Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Richard Craft, Managing Partner of Guilford Hall Brewery, located in Baltimore, MD, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Guilford Hall Brewery is a full-service restaurant, Biergarten, and event venue uniquely equipped to serve beer manufactured on-site, host large private gatherings of up to 400 people, provide a robust dining experience and enjoy the outdoor spaces on beautiful days among friends. Our guests range from the local neighborhood seeking to gather with friends to tourists looking to experience a revitalized warehouse that is a staple in Baltimore City with great food and drinks.
Tell us about yourself
I first began my entrepreneurial journey in 2016, when I started my Financial Planning practice, where I specialize in business operational efficiency and succession planning, which I still run to this day. This allows me to work with a wide range of business owner clients to maximize efficiency and tax reduction strategies, satisfying my never-ending thirst for helping others to succeed and learning about all industries of business operations.
After several real estate ventures, I am currently Managing Partner of Guilford Hall Brewery (along with another local restaurant), where we wanted to create something truly unique and special in the Baltimore City community. A driving factor was having a space to host larger private events since I was Chairman of the Board for the Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce at the time of development, where we stand out for not only manufacturing beer on-site but also for the culinary experience.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is being able to manage and positively influence several people on a daily basis. In my core practice, I work with some extraordinary people and help them to achieve their goals, and I get to work with so many of my employees to develop their skills and grow as better human beings.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
From an organizational and operational perspective, the countless hours behind the scenes in running a single company is not for the faint of heart. This is often a thankless job with little encouragement from others, and it can be very easy to lose steam in driving business growth. Perseverance when times are slow, or things are not working can be hard to find and is often the most difficult part of being a business owner when so many factors rely on you and you alone.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Everything starts with having the right people in your corner - these advisors are critical to sponging the knowledge and processes needed to get started on the right foot; your team is everything. Consider partners or mutually beneficial relationships with other companies that specialize in areas that only help your growth potential. Delegation: learn how to identify quality people to join your team, delegate tasks efficiently to know where your time is spent providing the greatest ROI to the business, and outsource any/all inefficiencies. A single person can't be amazing at everything.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.guilfordhall.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guilfordhallbrewery
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/craftr12/
https://www.instagram.com/guilfordhallbrewery/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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