Eli Crane Owner, Bottle Breacher
1. If “Cash is king” then having an important mission is queen.
Even though I no longer wear a uniform, my business allows me to continue to serve my country. Bottle Breacher reinvests profits into veteran nonprofits, and has created jobs for veterans, making up 25% of our workforce.
2. How to deal with adversity and why it’s a blessing.
We needed to think outside the box and become more innovative. Through trial and error we have created new processes and procedures that allow our production team to keep up with our growing demand. I ‘m grateful for adversity because that is where individual and team growth really occur. Jen and I are very thankful that we were able to rise to the occasion and succeed as a company.
3. Keep it simple.
Going into next year, we’re focusing on keeping our business development strategies simple and making sure that my ambition to grow Bottle Breacher does not overwhelm my staff. At Bottle Breacher we get pitched new ideas, new processes, and products from vendors multiple times every single day. It’s easy to get side tracked and to lose focus on what keeps the lights on and makes us a profitable company.
4. Follow the green, not the dream.
It took us almost an entire year from the time I drew the original concept on a napkin until the Wine Bottle Breacher was rolling off the production line right here in Tucson, AZ. It’s very important to stay realistic and understand that to hit a product home run you must accept that not every idea is going to be a winner. It’s equally critical that you don’t fall too in love with your own ideas and to listen to your customers. They’re the ones who make the ultimate decision on which products stay and which ones go by voting with their hard earned dollars. Our customer base will ultimately make the decision on whether these products will be a home run, or a swing and a miss.
5. Seek wise council, “you don’t have all the answers.”
At Bottle Breacher we regularly schedule visits and calls with advisors, mentors and other companies who are strong in areas we want to get better in. This takes a dose of humbleness and the ability to trust. It is our nature as entrepreneurs to be self reliant. We would love nothing more than to live in a world where we have every answer and need absolutely no help. But when we are being realistic, we can all admit that this is never the case. We all need help! PERIOD. It is our job as leaders to have situational awareness and find these mentors and advisors by networking and seeking them out.
Read the full article via
The Huffington Post.
Though we have grown as a company our commitment to manufacture in the United States has not wavered. We will continue to hire Veterans, and actively seek more ways to pitch in and help those that are still wearing a uniform and Veterans that need a hand up, not a hand out. We’re also excited that next year when you visit retailers near you, you might see our products hanging on the shelves, proudly waiting to help another customer open their next cold one in style!!!
