Company name
80x Wine Company
How would you describe your company in less than 5 words?
Passionate Wine Makers
What is the story behind your company? What problem were you trying to solve?
The 80x Wine Company was created as an educational vessel to learn more about the wine industry. André was a passionate wine journalist, and Vadim a creative winemaker looking for a new outlet. Guillaume joined the team with a background in Wine Marketing. After taking a loss on our first vintage, we, learning from our mistakes, decided to grow the business from the back corners of various wineries in Niagara to our own permanent brick and mortar facility.
How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took to build your company?
The company was founded after many drinks with a blind ambition. It was founded with our own startup capital. Frankly, it’s risky getting involved in agriculture of any kind.
What has been your biggest challenge so far as a Founder, and how are you managing that?
So many things … I can’t pick just one. The fact that the company was founded as a restaurant direct brand meant we needed to find a way to reach consumers during the pandemic. Dealing with cash flow is a challenge as production costs are paid up front and it can take as long as 36-48 months before a product is ready for market. Lastly, as a startup the largest expense goes into production of wine – so it leaves very little leftover for marketing. That being said, the dollars being spent on marketing has led to a very nice increase in sales.
How did you start building your marketing team? Is there anything that you wish you had done differently?
This is being written by the marketing team of one – me. My biggest take away from marketing in the wine business is that many companies have the “Field of Dreams” wish when it comes to producing high quality wine. The reality is – no matter how good your product, nobody will know you exist unless you find a way to tell them . If I could go back in time – I would spend more time focusing on our social media channels from the onset. For the past 18 months, we have been catching up.
What advice can you give those who are trying to build their own business?
If you’re getting into a business with partners – make sure you get a legal framework in place as quickly as possible. Chances are you are all in love with the romantic notion of being in business at the beginning. But as your business grows you will get to a moment (very quickly) where the s*** gets real!!!
How can our readers reach out to you or learn more about your business?
You can follow the wild life of making wine in Niagara on all social media platforms as @80xwine.