Beer Business Finance: Recent Episodes
Beer Business Finance
A CFO who became a head of marketing, eliminated millions in debt, and then built a company to fix distribution blind spots—Doug Veliky’s journey is a masterclass in making beer businesses sturdier and smarter.
We dig into the decisions that actually move the needle: building an internal audit team at Reyes that focused on real compliance risk, redesigning systems at Revolution to produce market-level P&Ls, and consolidating a spaghetti bowl of loans into a revolving line that turned heavy debt into daily cash efficiency.
That financial clarity paved the way for a bold move—buying the production facility—and gave the brewery control over the investments that shape its future.
We also get honest about how teams work.
Doug shows how finance, sales, and marketing can stop talking past each other by aligning on the data each team needs: shipments, depletions, pull-through.
The result?
Better forecasts, fewer surprises, and programs that actually show up on the shelf and in the tap list.
Doug's Beer Crunchers platform ties it all together, translating the mechanics of distributors, portfolios, and pricing into stories and tactics people at every level can use.
And when the world flipped, Doug brought a finance brain to digital marketing—prioritizing audience, cadence, and measurable impact.
Looking forward, Doug sees moderation evolving beyond non-alcoholic beer into “small beers” and right-sized formats that meet the moment—2.8–3.8% ABV cores and 8.4-ounce packs that fit weekday occasions without losing the ritual.
The catch is prioritization: make it a pillar or skip it.
We close with BrightBev, where Doug helps emerging brands choose the right distributors, set expectations, and invest alongside partners to win velocity, not just placements.
If you care about beer business finance, route-to-market strategy, and building brands that last, this conversation will sharpen your plan for the next four quarters.
Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway—what will you prioritize next?
And don't forget to sign up for the Wholesaler Financial Newsletter - tips, tactics, and strategies to help you build a more profitable brewery business.
In today's podcast you'll hear the audio version of our workshop on how to grow sales, increase gross profits and reduced finished product loss.
In this session, you’ll learn how to:
- Increase gross profit using the powerful VxP tool
- Reduce finished product loss through more efficient inventory management
- Identify key opportunities to grow top-line sales
Key Takeaways
- Gain actionable insights for boosting gross profit
- Learn how VxP can transform your business operations
- Get practical, real-world strategies you can implement immediately
Do this next...
- Watch the replay...Boosting Profit and Sales with VxP
- Connect with Bud Dunn from VxP, bud@vxptech.com
- Learn more about the network of beer wholesaler owners and managersworking together to improve cash flow and profitability
Health insurance costs are spiraling out of control for many beer wholesalers, with annual increases of 5-10% that seem impossible to escape.
But what if there was a better way?
What if you could not only stop these relentless increases but actually reduce costs while improving benefits?
Erin Butler from BevCap Management reveals how beer distributors across the country are doing exactly that through captive health insurance plans.
This isn't just a minor cost adjustment – it's a fundamental reimagining of how wholesalers approach healthcare coverage.
The numbers speak volumes: traditional fully-funded plans average $1,590 per employee monthly, while BevCap's captive members pay just $861.
For a 100-employee distribution business, that's annual savings approaching $900,000.
The captive model works particularly well for beer wholesalers because of their homogeneous workforce – predominantly younger males who typically require less healthcare.
By pooling resources across multiple distributors (currently covering about 15,000 lives), the captive gains extraordinary leverage with providers while creating a protective buffer between individual businesses and catastrophic claims.
Beyond pure cost savings, distributors gain unprecedented transparency and control.
Members receive detailed claims data that traditional insurers withhold, enabling informed decisions about plan design and cost containment.
Innovative approaches like direct provider contracting and specialized pharmacy management have yielded remarkable results – pharmacy costs alone have dropped 40% for participating members.
The most successful wholesalers in the program take an active role, educating employees about benefits, implementing preventative health initiatives, and participating in the collaborative governance structure that guides the captive.
This engagement transforms healthcare from an uncontrollable expense into a strategic advantage that strengthens both the bottom line and employee satisfaction.
Ready to explore whether a captive health insurance plan could benefit your beer distribution business?
Contact Erin Butler at BevCap Management to receive a personalized analysis of your potential savings and learn how joining forces with other wholesalers could fundamentally change your approach to employee healthcare.
Connect with Erin Butler at BevCap to learn more: ebutler@bevcapmanagement.com, c: 817-343-4651
In this financial workshop with with RJ Martucci from PKF O’Connor Davies, we explore powerful and practical ways for beer wholesalers to get more value from their financial statements.
Instead of just glancing at the P&L each month, RJ encourages a layered approach to financial analysis—using multiple tools and perspectives to uncover the full story behind the numbers.
From trend analysis to dashboards, it’s all about building a clear picture of performance and spotting opportunities to improve profitability.
RJ shared several specific techniques for sharpening your financial analysis.
These methods don’t require complex software—just a commitment to consistency, curiosity, and clarity.
By using these tools together, businesses can get a much deeper understanding of where they’re winning, where they’re falling short, and what levers to pull for better financial outcomes.
Key takeaways from the workshop:
- Financial trend analysis: Tactics to analyze sales, gross profit, and key expenses over time to spot patterns or warning signs.
- Budget vs. actual comparisons: Shortcuts to measure performance against targets to manage proactively, not reactively.
- Year-over-year or period-over-period comparisons: Tips to better understand where the business is growing or falling short.
- Per case financial metrics: How to normalize sales, costs, and profit data to understand unit economics.
- Dashboard development: How to build a custom, visual dashboard to track critical KPIs and monitor your real-time financial health.
Do this next:
- Watch the video workshop: Beer Wholesaler Financial Analysis
- Connect with RJ Martucci, RMartucci@pkfod.com, and learn more about how PKF O’Connor Davies can help your beer wholesaler identify profit opportunities
- Learn more about the network of beer wholesaler owners and managers working together to drive profits and cash flow
In today's podcast you'll hear the audio version of our Wholesaler Financial Round Table meeting.
