One thing that struck me today while I was working on my business plan is the number of decisions a business owner has to make. More importantly each successive decision you make has a cascade effect on all the other decisions you have already made, and the future decisions you are going to make. This can mean taking a zig in stead of a zag results in a completely different finished product, one that was not intended when things started out.

I wonder sometimes if that is what happened with other breweries; like Dead Frog, CHBC, or other breweries?  When Dead Frog first put their beer in clear glass bottles, I am sure they had a good reason …. like the image would be great, or it would appeal to a certain customer.  The reality is that they have changed this tactic, and now moved to a regular brown bottle.  Looking back on things, I wonder if they would have still made that choice years ago?

All this leads me to wonder:  How will all these tiny little decisions made throughout this journey add up in the end?  Will they produce a brand and image that I intended when I started this process?  Or will they lead me to a product like Fat Cat Brewing, where I will be going bankrupt or having to rebrand my beer in 5 years?

With all this in mind, I have been diligently putting together a brand guide over the past few months.  I hope that this document results in an excellent roadmap to a brand that accurately reflects my taste, passion and preferences.  I hope that these things then combine to produce a brand that others see as something they should ‘invest’ in.

Tags:  Imstartingabrewery, startingabrewery, Vancouver, BC, Craft beer, Brewing