When you work full time in Oil and Gas (yup we still do), run a niche small batch brewing business, are working on opening a brewery AND have three teenagers at home, you realize quickly how limited your time is. For the past 6 months it has become painfully clear that time is at a premium now which is why we have struggled to finalize the Kickstarter campaign we've been planning since...well...February!
If you're wondering why we are planning a kickstarter, it's because as you know if you've seen ANYTHING we have written on social media, we have plans to build an amazing Rooftop Patio overlooking Olde Towne Okotoks!! And let's face it, the better the patio, the more it will cost...and because we are a startup, controlling costs is key...that's where a Kickstarter comes in.
Are you asking yourself yet..."kick what?"
For those who don't know, kickstarters are crowd funding campaigns where creators and entrepreneurs can share with others and gather interest on a project they would like to launch.
In our case we are already launching the brewery...we got that covered! But our Kickstarter goal is to provide the best rooftop patio Olde Town Okotoks has ever seen...ok so maybe it will be the only rooftop patio in the downtown but imagine...sitting on top a three-season patio donned with cozy hop greenery, overlooking Olde Towne Okotoks, sipping a fresh, cold, locally crafted beer in comfort, while the "Annual Parade" rolls by or after you're done sampling food at the "Taste of Okotoks" or "Chilli Fest," or after completing your "Enchanted Okotoks" adventure, or even after seeing all the cool cars and trucks at the annual "Show n Shine" (or any other festival hosted in Okotoks). Can you see it yet??
If you can't see it in your mind, this should help. Take a look at one of our favourite rooftop patios in Calgary. If you haven't seen it before, this is Charbar in East Village.
Now, although our patio will be different, this is a general idea of what we aspire to...cozy, comfortable, a little more covered than this, greenery, a bar of sorts, all overlooking our beautiful Olde Town. And actually, the South side of the patio has the opportunity to look toward the Sheep River. It's not a clear shot but beautiful no matter how you shake it.
Making a patio like THIS happen in time for our opening is only going to be possible with the support of the public - people we know and those we don't...so here's how it works: we the company offer a "prize" or "product" never offered by us before and you the public pay for that offering and together we raise the money needed to reach our goal (rooftop patio overlooking Olde Towne Okotoks).
Now remember, this is not a charity...we don't want money for nothing...we have cool products that will appeal to both the locals who live in and love our community and to those early-adopter, trend setting, beer enthusiasts beyond our town limits who want to be part of an exciting venture and be the first to have new and often limited edition merchandise.
But here is the kicker (punn intended)...creating a Kickstarter campaign is a FULL TIME JOB in and of itself...and if we are ever to get this brewery going, we need to keep our eye on that prize!
Does this mean we won't be running a Kickstarter campaign?
Yes...and no.
Will we be on the Kickstarter website? No...our product offerings will live on OUR website (www.hubtownbrewing.com) which will save money on the fees associated with using the kickstarter platform while giving us the control of when and how to launch each offering. This means we can keep our offerings at as low a price as possible and put as much of the earnings toward the patio as possible too.
BUT...it also means that YOU HAVE ALL THE POWER to make or break this campaign because our reach will not extend the earth...just you!
If you want this patio to be the BEST it can be (think outdoor patio movie screenings, weddings, parties, live music events on the patio, even games, we will be doing it) OR you want some awesome, limited edition beer gear or a little fame and notoriety that comes with being a part of something big, we will need YOUR support. And with that support, you will become our first and only FOUNDERS CLUB members!
What does this mean to you? It means you will become a part of Okotoks' history...you will be one of the people who helped bring Hub Town to life...you will have your name immortalized on our Founders Club Wall of Fame, right in our brewery FOREVER!! From the point of construction onward, every person that ever comes into the brewery will know that YOU are part of the reason that Hub Town came to be and that wall will be part of every tour we lead once we are open...you will always be a part of us!
Now...let's define "support". Do you have to buy products worth hundreds or thousands of dollars to be considered part of the Founders Club? Absolutely not!
We know a lot of wonderful people that don't even drink beer but they love Okotoks or they have grown to love what Hub Town stands for and will want to help out, so we will have products offerings that are priced as low as $10 for them...because every little bit helps more than you can imagine!
That said, the big supporters will be rewarded handsomely with large packages of early adopter merchandise, the opportunity to participate in select VIP EVENTS and even the chance to leave their mark in the brewery, branding themselves for the life of the item branded in their honor!!
Now, we can't tell you all of the items we will release...YET! You will have to stay tuned to find out what is available for each product offering AS IT IS OFFERED, but we will tell you about one offering...the "HUB CAP."
The Hub Cap is our trucker-style hat that was designed in early 2018, in preparation for our kickstarter. These hats have ONLY been given to our small but amazing group of company shareholders who have believed in us since day one and a few family members who continue to cheer us on!
These hats however, have been requested by our loyal social media followers more times than we can count and we thank you for wanting to support us and of course for wanting the hats, we get it, we love them too!! You have been amazing fans, stretching as far west as Vancouver Island and as far East as Ontario and whenever ANY of you call or email asking for our products, it humbles us beyond belief, as we wonder what it is we did to make what we are doing with Hub Town matter to you too!!
Now, without further ado...let's talk logistics!!
A proper campaign would offer you the products you are seeking within a committed timeframe...we are offering ALL of our products and packages to you by Christmas!!! So if you are planning to stuff stockings with beer gear for your beer lover OR you are the one wanting the rewards for yourself, we are committing to having them to you NO LATER THAN December 21st!
As always, we will offer FREE DELIVERY or PICKUP within Okotoks, but for this campaign we are offering this to anyone in CALGARY and surrounding area too!!!
So when you select your items, if your home is within the following boundaries: West Cochrane - North Airdrie - East Strathmore and South High River (See MAP to left), we will deliver your rewards to you on a date of our choosing prior to December 21st!
How many offerings can you expect before we are done? We have NINE offerings that will be put up and made available ONE AT A TIME, starting with our biggest offerings! We will do this to ensure that our larger than life Brand Ambassadors are able to get what they want before it is all gone...and yes quantities are limited.
How much money is Hub Town trying to raise? We are hoping to raise a cool $20,000.00 simply because half of that will go into product development. That leaves $10,000.00 to be used to pimp up the rooftop patio!
BUT...if we exceed our goal and hit $25,000...EVERYONE will get an additional Founders Club, limited edition PRIZE!
If we hit $30,000 EVERYONE will receive TWO additional Founders Club, limited edition PRIZES!!
If we go above $35,000 (which we have to say would be absolutely insane!!) EVERYONE will get THREE additional Founders Club, limited edition PRIZES!!!
So the only thing left is to tell you WHEN we are kicking this off......but you're going to have to stay tuned for that because we will only be giving you ONE day notice to our first offering!!
Want a hint? It is happening VERY soon, so check our social media posts, email campaigns and website EVERYDAY!!
Good luck everyone and happy non-Kickstartering!!!