This month's topic is on financial analysis techniques and wholesaler financial benchmarks.
Summary of Key Points
- Financial analysis basics: How to focus on the most important numbers
- How to follow a financial month-end process to speed up production of the financial statements
- Standard set of reports and financial benchmarks
Resources
- Connect with RJ Martucci at PKF O'Connor Davies, RMartucci@pkfod.com
- Sign up for the FREE wholesaler financial newsletter
This podcast is all about how to reduce finished product loss (FPL) in your beer business.
Bud Dunn from VxP shares best practices, training ideas, and a cool software tool to help you significantly reduce out of code beer in your business.
- Step 1: Calculate how much FPL costs your business each year (probably around 10cents/CE)
- Step 2: Reach out to Bud to see how you can reduce your FPL to 2-3cents/CE
- Step 3: Enjoy the savings!
Summary
- Use VxP to grow volume, profit, and reduce finished product loss
- Common causes of finished product loss and how to avoid them
- Best practices to manage code dates on packages
Resources
- Connect with Bud from VxP and learn how to save $100K in your beer business this year, bud@vxptech.com
- Get the FREE wholesaler financial newsletter
Today on the podcast we hear from Dan Lust, Beverage Industry Consultant with Pints, LLC.
Dan and I review the top challenges facing the industry and share data analytics, business planning, and performance measurement tactics for distributors and breweries.
Summary
- Hot topics: Tariffs, pricing, and the importance of sales training
- Strategic growth planning tactics for breweries
- Tools to make data-driven decisions
- Keys to brewery-wholesaler business relationships
Resources
- Connect with Dan at Pints, LLC
- Get the FREE beer wholesaler financial newsletter
Today on the podcast we talk all-things truck leasing with Jenn King, Field Sales Manager from Penske.
The lease vs. buy question is a big one when it comes to your truck fleet.
Jenn gives us a high-level overview of how truck leasing works, what's included, and a tool to perform a cost analysis so you get the best scenario for your business.
Key Points
- Lease vs. own analysis tool - how to make the best financial decision for fleet management
- How to remove risk, increase uptime, and improve budgeting for fleet costs
- Intangible benefits of full service leasing: DOT inspections, warranty work, safety services, substitute vehicles, and licensing of the fleet
Resources
- Connect with Jenn King at Penske to learn more, Jennifer.king@penske.com
- Subscribe to the FREE beer business finance newsletter
In our beer wholesaler business we used a self-funded insurance plan to save millions of dollars over the cost of traditional fully funded health plan.
In today's podcast, Erin Butler of BevCap Management will show you how to do the same in your beer business.
Key Takeaways
- Wholesalers in the BevCap group save $640 per month, per employee compared to the average fully funded insurance premiums. This works out to a savings of $7,680 per year, per employee
- Example: Beer wholesaler A has 100 employees, saves $7,680 per employee = $768,000 savings...every year
- 65% of covered workers in the U.S. are in a self-funded plan
- Owners and CEOs take note: Managing your health insurance and achieving massive savings isn't just the job of HR, it's a leadership issue. Take the first step to learn more about captive insurance. Your income statement (and your employees) will thank you.
Resources
- Connect with Erin Butler to learn more about captive health insurance plans: ebutler@bevcapmanagement.com
- Get the free financial training newsletter from Beer Business Finance
Today on the podcast we hear from Bob Higgins of P3 Cost Analysts. Bob and his team specialize in identifying and reducing over-spending in your business.
We talk all things expense management, cost reduction strategies, and share ideas on how your wholesaler business can save money.
Highlights
- Bob's process for identifying and eliminating unnecessary expenses
- Biggest cost-saving opportunities that companies commonly overlook
- The most surprising savings P3 has been able to secure for clients
- Trends in business expenses today, and where breweries will need to focus their cost-saving efforts in the future
Resources
- Connect with Bob, bhiggins@costanalysts.com
- Get the free wholesaler financial training newsletter
Today on the podcast we hear from Dave Williams, the Analytics Czar from Bump Williams Consulting.
Dave provides a recap of 2024 beer industry data, trends, and insights. We also cover “Dave’s Top 7”. These are the hot topics that he's been hearing about recently in the beer business.
Key Points
- Growth in non-alcohol beer and ready-to-drink products
- On-premise results
- Health guidelines and the impact of tariffs
- Trends in cannabis and crossover brands
Resources
- Connect with Dave, dave@bumpwilliamsconsulting.com
- Sign up for the Beer Business Finance newsletter. Financial tips and tactics to build a stronger beer business, delivered straight to your inbox.
Today on the podcast we hear from Rebecca Maisel from Gulf Distributing. Rebecca is the Senior VP of Legal and Governmental Affairs and recently elected Chair of the National Beer Wholesalers Association.
Rebecca and I talk about how to become a world class beer wholesaler, her vision for wholesalers to adapt, grow, protect, and invest, and how to continue to innovate in the beer distribution space.
Topic Summary
- Key focus areas for beer wholesalers in legal and governmental affairs
- Best practices for portfolio management
- Operations and technology initiatives implemented at Gulf Distributing
- How to organize and streamline supplier contracts
Resources
- Connect with Rebecca, rmaisel@gulfdistributing.com
- Sign up for the free Beer Business Finance newsletter - Financial intel delivered straight to your email inbox
Today on the podcast NBWA's Chief Economist Lester Jones breaks down beer sales data from 2024 and provides an outlook for 2025.
Key Points
- How did beer do in 2024? What is the data telling us?
- Total beer sales / consumption
- On / Off premise trends
- Surprising trends and predictions for 2025
- Tariffs, inflation, and interest rates...what does it mean for beer sales in 2025?
Resources
- Connect with Lester Jones, ljones@nbwa.org
- Get the free beer business finance newsletter
In today's podcast you'll get best practices, tools, and inspiration to build your 2025 beer wholesaler financial plan.
