Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Denny Vervaet, founder of Red Barn Brewing Company, located in Blenheim, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We are Red Barn Brewing Company out of Blenheim, Ontario. We are a family farm based brewery (the 1st in Chatham-Kent) living on 3rd generation family farm land! We offer staple beers as well as many one-off and specialty beers year round. Many of our customers travel from urban areas to check out the laid back life on the farm!

Tell us about yourself

It was back in 2001 when I found my Pepe's last homebrew bottle in the beer fridge that really kickstarted the future idea of opening our own brewery. I had it with me over many years in a box wherever I moved or was at the time and in 2013 I found it again. I felt he left it there for one of us kids to hopefully carry on his passion. I asked my brother-in-law Dan (co-owner/brewer) if he wanted to learn how to brew with me. 8 years later after day and night planning/brewing/construction and much more we opened our business to the public!

Our guests and beer fans motivate me! Its a different and amazing feeling being on the other side of the business, as an owner/operator, rather than being the beer fan - like I was with many of my favourite local and Ontario breweries across the province. We aim to create an environment that is welcoming, offer a style of beer that everyone will enjoy, and spend time with many new visitors and locals in our tap room!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I would have to say my most memorable accomplishment so far, is honestly, opening our doors! We started the main meat and potatoes on our company back in 2014 and were finally able to open in 2020, July 1st to be specific! We put our everything into Red Barn and to create our own brand, so it was nerve-wracking to actually open the doors to the public and to hear what they thought about our product, brand and new location on what was just a soybean field previously.

Long story short, we opened July 1st (mid pandemic) with what we thought was enough beer for 2 months stock, and it seems like the whole community came out, as we sold out every last can in 2 days. We had to close up shop for about a month until we were able to brew and package more beer. From this point on, one of our biggest problems has been trying to meet demand - which is definitely a good problem to have!

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

One of the hardest things I find with running a business is the pressure to continually create success. Whether that be with the beers we create, the events we run, or what we are offering 'next'. How can we continue to offer the highest quality beers, top notch events, and how do we continue to bring in new customers and keep existing ones? Although, there is no secret recipe for this - the one thing I could say is to never be complacent, never stagnant, and keep on evolving. Trying new things is the spice of life, and we can only fail if we don't try something new.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

I'm still the guy taking tips from many successful business owners, but if I had to give my young business advice I would say:

1. Have an extensive business plan. Its great to say you want to start your own business, but if you want to be successful for many years, having a solid plan should be the first step. You are most likely going to be investing a lot of money and time into your project. Make it worth it!

2. Go all-in! You might not be able to do this right away, as you most likely will be employed elsewhere. But as soon as possible, jump in with both feet into your business. Its a baby, it will require as much attention as you can give it!

3. Remember that you cannot make any mistakes. A mistake simply means you need to make a new and better decision, and in my experience, the next decision is always the 'best' decision. Whether it takes 5 'best' decisions or 20, every decision you make is always better than your last.

Anything else you'd like to share?

Your customer is your most important asset. Never lose focus on your customer base - they allow you to open your doors whether that be a physical door or growth based door. Never lose sight of how they help you achieve your own goals for your business.

Where can people find you and your business?

https://www.redbarnbrewing.com

https://www.instagram.com/redbarnbrewingcompany/

https://twitter.com/redbarnbrewin

https://www.facebook.com/redbarnbrewingcompany

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.