Human beings are, in general, charitable creatures. This is reflected by key statistics; according to Charity Navigator, $410bn in charity was given in 2017, up 5.2% on the year before. Your typical charity-giver is a private citizen; however, those statistics show that businesses are taking a greater role than ever before, accounting now for 20% of all giving.

The fact is that businesses stand to gain a lot from charity, and charity can receive a boost in tandem. Taking the basic principles of charity and applying them to a business model is a challenge, but well worth completing. Doing so will of benefit to everyone.

Bottom line: the beneficiaries, and how they benefit business

While many businesses will conduct charity for many reasons, the most important and main benefactor is, of course, the target of said charity. Benefiting those disadvantaged people and the community is the primary aim of charity and that must be remembered. Even this is full of benefits for business, however. As The Balance outline in their report on charity, developing the local community through charity will help to develop connections in the future and upskill the local workforce.

Direct monetary benefits to charity

Aside from the feel-good factor of charity and the corporate responsibility it delivers, there are actual cash benefits to be had from charity. This should be of interest to any entrepreneur, especially those chasing percentage changes. Companies including Hersheys have shown how philanthropy has boosted sales significantly and, in the process, cut costs; the IRS have provided comprehensive guidance to the tax status of charitable deductions and for many businesses this provides a net revenue increase.

Can small business do it?

A common misconception is that only large corporations can afford to invest in philanthropy. In truth, even donating a small amount – within your means – is helpful. This could be a product with low production time, or even just giving the facility to host a fundraiser. The benefit is twofold; you will start making important impacts that enhance your reputation, and, as Forbes contributor Camilo Maldonado outlines, improves your own wellbeing. Even donating small amounts has been shown to enhance your feelings of health.

The benefits of business philanthropy are numerous. It benefits the community, the company bottom line, and the owner, and all of these effects work in reverse. A perfect pairing, if your small business doesn’t yet engage in charity, why not start now?

With more brewers than ever around the UK creating their own unique tipples – it’s fair to say that the UK microbrewery market is thriving.  In fact, the craft beer movement is now said to total approximately 6.5% of all UK beer sales.

As the drinks market is in a position like never before, microbrewers across the country are creating their own beer flavours for customers to try. Whether tart ‘sours’, ‘coffee porters’ or anything in between is your tipple of choice, the craft beer movement has experienced great growth in terms of sales recently – it is now estimated to make up 6.5% of all beer sales in the UK.

Research has suggested that there are around 2,000 microbreweries operating nationwide. But when it comes to creating quality over quantity, there’s no mistaking that running a microbrewery can be an incredibly energy-intensive process.

As the number of microbreweries continues to increase, plenty of entrepreneurs are looking to get involved, but it can be difficult to know where to start. 

Here, Flogas – who are a UK provider of LPG gas bottles – offer some ideas on starting out, including the issue of powering your own microbrewery.

What equipment will you need?  

Microbreweries must be making a profit to survive in 2019, otherwise they won’t be open long. One way to ensure this doesn’t happen is to choose an energy strategy that will reduce your usage and keep costs down. Microbreweries can be notoriously difficult to get off the ground financially, so by doing this, you can help boost your company’s profit margins.  

It’s important to have an understanding of what type of equipment you will need. One of the main components in the brewing process is the mash system, which is commonly made up of the following:

• Mash tank – Steeps barley into hot water and converts grain starches into fermentable sugars
• Lauter tun – Separates the wort (or liquid) from the solids of the mash (much like a sieve)
• Steam generator – Heats the kettle, which is then brought to a controlled temperature before the hops are added
• Malt mill – Crushes the grain in preparation for brewing
• Wort Pump – Re-circulates the mash for a higher efficiency, enhancing the clarity and quality of the brew
• Plate Heat Exchanger/Wort Chiller – Quickly cools the hot wort ready for fermentation

This should only be followed for the mashing stage. Further to this, you’ll need a fermentation system (where yeast is added and sugar turns into alcohol), a cooling system (to prevent bacteria growth and where beer can be stored ready for sale), a filtering system (to get rid of sediment for a higher-quality product) and, of course, not forgetting the sterilisation equipment (to ensure that bacteria doesn’t spoil your next batch of beer). 