Topics Covered:
- Open Q&A: What is your BIG budget challenge right now?
- 3 Steps to take right now to build a great budget
- Budget prep outline template to keep you organized
- 6 Budget questions you need to answer
- Sample wholesaler budget templates - sales, GP, OPEX, etc.
Key Takeaways
- How to overcome analysis paralysis in the budget process
- Tactics to consolidate multiple business entities
- Best practices to overcome the 'unknowns' of financial planning
- One wholesaler's process to achieve a 2-day financial close
Resources
If you need 1-on-1 help to create your best beer wholesaler budget ever, learn more about my financial coaching package. We'll work together to build your 2025 financial plan.
Today on the podcast we dive deep into the world of supplier incentives. What they are, how they work, and how to get alignment between these incentives and bottom line company goals.
Summary
- How supplier incentives fit into the bigger picture of compensation
- The ideal compensation mix: Base, commissions, PFP, and supplier incentives
- The complexity of managing different categories of supplier incentives: Volume, placements, facing, displays, etc.
- The potential for misalignment of incentives: Is the supplier incentive aligned with your wholesaler business goals?
- How VxP helps you calculate, measure, and manage supplier incentives
Resources
- Connect with Bud Dunn to learn more about how VxP can help manage supplier incentives and sales compensation - bud@vxptech.com
Today on the podcast we hear from Sean McLaren and Adam Bush from OMAC Beverage Advisors.
OMAC has worked on hundreds of transactions in the beverage industry, and understand the unique considerations for these types of deals.
Sean and Adam share insights and analysis on the state of wholesaler consolidation, trends in valuation multiples, and best practices to make ready for a sale.
Summary
- Multiples of EBITDA steadily rising from 7x-9x to 10x-15x
- Annual transactions remain consistent at 20-30/annually
- The main driver of business sales: Family dynamics
Resources
- Connect with Sean and Adam: sean@omacbeverage.com, Adam@omacbeverage.com
- Learn more about OMAC Beverage Advisors
Tom DeMayo is a partner with PKF O'Connor Davies, specializes in cybersecurity, and is a self-described 'ethical hacker'.
Cybercrime is a $10 trillion problem globally, and beer wholesalers are target.
In today's podcast, Tom shares how these crimes occur, how to find out if your company is vulnerable, and what steps you can take right now to prevent a ransomware attack.
Key Points
- Terms defined: Dark web, deep web, surface web, ransomware
- How hackers break in to your systems and what you can do to prevent this
- Basics of compliance testing and risk assessment
- Tips for creating and managing those pesky login credentials
- The case for a cybersecurity committee
Resources
- Connect with Tom and learn how to protect your beer business from cybercrimes, TDemayo@pkfod.com
Want smarter wholesaler analytics to get better results?
Then you'll want to learn more about VxP, the best tool for guided selling strategies to increase sales and gross profits while decreasing finished product loss.
A powerful 1-2-3 combo to supercharge your income statement.
In this recorded workshop you'll learn how VxP provides the tools for real-time execution, automated workflows, and smarter analytics.
Workshop Overview
- Review of VxP: Who it's for, why it's important, how it works, and the problem it solves.
- Compensation planning process: What considerations are made prior to diving into a comp plan? What are the typical components of comp? How are components prioritized? How does VxP align compensation between route sales/team lead/sales management?
- Look under the VxP hood. We build sample compensation structures using a blend of base, commission, bonus, and pay for performance.
- Hear success stories. Results that have been achieved. And they are impressive $$$.
Do This Next...
- Watch the sales workshop video below
- Listen to the Tapped In Podcast, Sales and Strategy for Beer Distributors
- Learn more about VxP and join over 1,500 high-performing distributor sales reps. Book a demotoday, or reach out to Bud Dunn directly, bud@vxptech.com, c: 269-317-5209
Today on the podcast I'm joined by Orman Anderson, CFO from Glazer’s Beer and Beverage, and RJ Martucci, a partner with PKF O’Connor Davies.
You'll hear the audio version of our NBWA presentation on A Practical Guide to Beer Wholesaler Mergers and Acquisitions.
Our presentation covers four key issues -
- Target identification: Selling or buying, who are you valuable to, and who is valuable to you
- Due diligence: Research, homework, what you need to do
- Valuations and models: Current market, quantitative and qualitative measurements
- Post acquisition: What happens after the deal is done, and how to combine the right way
Do this next:
- Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association, we are a network of beer industry professionals who come together to network, share ideas and best practices to build a stronger beer business
Today on the podcast we hear from Lester Jones, Chief Economist for the National Beer Wholesalers Association.
Lester takes us through his 2024 U.S. Economic Outlook and Beer Industry Trends report.
His bottom line: "The economy is resilient, people are spending money, just in different ways. We need to react to that in a dynamic way."
Key Points
- How to make data driven decisions using macro economic and market data
- Consumer purchasing trends on-premise and off-premise (total spending away from home now exceeds at home spending)
- Labor and productivity data results and analysis
Resources
- Download Lester Jones' U.S. Economic Outlook and Beer Industry Trends
- Learn more about the beer wholesaler financial network
Today on the podcast we talk mergers and acquisitions and wholesaler consolidation with RJ Martucci from accounting firm PKF O'Connor Davies.
Key Points
- How to generate the maximum return on a sale
- Strategies to make the sale tax efficient
- State of mergers and acquisitions in the beer industry
- Primary motivations for sellers
Resources
- Learn more about PKF O'Connor Davies
- Get the free beer business finance newsletter
Today on the podcast we talk wholesaler mergers and acquisitions with Orman Anderson, CFO for Glazer's Beer and Beverage.
Orman is a former investment banker with Bear Stearns and JP Morgan, and has done multiple transactions as CFO for Glazers. So, this man knows his stuff.
In our conversation, we dig in on how Glazer's conducts it's acquisition due diligence, establishes valuations, and considers financing options.
If you're thinking of buying (or selling) your beer business, this podcast is for you.
