5 Questions You Should Ask Before You Hire Liquor License Consultants

If you are starting a private retail liquor business in BC, Alberta or the USA, you may need to hire liquor license consultants to help you succeed.

When interviewing a consultant, we recommend asking the 5 questions below

Most liquor license consultants learn their craft on the job, so don’t be surprised if you don’t see “Graduate of the Liquor Licensing University ” on their resume, because no such schools exist. However, an education in business management and operations are usually a telltale sign that the consultant has made hospitality business consulting their career.

As mentioned, many of a liquor licensing specialist’s skills are learned in the trenches. As the saying goes “There’s no substitute for experience”. Liquor licensing consultants with several years’ experience in all aspects of retail liquor business operations have an advantage over consultants who have worked for a short time or whose experience is limited to one small corner of liquor licensing or private retail liquor sales.

Most of the best consultants will also have front-line experience in the hospitality services sector. Look for a history of food services or retail liquor business experience, either as a manager or owner-operator.

If a liquor licensing consultant does nothing but help businesses apply for liquor licenses, consider the ramifications for your business in the long run. Yes, private retail liquor license application approval is important, but it’s just the beginning. It’s operational management and oversight that lead to success. If your consultant walks away once you’ve obtained a liquor license, then you’ll have to go through the process of vetting and hiring another consultant to look after operations.

If you want to find ways to reduce expenses and increase revenue, find a liquor license consultancy service that has retail liquor business operations management expertise. If the liquor licensing specialist’s knowledge is limited to licensing and compliance issues, that’s not going to help you succeed. Look for a liquor licensing specialist who understands retail liquor business needs from end to end.

A good liquor license consultant is in it with you for the long haul. Most business owners or managers don’t have time to stay informed of changes to government rules and regulations and market and consumer trends and opportunities. Find a liquor license consultant who will keep you informed of any news that could benefit your operation.

Rebecca Hardin, President and Lead Consultant at Thrive Liquor & Cannabis Advisors has provided full-service hospitality business consulting since 2003. As a former multi-unit food and beverage business owner/operations manager, she’s walked in your shoes. Rebecca’s real-world experience, coupled with liquor license consulting savvy and business management education, make her uniquely qualified to help your retail liquor business succeed.

Thrive provides full-service retail liquor license consulting for businesses in BC, Alberta and the USA.