to work with, and conceptualizing your brand will follow. Be sure to review and keep in mind the other tasks on the PLAN landing page as you move into the process; all of the categories and tasks are important and need to fall into place at some point.

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Note that the PLAN stage will continue for some items even after you’ve moved into ACT in other areas. You don’t have to complete everything in PLAN to move ahead – but don’t skip items if your goal is to maximize your success.

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