Key Topics
- Valuation methods and multiples
- Best practices when using a broker
- How to finance an acquisition
- How to forecast and achieve consolidation synergies
- Purchase and sale agreement basics
Resources
- Connect with Orman Anderson on LinkedIn
- Join the network of beer professionals, the Beer Business Finance Association
- Get the free beer business finance newsletter
In today's podcast we talk about the beer distributor health insurance captive with Natalie Witmyer from Bernie Little Distributors and Lee Anne Klas from BevCap.
Natalie shares how Bernie Little has benefitted from the captive with cost savings and improved benefits for employees.
Lee Anne tells us what a captive health insurance is, how it all works, and how distributors can use this approach to save money.
Key Topics
- Captive health insurance 101: Benefits, structure, keys to success
- Debunking common myths and misconceptions around captives (too much risk, one big claim can sink the ship)
- Natalie's advice for beer distributors who may be interested in a captive health insurance program
Resources
- Connect with Natalie Witmyer at Bernie Little Distributors, natalie.witmyer@bldonline.com
- Connect with Lee Anne Klas and learn more about BevNet and the beer distributor captive insurance group, LeeAnne@bevcapmanagement.com
Today on the podcast we hear from Scheppers Distributing President Joe Priesmeyer and Bud Dunn from VxP.
In Joe's words, "We had a severe finished product loss issue in our business..."
Joe shares Scheppers's challenges managing out of code and close to code product, and how VxP helped to significantly reduce this expense.
Key Topics
- Incentive structures
- The volume x profit commission model
- Success stories from Scheppers using VxP
Resources
- Connect with Joe Priesmeyer, jpriesmeyer@nhscheppers.com, cell: 573-489-2830
- Connect with Bud Dunn, bud@vxptech.com, cell: 269-317-5209
- Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association
Health insurance is one of the biggest expenses on your income statement. And every year that expense just keeps going up.
In today's podcast we hear from John Kirke, President at BevCap Health. John leads BevCap Management's healthcare captive team, client services and growth strategies empowering clients to create value for their organization through healthcare benefits sponsored in stop loss captives.
In a nutshell, John helps beer distributors save a lot of money on their healthcare expenses.
Key Topics
- Terms simplified: Fully funded, self-funded, and captive insurance
- Advantages of captive insurance for employees and employers (spoiler alert: significant cost savings and a better health plan for all)
- Financial considerations to understand before joining a captive health insurance group
Resources
- Get in touch with John Kirke at BevCap, jkirke@bevcapmanagement.com
- Learn more about the network for beer industry professionals
In today's podcast you'll hear the audio version of a recent webinar focused on how to grow wholesaler gross profit, reduce finished product loss, and redefine your distribution strategy in 2024.
Bud Dunn from VxP talks through the features and benefits of a new sales tool that will help you increase gross profits, decrease finished product loss and super charge your sales team.
Resources
- Connect with Bud to learn more: bud@vxptech.com
- Join the new finance group for beer wholesalers
Today we hear from RJ Martucci from PKF O'Connor Davies, accountants and advisors.
RJ and I talk about a wide range of subjects including the current economic conditions facing beer wholesalers, 2024 budgeting strategy, KPIs, as well as tax credits and deductions you should take advantage of.
Key Topics
- Beer wholesaler budgeting strategies
- How to measure performance: KPI leading indicators
- Wholesaler revenue and cost drivers
- Tax credits and deductions you need to know about
Resources
- Learn more about PKF O'Connor Davies accountants and advisors
- Connect with RJ Martucci on LinkedIn
- Get the free beer business finance newsletter
In today's podcast Bump Williams shares an early read on the BWC growth strategy survey.
The results are...surprising.
The survey is sent to hundreds of retailers, wholesalers and breweries, and asks one simple question: What are your strategies for growth in the upcoming year?
The results are tallied, sorted by the most common answers, and analyzed to determine overlap amongst the companies in the 3-tier system.
One of the goals of the survey is to identify where there is alignment or common growth approaches in the 3-tier system. And where there isn't.
One big takeaway: The results show a lot of misalignment.
What does misalignment look like? Past surveys have shown breweries focused on innovation, while distributors focus on core brands, and retailers emphasize high-end products. Hard to grow when everyone is rowing in a different direction.
Listen in as Bump breaks down the survey results and provides guidance and action items for beer industry companies looking to build effective growth strategies for 2024.
Key Points
- Top 3 growth strategies for retailers, wholesalers, and breweries
- The divergence of growth strategies keeps getting wider
- How beer industry companies can use this information to align their own growth plans
Resources
- Learn more about how Bump Williams Consulting can help with your growth strategy
- Join the network of beer industry pro's
The Oakland A's baseball team used data-driven decision-making to build a competitive team despite a limited budget compared to wealthier teams.
This approach came to be known as "Moneyball" and was popularized by author Michael Lewis in his book of the same name.
"Moneyball" explores themes of innovation, data-driven decision-making, and challenging the status quo in the world of sports.
In today's podcast, Bud Dunn from VxP explains how beer distributors can adopt a moneyball approach to sell more beer.
Key Topics
- How to move from "subjective" to "objective" selling
- "Inspire and enroll"...It's the new command and control
- Tactics to gain a volume x profit mindset
- How to avoid easy placements and gain the right placements
Resources
- Connect with Bud Dunn and learn more about VxP: Bud@vxptech.com
- Learn more about the beer finance network
In today's podcast we hear from Orman Anderson, CFO for Glazers Beer and Beverage.
Orman shares his process for financial analysis, budget planning, key metrics to track, and compensation planning.
Key Topics
- Wholesaler financial planning tactics
- Key metrics Glazers follows
- Compensation planning strategies
- Glazers software stack
Resources
- Learn more about Glazers Beer and Beverage or connect with Orman Anderson
- Join the network of beer industry finance professionals
Today we talk sales compensation planning with the leadership team at Stokes Distributing.
