Boss Cider Company: From Passion to Thriving Business

Megan Every and her co-owner husband had been making cider for a local brewery for seven years before deciding to start their own business. The biggest challenge they faced was finding time to complete all of the behind-the-scenes tasks. While making cider was fun, running payroll, closing monthly financials, hiring, training, ordering inventory, managing shifts, scheduling, paying bills, and cost allocating each purchase was daunting. They needed a solution that would allow them to organise their business efficiently without spending excessive time on administrative tasks.

Patriot Software's Basic Payroll and Accounting software provided the solution. The platform gave them the ability to cost code all of their expenses through the accounting software, eliminating the need for manual spreadsheets that don't run reports. With Patriot, they had all the information at their fingertips for payroll, payroll tax payments, monthly spend, and receivables. The decision to switch was easy because they were getting both payroll and accounting software for the same price they were paying for just payroll services through another provider.

Boss Cider Company successfully launched and grew organically. They offer 14 different cider options on tap with over 50 flavours total. All cider is made on premises with most products sourced from Michigan. They operate a kitchen that functions like a food truck with 7-10 food options available. The business established a mug-club membership programme for frequent customers. During the coronavirus pandemic, they adapted by temporarily closing their kitchen, temporarily laying off employees to keep them safe, increasing cider production and purchasing more tanks, increasing canning production, and adjusting operating hours. Despite these challenges, they were able to keep their doors open and continue growing. The business has become well-organised with efficient financial management and employee administration.