Ingredients – what you need to know…

Have you considered which ingredients you’ll be using? This can dramatically impact the flavour and consistency of your beer. With so many variations available, the possibilities are endless when it comes to creating something truly unique. But not matter how distinctive the taste, you’ll find all craft beer is made up the following key components:  

Barley – This will influence the alcohol percentage. It can dramatically affect the body, taste and aroma of your finished product.

Yeast – Yeast has been used in beer brewing for centuries. Essentially a fungus, yeast eats the sugars created in the malting process. By allowing it to ferment and feed off the sugars, alcohol is created as a byproduct.

Water – Did you know that water is around 90% of any beer? The pH and mineral content of your chosen water, as well as if it’s hard or soft, can also affect the end result.

Hops – Flavour is down to the hops. There are around 170 variations, meaning there’s plenty of choice when it comes to playing with flavour.

Don’t forget the power!

It can be difficult setting up your own microbrewery here in the UK, as competition is rife. Along with all the complications of the brewing process, don’t be held back by extortionate energy prices, or an unreliable supply.

LPG is a cleaner, cheaper and a more efficient fuel that can help with savings on energy costs. With the lowest CO2 emissions of any fossil fuel, it’ll also mean a lower carbon footprint for your microbrewery.

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Over 40 Different Colors of Envelopes – Basic Invite is just as colorful with our envelopes as we are with our invitations. Customers can choose from over 40 different colors when it comes to their envelopes so that they can make their invitation stand out even before it is opened. All of our envelopes are peel and seal so the envelopes can be quickly and securely closed.

Over 900 Wedding Invitation Sets – Each of our wedding invitations is part of a set. You can find everything from save the dates to wedding invitations and enclosure cards, wedding menus, wedding programs and even matching thank you cards!

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Ever thought of opening your own restaurant or pub?

It’s a dream that many hold: running a pub or restaurant – whether it’s an ultra-modern gastro pub, a cosy inn with a log burner, or a top of the range eatery.  However, for many, the first stumbling block for any business wanting to sell alcohol can be the licensing procedures.

Here, Flogas, who specialise in business gas, have broken down some of the key points:

General rules

If you’re opening or running a business in England and Wales that is going to sell or supply alcoholic drinks, you must have a licence that has been authorised by the licensing authority. This is usually a local council and the legislation is overseen by the Home Office. It is defined as follows:

1. Businesses that sell or supply alcohol on a permanent basis, such as pubs, need to apply for a premises licence.
2. Those who plan to authorise the sale of alcohol must apply for a personal licence, alongside the premises licence, if they are also the owner of the business in that premises.

Alongside the payment that’s required, you’ll also have to complete an application form and send it to your local council. As well as the local authority, you will also have to send your application to the police and other responsible authorities; these responsible authorities can include:

• Local fire and rescue
• The primary care trust (PCT) or local health board (LHB)
• Environmental health authority
• Planning authority
• Local trading standards
• Any other licensing authority in whose area part of the premises is located.

Premises licences

This licence, simply put, authorises the use of any premises for any activities that involve the sale of alcohol. To successfully apply for this licence, you will have to provide the following information:

• General information regarding the premises such as the address.
• Your details as an applicant.
• The operating schedule, including the date you want the licence to start from on the premises.
• You should indicate what licensable activities you wish to carry out by ticking the appropriate boxes on the form. You should also indicate what days and times you want the licence to be active from. This also includes the provision of regulated entertainment, such as indoor sporting events, live music and recorded music.
• Under the new licensing laws, you should also stipulate who you wish to be the designated premises supervisor (DPS).
• The opening hours of your premises.
• How you intend to promote the four key licensing objectives, which are: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, the protection of children from harm.
• The planning of the premises and any advertising on or around the premises that you wish to use.

Personal licences

In a pub, your general staff aren’t required to hold a personal licence, but it is necessary that all pubs do have to have a premises supervisor that holds a personal licence.

You would also need to apply to be a personal licence holder if the pub was your own business. Furthermore, anyone who works in a pub should be authorised to do so by the personal licence holder.

But note, it’s important to take into consideration before applying that anyone running or managing a pub or restaurant should do so in a professional fashion.

With the information provided, you should now know all you need to get started with your application in the hope that one day you’ll be pouring the pints in your own pub or eatery — cheers!