Sparkman Walker, President, Matt Mumme, VP of Sales and GM, and Chris Leonard, CFO, share their experiences, challenges and benefits they've seen since partnering with Volume x Profit (VxP).
Key Topics
- How Stokes Distributing reduced finished product loss by 90%
- Best practices to implement a change in compensation plans
- How Stokes uses data to make better business decisions
Resources
- Connect with Matt Mumme, VP of Sales and GM: matthew.mumme@stokesdistributing.com
- Contact Bud Dunn to learn more about VxP: bud@vxptech.com
- Join the Beer Business Finance Association, a network of beer industry professionals
Distributors are always on the lookout for ways to reduce costs and increase sales. In today's podcast we talk with Bud Dunn from VxP, who shares a tool that you can use to reduce finished product loss by 50% or more, and increase gross profit per CE by 20 cents or more.
Key Topics
- Volume is good, profits are better, how to use VxP to increase both
- How to align sales rep incentives with overall growth of the business
- How to get suppliers involved with incentives and co-op dollars
Resources
- Learn how to increase gross profit by 20 cents per CE in your business
- Check out the new network for beer wholesaler financial professionals
Today we talk about navigating current market challenges and brand slumps with Bud Dunn from VxP.
These days, beer wholesalers have a doozy of a "brand slump" with the Bud Light debacle. Bud and I talk about tactics and strategies that distributors can use to navigate the current chaos, and overcome future brand slumps when they occur.
Key Topics
- Factors that cause a brand slump, and what to do when it happens
- Tactics, strategies and best practices to deal with a brand slump
- How to use VxP as a tool to identify market opportunities and overcome challenges
Resources
- Read the article: Strategies for beer distributors to master market shifts
- Get the FREE beer business financial newsletter
- Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association
The goal of our new wholesaler finance group is to bring people together to solve problems, overcome challenges, and share best practices.
In our virtual meetings we talk about the key issues facing beer wholesalers: how to build a better sales compensation plan, ideas to manage expenses, next generation succession planning, and gross profit management to name a few.
Key Topics
- How to achieve budget accountability through manager training
- Tactics and specific ideas to reduce costs
Resources
- Learn more about the Beer Business Finance Association
- Sign up for the free beer business finance newsletter
In today's podcast we hear from VxP's Bud Dunn and Brad White. VxP is a tool that can help your beer business substantially improve gross profit.
We dig in on this important question: Why are we afraid to show a gross profit to our sales reps? Basically, all other industries do it, why not beer wholesalers?
Key Topics
- Most common reasons why owners in the beer industry are hesitant to share gross profit information with their sales reps
- Beer company's that have successfully implemented a program to share gross profit information with its sales team
- How sales reps can use knowledge of gross profit margins to make better decisions about pricing, promotions, and other sales-related activities
Resources
- Learn more about how VxP can transform your sales team
- Sign up for the free beer finance newsletter
In today's podcast we hear from Lester Jones, Chief Economist and VP of Analytics for the National Beer Wholesalers Association.
Lester's job is to track everything quantitative, economic and demographic about the beer industry. And today he shares what happened in 2022 and his outlook for 2023.
Key Questions Asked and Answered
- How did beer do last year?
- What's the outlook for 2023?
- What is the data telling us?
- How can beer wholesalers use this information to increase sales?
Key Topics
- Total beer consumption
- On / Off Premise trends
- Sales growth by product segment
- Inflation, cost pressures, and supply chain issues
Resources
- Check out the Beer Purchaser's Index
- Get the beer wholesaler financial training newsletter
Today we hear from Bart Watson, Chief Economist for the Brewer's Association. Bart breaks down 2022 beer data, shares trends, volume and market share on the beer industry.
Key Topics
- Beer data and trends to watch
- On premise vs. off premise volume and growth
- Trends in pack counts, sizes, formats
- Brewery openings and closings
- Bart's forecast for 2023
Resources
- Learn more about Bart's work with the Brewer's Association
- Get the free wholesaler financial training newsletter
Today we hear from Everlance CEO Alex Marlantes. Everlance helps beer wholesalers modernize their vehicle program and lower costs without creating an administrative burden.
If you have a vehicle reimbursement program, you'll want to hear what Alex has to say about how to re-claim the tax waste for your business and your employees.
Key Topics
- Common mistakes beer wholesalers make with vehicle programs
- Tips to automate painful everyday tasks, and help people save time and money
- The high cost of tax waste and how you can get it back
- How Del Papa Distributing saved money with Everlance
Resources
- Learn how Del Papa saved money with Everlance
- Calculate the tax waste associated with vehicle programs
- Learn more about how Everlance helps beer distributors
Sign up for the beer industry financial training newsletter
Today we hear from Todd Grote and Rick Flagg from OnTrak Software, who give a demo of POS marketing software management tools for Beer Wholesalers.
Ten of the Top 20 Beer Wholesalers depend on OnTrak solutions every day. In this podcast you'll learn how they do it.
Key Topics
- Tools to closely monitor your investments in POS marketing assets
- How to significantly reduce costs while increasing accountability with suppliers and customers
- How to verify draught system compliance and measure tap handle market share
Resources
- Learn more about OnTrak Software
- Get the finance newsletter for beer wholesalers
In today's podcast you'll hear the audio version of our recent webinar on How to Build Your Beer Wholesaler Financial Plan.
We'll review how to put together your sales plan, gross profit, operating expenses and bottom line.
Key Topics
- Financial planning best practices
- Budget pitfalls to avoid
- 6 Steps to build your financial plan
- Tips to overcome the 'overwhelm' when preparing a budget
- Spreadsheet models and tools to get you started
Resources
- Learn more about the Beer Wholesaler Financial Professionals association
- Get the free finance newsletter for beer wholesalers
In today's podcast you'll learn about a new organization called Beer Wholesaler Financial Professionals. Beer Wholesaler Financial Professionals is the ONLY national network created specifically for those driving and ensuring your business financial performance.
