Exploded View Of The IBLP, Part 5: Budget
Apr 26, 2012 Beer, Education & Training
Your Individual Beer Learning Plan, otherwise known as IBLP, is progressing nicely! Let’s cover Part 5 – Budget.
Ahh – the Money part of the plan. Some people say love makes the world go round, some say it’s money (We think it’s education, yet we’ll save that for another day.) Let’s dive head first into what can be a most sticky element – money invested in your pursuits.
Budget:
What’s realistic for your goals? We all have money for what we want to have money for. It’s called prioritizing. And we all do it differently based on both our head and our emotions. It’s a good time to examine your life budget since we’re assuming that, if you’re developing an IBLP, you are making it a part of your life, however large or small. What your dollar reality is is your own question to answer. We’d caution you to keep it in perspective – going back to why do you want to pursue your beer knowledge and to what end.
Your IBLP budget is part of the nuts & bolts of the plan
What’s your stretch goal? A stretch goal is one that is a few meters farther than your ‘goal.’ It’s the extra I-can-do-it oomph that finishers and finalists find when they think they’re at the end of their resources. You could think of it as extra credit too. The additional enhancements that will amplify and intensify your learning. Have at least one stretch goal. And when you accomplish that, make another one based on and fitting in with your overall plan.
How can you commit to your plan within the parameters of your funds? Personal budgets for an IBLP should absolutely come after your primary costs of living are solidly covered. Unless an IBLP is part of your professional development, it’s a secondary expense. And even if you’re a professional, keep it real. It’s beer. Yes, wonderful incredible and fascinating beer. It’s still simply beer. And yes I know that can mean a great deal to some. Just stay grounded.
Are there scholarships available? Some educational programs have opportunities to partially fund or facilitate beer learning per dollars. Cicerone, for example, had a superb sale to celebrate a milestone earlier this year. They provided incentives to the learning process with reduced monetary investment while staying true to the high quality of the program. Ask if you don’t know if there are possibilities to be taken advantage of – the worst a company can say is no. And a No is what you’ll for sure get if you don’t ask at all.
Are you ready to ask for help if it’s part of your plan? Asking for help is a sign of strength. By asking for assistance you open the door for myriad conversations, connections, and growth to happen. If you have your IBLP in order, when you ask you’ll be much more prepared to give an intelligent answer that may very well convince the party your asking to help you.
Almost everyone in the beer community and beer industry is open to helping others learn about beer. How you plan, progress, execute and continue is all on you. Use the IBLP to help your journey be successful.
Part 4: Plan
More to come
Tags: budget, IBLP, Individual Beer Learning Plan, location, plan, tools, Topics
Exploded View Of The IBLP, Part 4: Plan
Apr 25, 2012 Beer, Education & Training
Onward into the Individual Beer Leaning Plan (IBLP) with Part 4, your actual Plan.
Plan:
What’s the schema for making it happen? Sit down with your self and determine what you can and will do to accomplish the learning you want to make happen. A lot of life’s lessons are incidental. Make your IBLP purposeful and intentional and you’ll achieve your goals. A plan will guide you, it’s something you can modify and adapt as best fits your reality and it’s an important framework to have in place.
How will you plot out the tools you find that appeal to what you want to learn? We discussed tools a few posts ago so it’s time to review those that you wish to utilize and then see how and where they fit into your plan. Brainstorm a list of tools you want to use, making no restrictions on what you write down. The key to successful brainstorming is to let it all fly out of your head and onto paper. Then sleep on it. When next you approach that list of ideas, filter, sort and further organize your plan for success.
Is there transportation involved? There may be components of your IBLP that require no further action than to get to a computer. And there will be times when transporting yourself to push forward is required. Take a realistic look at how this part of the plan fits with your budget and goals. If you are studying with others this is a component that can be shared as well – carpool, bike rides to learning destinations, and the like.
Are there registrations and ‘paperwork’ to fill out? Invariably you may be asked to complete some forms, registrations or other ‘paperwork’ in order to utilize some of the tools available, like classes and certification courses for example. Keep it simple and also look for tools that require the minimum distraction while providing the biggest return of your time and resources.
