Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Tom Wong, founder of Two Hawks Brewing Company, located in Pembroke, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is Two Hawks Brewing Company. We are a veteran owned nanobrewery that brews small batch craft beer. We focus on crafting beers that we want to drink all night with our friends telling stories of the "good old days". The business is owned by currently serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces and we craft our beer with those roots always in our minds.
Tell us about yourself
The business was conceptualized in a bar while we were in Texas for work. My business partner and I were sitting in a bar commenting on how we wish there was an establishment similar where we lived. As we continued talking we thought, how hard can this be? When we got back to Canada we decided to buy a small home brewing system and see if we could even make drinkable beer with no knowledge or background in brewing. From there we upscaled to a small 1 barrel system and began producing commercially.
What motivates me each day is my customers. When people come in and tell me that this is their favourite beer or that they heard about us from friends and had to try it is one of the best feelings any business owner can have. It pushes us to be the best we can and to never set a limit on what is possible. The excitement of seeing where we can take the business is second to none and drives us to keep looking forward.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I cant think of one specific thing. But if I had to say anything it would be seeing our successes from creating something from nothing. It sounds cliche but going from just a simple idea between friends in a bar to actually following through and opening the business while jumping through all the hurdles and learning everything as we were going was a huge accomplishment. The brewing business in Ontario is complicated. There are different layers of laws both federal and provincial to navigate, so being able to learn and understand and work within them was a huge accomplishment for us.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
I would have to say staying on top of the administration. There is so much paperwork to navigate through and when you are doing it all yourself it can be incredibly overwhelming. Some days its hard to find the motivation to complete reports, financials, ordering, etc. Finding a good system that works for you takes time and trial and error. Its difficult but worth it in the end when you finally have a system in place that works for you and your business.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
1. Be flexible. Things can change at the drop of a hat. Whether your product order didn't come in that day or something has gone catastrophically wrong in your shop, remain flexible enough to change schedules or adapt a procedure to work through the problem. In the military we say Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. it holds true to your business as well.
2. Don't be afraid to ask for help. This was hard for me to do but when things became too much to handle I had to ask for help and I'm glad I did. Accept the fact the you don't know everything and understand there are people out there who know things you don't and they want to help! Its okay to use an accountant or hire a lawyer or ask another business owner in the same field what worked and what did not. Entrepreneurs in my experience are always willing to help another business owner. I've even bought grain from another brewery because my order didn't come in and they were more than happy to help out! You're not alone in your venture.
3. Stay realistic in your goals and expectations. It's easy to say before you are even established that in 6 months you want to be the biggest player in your field, but is it realistic? Keeping realistic goals that are attainable will lead to larger outcomes. Its easier to attain 1000 small victories than to try and reach a single unrealistic one. When we started Two Hawks, every small accomplishment was a huge win for us. From registering the business, to agreeing on the logo, to making our first beer, and so on. From all those small victories we are now at a point where we are ready to upgrade to a bigger system because we cant keep up with orders!
Where can people find you and your business?
https://www.instagram.com/twohawksbrewingco/
https://www.facebook.com/twohawksbrewingco
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.