It’s an organization of financial pros, like you, looking to improve financial results, increase profitability, connect with peers, and share best practices.
Resources
- Learn more about Beer Wholesaler Financial Professionals
In today's podcast we hear from Bud Dunn from VxP Tech and hear about financial metrics for beer wholesalers. What numbers should you track? Who should have key metrics? How do you automate the reporting process?
Key Topics
- 5 Best practices to design your KPIs
- 5 Watch outs (pitfalls) with tracking and measuring KPIs
- Bud's Favorite KPI metrics for beer wholesalers
Resources
- Watch the webinar replay: Financial Metrics Dashboard for Beer Wholesalers
- To schedule a demo of the dashboard software: Email Bud@VxPTech.com
- Sign up for the finance newsletter for distributors
In today's podcast we hear from Brad White from VxP Tech. Brad shares a proven and profitable compensation program for distributor sales teams.
Topics covered:
- The key drivers of financial performance: Gross profit, volume and finished product loss
- How to link these key drivers to sales compensation
- How to automate compensation programs using technology
Resources
- Learn more about VxP
- Listen to our first podcast with Brad: How to Pay Your Sales Team on Gross Profit
Sign up for the finance newsletter for Beer Wholesalers
Craig Purser is President and CEO of the National Beer Wholesalers Association. Today we hear his perspective on the state of the beer industry, get a recap from the recently concluded legislative conference, and learn more about the Next Generation Leadership Conference for emerging leaders.
Key Topics
- Craig's perspective on the state of the beer industry
- Highlights from the NBWA legislative conference
- Next Generation Leadership Conference for emerging leaders
- Strength, resilience, innovation, evolution amid intense competition and challenging market forces.
Resources
- Learn more about the BREW initiative
- Sign up to receive the finance newsletter for beer professionals
NBWA economist Lester Jones joins the podcast today with an update on 2022 beer sales trends to help you prepare for the summer selling season.
Key Topics
- Early beer sales trends for 2022...and what they mean for your business
- Lester's expectation for the beer summer selling season
- How to combat the headwinds: inflation, supply chain issues, labor challenges...
- Learn about the NBWA compensation and benefit study
Resources
- Learn about the Beer Purchaser's Index
- Sign up for the finance newsletter for beer industry professionals
What if you could pay your frontline sales reps based on what really matters to your business?
In today's podcast, you'll learn how.
Brad White from GP-Analytics joins us to explain how to use the VxP Compensation System to build a comp plan based on the key drivers of profitability in your beer business: Gross profit, volume and FPL (finished product loss).
Key Topics
- Traditional wholesaler compensation programs
- Common problems with comp plans, and how to fix them
- How the VxP Compensation System is different
- The key drivers of financial performance: Gross profit, volume and FPL
Resources
- Learn more about the VxP compensation system
- Contact Brad White to learn more: brad@vxptech.com
- Get the finance newsletter for beer industry professionals
In today's podcast we hear from Lester Jones, chief economist for the National Beer Wholesalers Association.
Lester provides a recap of 2021 and his outlook for the beer industry in the year ahead.
In our conversation we dig deep into the data and review the key topics for beer wholesaler owners and managers:
- Total beer consumption in the US
- Packaging trends, and the outlook for cans, bottles and draft
- Forecast for on-premise business
- Past, present and future of seltzers
Lester also shares his favorite beer industry reads, and provides tips to use US Census data, labor statistics, and TTB reporting to better analyze your market.
Subscribe to Beer Business Finance. The Weekly Finance Newsletter for Beer Wholesalers.
Today we are going to talk about goal setting and New Year's Resolutions. We'll talk about a framework you can use to create goals that stick.
We'll look at systems, models, and techniques you can use to set your goals and achieve them in 2022.
Key Topics
- Business Plan Goals...Start with your Core Values (what do you stand for?)
- Financial Plan Goals
- SWOT Analysis
- Process vs. Outcome Goals
- The 3 Step Secret Weapon for 2022 (Eliminate, Automate, Delegate)
Resources
- Learn more about the book Re-Work by Jason Fried from Basecamp
- Tim Ferriss on a technique to become more productive in 2022
- Sign Up for the Free and World Famous Beer Business Finance newsletter
In today's podcast we hear from Kim McKinnish, CFO and SVP of the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA).
Kim and I talk about a wide range of topics including the mission of the NBWA, membership benefits, NBWA's Next Generation Leadership Group, and the newly launched BREW initiative, Building Relationships and Empowering Women.
We also discuss the current state of the beer industry, best practices and business lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key Topics
- How wholesalers can use financial skills to navigate challenges in the market
- The BREW Initiative: Building Relationships and Empowering Women
- Industry consolidation: Key factors behind wholesaler acquisitions
Resources
- Learn more about the BREW Initiative
- NBWA Membership Benefits
- Nex Gen Leadership Conference
Sign Up for the World Famous (and FREE) Beer Business Finance Newsletter
The single best way to improve profitability in your business is to measure and manage your gross profit margin. In the podcast we’ll take a deep dive into the key drivers of gross profit so that you can improve this critical number.
Key Topics Covered in the Podcast:
- Gross profit fundamentals: Calculations, what’s included/excluded in cost of goods sold
- Cost of delivery: Practical application of this calculation
- Monthly variations in gross profit percentage...and what it means
- How to reconcile the gross profit reports to the income statement
- Forecasting gross margins to drive more profits to the bottom line
Resources
- Check out the book: Beer Business Finance: A Handbook for the Next Generation
- Learn more about Beer Business Finance training for your wholesaler business
Listen to the podcast and learn the keys to improve gross profit in your beer business.
Sign up for the Free and World Famous Beer Business Finance Newsletter
Inventory is a huge asset for beer wholesalers, and it consumes a lot of cash. In today’s podcast, we’ll review how to use numbers to measure and improve your inventory management plan.
