Transferring Ownership of a Successful Craft Brewery: Key Considerations

You’ve built your craft brewery from nothing to one of the breweries contributing to beer’s continued growth in market share. But you may be ready to embark on a new adventure and are now thinking about selling your business.

Before you hang up the for sale sign, there are a few things to consider to attract the right buyer to transfer your successful craft brewery to. Along with these considerations, you’ll also want to make sure to involve a business broker as you navigate this phase of your business.

Sunbelt Business Brokers has deep experience buying and selling small and medium businesses. With vast knowledge across many industries, we can take you through the entire process from listing to closing at a top price for your brewery. You can get an early start by using Sunbelt Business Brokers’ business valuation calculator to estimate how much your business is worth.

Here are the three key considerations for selling your business.

Legalities

As a veteran of craft brewing, you know the value of a good lawyer. Craft brewing is one of the most heavily regulated industries, making the legal considerations surrounding selling your business complex. Licensing and permitting alone require you to deal with federal, state, and local officials and agencies.

To attract serious buyers at top dollar, your licenses, permits, and fees must be up to date and supported by a plan to keep them that way. You also need to build in time for a new owner to qualify for a brewer’s notice, the required permit from the Department of Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. A new owner can’t begin operating without it.

You also must review your distribution agreements and see that agreements with suppliers and others are in order.

Financial Health

You’ve been successful and kept your doors open. But do you know how healthy your brewery is financially? As soon as you begin thinking about selling your business, prepare your books, see that your financial statements are in order, and determine how well they reflect your business.

A potential buyer will ask to see tax and financial statements to confirm how your brewery is doing. Pulling these records together also is a good time for you to dive into the possible tax implications of selling your business.

Business brokers from Sunbelt Business Brokers can help you put together the right team of professionals — including attorneys and accountants — to complete these tasks to help your sale go smoothly.

Brand and Customer Loyalty

As a successful craft brewery, your brand may be your greatest asset. If you’re looking to sell to a large, established brewery, your brand is likely its biggest reason for wanting to buy your business. It certainly wants the cash flow but can also take advantage of pushing a recognizable brand to new markets.

Hand in hand with your brand is the value that can be ascribed to customer loyalty. The reputation of your craft brewery in the marketplace is a valuable asset that adds to your company’s worth.

Talk to Sunbelt Business Brokers Today

Getting your craft brewery up and operating was no small task. You understand the work involved in operating a brewery, so you can see why a long runway gives you the best chance to sell your business for top dollar.

At Sunbelt Business Brokers, we know how to help you maximize the value of your business. Give us a call today if you’re considering transferring ownership of your brewery.