A journalist and a banker share the life and business lessons they
learned while building a successful brewery in New York City
"A great city should have great beer. New York finally has,
thanks to Brooklyn. Steve Hindy and Tom Potter provided it. Beer
School explains how they did it: their mistakes as well as their
triumphs." -Michael Jackson, The Beer Hunter(r) "This
account serves up more than the usual suds and foam-its counsel is
sound and its prose lively, and it should appeal to both wannabe
industrialists and beer drinkers, not that those categories are
mutually exclusive." -Publishers Weekly "Great lessons on
what every first-time entrepreneur will experience. Being down the
block from the Brooklyn Brewery, I had firsthand witness to their
positive impact on our community. I give Steve and Tom's book
an A++!" -Norm Brodsky, Senior Contributing Editor, Inc.
magazine "Steve Hindy and Tom Potter's Beer School may be
the first business book ever that could set the cold heart of a
Hollywood producer racing. This one has it all, Mr. DeMille, and if
I owned the rights, I'd already have my people on the line with
your people." -Jack Curtin, Celebrator Beer News "Beer
School is a useful and entertaining book. In essence, this is the
story of starting a beer business from scratch in New York City.
The product is one readers can relate to, and the market is as
tough as they get. What a fun challenge! The book can help not only
those entrepreneurs who are starting a business but also those
trying to grow one once it is established." -Michael Preston,
Adjunct Professor, Lang Center for Entrepreneurship, Columbia
Business School, and coauthor of The Road to Success: How to Manage
Growth "The revealing story Steve and Tom tell about two
partners entering a business out of passion, in an industry they
knew little about, being seriously undercapitalized, with an overly
naive business plan, and their ultimate success, is an inspiring
tale." -Ken Grossman, founder, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
"Any beer lover hoping to jump on the bandwagon ought first to
take a lesson from Beer School." - TimeEntertaining and
informative, Beer School is the true story of two neighbors - a
banker and a journalist - who decided to quit their jobs and open
the Brooklyn Brewery. Starting with no knowledge of commercial
brewing, cofounders Steve Hindy and Tom Potter quickly learned that
their four combined Ivy League degrees would only take them so far
in this competitive business. Through the firsthand experiences of
Hindy and Potter, Beer School takes readers on a 15-year journey
from the kitchen of a Brooklyn brownstone to the shelves of stores
around the world. More than just an interesting read about barley
and hops, Beer School looks at the business side of this lucrative
industry and what it takes to succeed and grow in a
hypercompetitive industry.
"This gripping and lighthearted read charts their successes and failures and leaves you thirty for more." (Sainsbury's Magazine, September 2009)
STEVE HINDY is President and cofounder of The Brooklyn Brewery. A former Middle East correspondent for The Associated Press, he is currently a director of Brooklyn's Prospect Park Alliance and the Brewers Association. Hindy has a master's degree in teaching English from Cornell.
TOM POTTER cofounded the Brooklyn Brewery in 1987. He served as its CEO and chairman until his retirement in 2004. Previously, he was an assistant vice president at Chemical Bank, where he financed the acquisition of assets valued in excess of $1.5 billion. Potter graduated from Yale and has an MBA from Columbia.?
Inhaltsangabe
Foreword
Preface Steve and Tom Introduce the Brooklyn Brewery
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. Steve Tells How Choosing a Partner Is Like a Second Marriage Lesson One: Even a Dog Can Shake Hands
Chapter 2. Steve Discusses the Importance of Building a Solid Team Lesson Two: Is It a Business or a Family Business?
Chapter 3. Tom Talks about Creating the Business Plan: A Money-Raising Tool and More Lesson Three: The Business Plan Won't Be Graded on a Curve
Chapter 4. Tom Asks, "What's the True Mission of the Business?" Lesson Four: Being Flexible If the Mission Statement Becomes "Mission Impossible"
Chapter 5. Steve Discusses the Keys to Successfully Motivating Employees Lesson Five: Feeling Good Is No Substitute for Prudent Controls
Chapter 6. Tom Tells the Story of Their Dot-Com Revolution: Fishing for Finance and Failing Lesson Six: Chasing Money Is Not a Business Strategy
Chapter 7. Steve Talks about Building a Brewery in Brooklyn Lesson Seven: Sometimes You Stand Alone
Chapter 8. Steve Discusses Publicity: The Press Wants You! Lesson Eight: A News Release Can Go a Long Way
Chapter 9. Steve Reveals How the Revolution Kills Its Leaders First Lesson Nine: Hiring and Firing
Chapter 10. Tom Talks about Cashing Out and Reinventing the Business, Again Lesson Ten: Only You Will Know When It's Time to Sell
Chapter 11. Tom Wants to Know If You Have What It Takes Lesson Eleven: There Are No Entrance Exams for Entrepreneurs