Key Topics Covered in the Podcast:
- How to calculate the total carrying costs of inventory (and cost spreadsheet model)
- One page inventory count process checklist
- How to create an inventory scoreboard to quantify inventory key performance indicators
Resources
- Check out the book: Beer Business Finance: A Handbook for the Next Generation
- Learn more about Beer Business Finance training for your wholesaler business
Listen to the podcast and learn how to build an inventory management plan for your beer business.
Sign up for the Free and World Famous Beer Business Finance Newsletter
Gross profit is one of my favorite topics. In this podcast, I share the audio from my webinar titled How to Improve your Wholesaler Gross Profit.
Gross profit measures how much of each sales dollar is kept by the wholesaler. The math works like this: Sales minus cost of goods sold equals gross profit. On average, about 75% of the sales dollars goes to the supplier, freight carrier and the tax man. So, it pays to pay attention to your gross profit.
Key Topics Covered in the Podcast:
- Key drivers of wholesaler gross profit and how to improve them
- Common mistakes wholesalers make with gross profit
- Tips and tactics to increase gross profit in your business
Resources
- Check out the book: Beer Business Finance: A Handbook for the Next Generation
- Learn more about Beer Business Finance training for your wholesaler business
Listen to the podcast and learn how to efficiently improve gross profit in your beer business.
Sign up for the Free and World Famous Beer Business Finance Newsletter
In this podcast we’ll review tips, tactics and strategies to help you build a profitable sales plan. The goal is to create a plan with actionable steps to achieve your sales goals.
Key Topics Covered in the Podcast:
- Sales planning fundamentals: Team, timing, and tools to use
- Open book management sales planning techniques
- How to align the sales plan with the business plan
- One page checklists and models to create your sales
Resources
- Check out the book: Beer Business Finance: A Handbook for the Next Generation
- Learn more about Beer Business Finance training for your wholesaler business
Listen to the podcast and learn how to build a profitable sales plan for your beer business.
Sign up for the Free and World Famous Beer Business Finance Newsletter
In today's podcast we hear from Guy Amisano, the Founder and CEO of Salient Management company. Salient created a software solution that puts tools and data in the hands of reps in the field.
Salient allows managers to overcome the major barriers to making business activity coherent, transparent, and controllable so that they can determine where to invest time, money and energy for the greatest possible financial return.
Topics covered:
- Using the 'Goldilocks Effect' to get just the right amount of data
- How to put the power of data into the hands of the user to get more done in less time
- Key drivers of value: Profit x Growth
Resources
- Learn more about Salient Management Company
Sign Up for the FREE and World Famous Beer Business Finance Newsletter
Today we talk dashbaords, KPI's and compensation planning with Darin Spence and Grant Barrett from InTrench Consulting. Darin is a former GM and VP at Encompass Technologies, and Grant is a former VP of Sales at Origlio Beverage.
Key topics covered:
- How to manage the supplier / wholesaler relationship
- Building performance management systems
- How to reward and pay for top performance
- Darin and Grant: My favorite KPIs and Key metrics
Resources
- Contact Darin or Grant at InTrench Consulting
- Preview the Profit Rx tool
Sign-Up for the Free and World-Famous Beer Business Finance Newsletter
In today's podcast, you'll hear a replay of the live Q&A session from the Beer Wholesaler Financial Training Program.
In this episode we cover wholesaler cash flow management: Best practices, key drivers of cash flow, and scorecards to track, measure and improve your cash position.
The Beer Wholesaler Financial Training Program is for beer wholesaler owners, managers and staff who need practical financial training to improve cash flow and profitability.
The Course includes 40+ lessons delivered across 5 modules, with a total of 8 hours of instruction, 5 graded quizzes and a final exam. Watch a short video to learn more.
Key topics covered:
- Cash Flow Management Best Practices
- 5 Key Drivers of wholesaler cash flow
- Scorecards to track and measure key cash flow metrics
- The 3-step system to improve cash flow
Learn more about the Beer Wholesaler Financial Training Program!
In today's podcast, you'll hear a replay of the live Q&A session from the Beer Wholesaler Financial Training Program.
In the episode, we cover the 6 Steps you can follow to create your beer wholesaler financial budget.
The Beer Wholesaler Financial Training Program is for beer wholesaler owners, managers and staff who need practical financial training to improve cash flow and profitability.
The Course includes 40+ lessons delivered across 5 modules, with a total of 8 hours of instruction, 5 graded quizzes and a final exam. Watch a short video to learn more.
Key topics covered:
- Financial Planning Best Practices
- Sales and Margin Plan
- Operating Expense Plan
- Capital Expense Plan
- Loan Schedules and Debt Planning
- Tactics to Train Department Managers
Learn more about the Beer Wholesaler Financial Training Program!
In today's podcast, you'll hear a replay of the live Q&A session from the Beer Wholesaler Financial Training Program.
In this episode we review common beer wholesaler financial problems, how to quickly identify them, and how to fix them.
The Beer Wholesaler Financial Training Program is for beer wholesaler owners, managers and staff who need practical financial training to improve cash flow and profitability.
The Course includes 40+ lessons delivered across 5 modules, with a total of 8 hours of instruction, 5 graded quizzes and a final exam. Watch a short video to learn more.
Key topics covered:
- Common Problems in the Financials
- Keg Inventory & Product Inventory: How to spot and fix variances
- Accounts Receivable Collections: How to collect cash faster!
- Gross Profit Variances: Simple steps to identify and fix problems in GP
Learn more about the Beer Wholesaler Financial Training Program!
In today's podcast, you'll hear a replay of the live Q&A session from the Beer Wholesaler Financial Training Program.
In the episode, we cover best practices you can follow to create your beer wholesaler financial statements.
The Beer Wholesaler Financial Training Program is for beer wholesaler owners, managers and staff who need practical financial training to improve cash flow and profitability.
The Course includes 40+ lessons delivered across 5 modules, with a total of 8 hours of instruction, 5 graded quizzes and a final exam. Watch a short video to learn more.