Is the plan logical with your life and lifestyle? Reality sets in and can alter – and has – many a course. Be gentle with yourself while still being dedicated. Life Happens is a saying for a reason. Let it flow, consider Plan B’s along the way, and flex.
More to come
Tags: IBLP, Individual Beer Learning Plan, location, plan, tools, Topics
Individual Beer Learning Plan (IBLP)
Apr 5, 2012 Beer, Education & Training, Something To Think About
An Individual Beer Learning Plan or IBLP can be a superb part of the learning curve for consumers and professionals alike.
Plotting out the what you want to learn (topics), what is available to you to learn (tools), where it’s available (location), how you can go about accomplishing your goals (plan), what kind of investment it’ll take (budget), and who will you tap into (people).
Topics: What do you want to learn. The brewing process? Ingredients? Pairing tips? The herstory behind it all? Industry information? Consumer information? Do you want to get into beer as a profession? Do you want to be able to impress your friends with your knowledge?
Tools: What’s available to you? Are the resources online? Offline? At your local library? Are they hard publications you can pick up at your favorite local? Are they people to talk with and follow? What of classes and seminars? Conferences and tutorials one on one? Where can you volunteer to learn more while participating?
Location: Where can you find and get all the tools you need? Are they close by or father away? How do you get to them – or get them to you?
Plan: What’s the schema for making it happen? How will you plot out the tools you find that appeal to what you want to learn? Is there transportation involved? Are there registrations and ‘paperwork’ to fill out? Is the plan logical with your life and lifestyle?
Budget: What’s realistic for your goals? What’s a stretch goal? How can you commit to your plan within the parameters of your funds? Are there scholarships available? Are you ready to ask for help if it’s part of your plan?
People: The most critical item in your IBLP. Besides the commitment you make to your self, who will you contact? Who will you call, email or otherwise meet to help you into and through the process? How will you make sure to thank and show appreciation to those who help you out?
Learning about beer is as casual or intense as you wish it to be. Making a plan will be a productive and clarifying process to get you going on a topic you love already.
Caveat: It’s a slippery slope – this learning about beer! the more you get in, the deeper you usually want to go. Have fun sliding ~
Tags: budget, IBLP, Individual Beer Learning Plan, location, people, plan, resources, time, tools
How Do You Know What Women Want From Their Beer
Aug 11, 2010 Education & Training, Something To Think About
You ask them. You talk to them about beer – about why they like it, what they want from it and what they don’t want from it.
Ginger & Gayle Goschie of Goschie (Hops) Farms are glad to talk about beer
Hold a focus group – WEB does them a lot to make sure information is current and to give an opportunity to get a group together to talk about all things beer.
They key for a successful focus group is be prepared. Have a short list of specific questions you want them to answer, between 12 and 20 is a good number. WEB just had a focus group in Portland OR and the 12 women who showed up were all directed to and back to these questions.
It’s easy to get sidetracked and to let one or two members of the FG dominate the group. You need the leader of the focus group to stay on track. Use diplomacy – introduce the group the format, tell them how it’s going to unfold including that you may guide them back on track if it gets too far off topic.
Encourage them. If they want to talk about other things, the pub or brewery where you are meeting would most likely be glad to have them stay afterwards and talk it out over a beer.
Be focused and we all come out ahead, women & men & beer alike.
Tags: focus groups, plan, talking about beer
Listen To Your Mother
Apr 27, 2010 Beer, Celebration Worthy, Education & Training, Events
Grand Teton Lost Continent. Mmmmmmmm!
Julia’s right, as usual.
The Mother Of All Beer Weeks is coming right up – in time for you to plan, educate and celebrate.
Be sure to sign your brewery up so everyone can see what’s going on, what they should anticipate from you for that week and then they can plan accordingly.
This is a HUGE OPPORTUNITY (almost as big as developing the female beer consumer). If you pass it up, you miss the boat. In a big way.
Get on board.
Thanks Mom.
Tags: American Craft Beer Week, Brewers Association, educate, Grand Teton, plan
