2013 was a busy year. We were newlyweds working on a dream
together. It was a great year. We started going to LegUP (Livingston
Entrepreneurs Group United for Prosperity). From that networking community we
were introduced to many business organizations who wanted to see us succeed as
much as we did. Thanks to SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), MI-SBTDC (Michigan Small Business Technology Development
Center), the Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce, the Howell Chamber of Commerce,
and LegUP, we had all the networking, business classes, and mentoring we needed
to get where we are today.
What was the journey like last year? We spent the first part
of the year creating a business plan and financial model. It was a lot of
back-and-forth with the wonderful people at the MI-SBTDC. This included many disappointing
moments (ie. We don’t have a lot of money to work with) along with many “ah-ha”
moments (ie. We finally figured out the system size we could use to make the
financial model make sense).
The summer time was spent scouring Livingston County for a
location. We had to be conscious of available space, price per square foot, and
location. Being from Howell, I knew the area well, but after four months of analyzing
maps, driving around, after work meetings, and countless conversations with
landlords and real estate agents, I see the Howell-Brighton area in a whole new
light!
As fall settled in, we settled on a location that we wanted
to pursue. We have layout drawings and we are now trying to start up work on the
build-out. You can’t apply for your microbrewery licenses until you have a
location. Now that we have signed the lease, all systems are “go”.
In the coming year we hope to have our space transformed
into a microbrewery with multiple taps available for a fun taproom area. It is
going to be a crazy year for us. We are so thankful for our friends and family
in the area that support our passion.
Happy 2014 everyone!