Key topics covered:
- Best practices for your wholesaler Chart of Accounts & General Ledger
- How to create beer wholesaler Financial Statements & Reports
- Routines and Month-end financial process to ensure your numbers are complete and accurate
Learn more about the Beer Wholesaler Financial Training Program!
Today we chat with Harry Schuhmacher, Editor and Publisher of Beer Business Daily, Craft Business Daily, and Wine & Spirits Daily. These publications are read on every continent in the world except Antarctica.
Harry has worked in the beer business for over 30 years, and has published Beer Business Daily for the last 20 years. Harry is also the producer of the Beer Industry Summit and the Wine & Spirits Summit.
In the podcast we cover a wide range of topics:
- Brewery - Distributor relationships
- The age of effervescence - is seltzer here to stay?
- The latest on beer wholesaler consolidation
- Predictions on the future of the 3-tier system
- Beer business lessons learned during the pandemic
Resources
Learn more about Beer Business Daily
Learn more about the Beer Industry Summit
Sign up for the World Famous Beer Business Finance newsletter.
Today we talk with Todd Grote and Rick Flagg from OnTrak software. OnTrak makes software to help beer wholesalers reduce costs and sell more products.
In our conversation, we talk about specific tools to help distributors get a handle on different parts of the business:
- Printed POS - signs, banners, table tents
- Permanent POS - coolers, tap handles, umbrellas
- Line tracking - draft line operations, scheduling, execution (whether in-house or by a 3rd party)
The tools track orders, due dates, and costs, with a goal of improving inventory control and reducing your costs.
ResourcesLearn more about OnTrak Software
Read a case study on how other beer wholesalers have used these tools to save money
Sign up for the World Famous and Free Beer Business Finance Newsletter.
In today's podcast we present tips, best practices and key questions so that you can build a profitable financial plan for your beer business.
Beer Wholesaler Financial Planning Topics
- Financial Planning Best practices, Key questions
- Planning pitfalls to avoid
- 7 Steps to a Brewery Financial Plan
- Sales, margins, operating expenses
- How to build the schedules, without perfect information
ResourcesSign Up for the Free 60-Day Trial to the Beer Business Finance Membership
Inventory is a huge asset on the balance sheet and it just keeps growing. In today's episode we'll review best practices to measure, monitor and improve wholesaler inventory management.
Beer Wholesaler Inventory Topics Covered
- How to Compute Total Inventory Carrying Costs
- Quantify fixed + variable, template to capture costs
- Best Practices for the Inventory Count Process
- Cycle Counts, Full Physical Counts, Team + Training
- How to Build an Inventory Scoreboard
- Key Metrics: DOH, OOS, OOC, Count Variance
- How to Assemble the Inventory Management Team
- Pulling it all together Information in the hands of the managers
ResourcesSign Up for the Free 60-Day Trial to the Beer Business Finance Membership
In today's podcast we take a deep-dive into what Gross Profit is, why it's important, and how your managers can improve this critical number in your beer business
Topics Covered: Gross Profit (GP) Fundamentals
- GP Calculations, Items Included / Excluded
- Practical Uses of Gross Profit Knowledge
- Decision Making Tool, Cost per delivery, Hot Shots
- Common Errors in Gross Profit
- How to identify and correct
- How to Reconcile Gross Profit to P&L
- Monthly routines to ensure good numbers
- Planning and Monitoring Gross Profit
- Combining the Sales Forecast and GP plan, Monthly reports
Resources
Sign Up for the Free 60-Day Trial to the Beer Business Finance Membership
In today's episode we'll talk about strategies that you can use to build a winning sales plan. We'll cover best practices, planning pitfalls to avoid, and sales plan models to get you started.
Sales Planning Fundamentals
- Team, Timing, Tools
- Who should be involved in planning, how to set deadlines and tools to complete the plan
- Sales Growth using Open Book Management
- Game Changer: Strategy to Engage Employees
- Strategy, Goals and Objectives
- Planning Expenses / Investments to Drive Revenue
ResourcesSign Up for the Free 60-Day Trial to the Beer Business Finance Membership
Beer Business Finance is for beer wholesalers who want to improve financial results in their business. Competition is fierce, and financial knowledge will give you a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Profitable Topics we cover for Beer Wholesalers
- Cash flow management - The key drivers in your beer business
- Performance metrics - benchmarking, KPIs and tracking tools
- Compensation Planning
- SKU Inventory Management tools
ResourcesSign Up for the Free 60-Day Trial to the Beer Business Finance Membership
For most beer distributors, inventory is the biggest asset on the balance sheet. In today’s podcast we’ll review the importance of keeping score of that big asset and review four […]
In today’s podcast we cover best practices for training your employees: The 80/20 of employee training. People leave your company for a lot of reasons – they don’t like the […]
In this episode we review an idea that saved one distributor over $600k. Crescent Crown, one of the top 10 distributors in the U.S., saved $600,000 annually by changing their […]
In today’s episode we discuss how to save on worker’s comp expense by implementing a safety policy. No hard hard required. The beer business is labor intensive. Warehouse employees are […]
In today’s podcast we cover the basics of business valuations. There are three primary methods which are used, and we’ll review each one on the podcast. Humans were put on […]
In today’s podcast we tackle the tricky problem of health insurance expense. It’s no surprise to you that health insurance and benefits are among the biggest expenses on your income […]
In this episode, we discuss how to cut your utility bill using fixed rate energy contracts. Beer distributors have big warehouses full of delicious beverages that need to be kept […]
Everyone hates taxes. In this episodes we’ll show you how to hate them a little less by reducing your property tax bill. Beer distributors have big warehouses and big property […]
In today’s episode we discuss how to save $100k with less than two hours worth of your time and effort. That is a serious Return on Investment. Beer distributors have […]
Who else at the bank holds your financial future in their hands? In this episode, we’ll dig into the inner workings of the bank loan process – loan committees and […]