Share holder in Hopsters Co-op Brewery Sydney for $250.

[Roosterboy]

It just came to me, if you are a part owner in a Co-Op , but you live outside Sydney. Can you claim a tax deduction for the travel costs to check
your investment in the Brewery , if you visit it when you come to Sydney ?

 

[Velu]

From reading the website it looks like anyone (from anywhere in Australia) can be a member for $250 (with a vote), but an investor (no additional voting power, preferred shares, shares are $100) can only come from NSW. And investors must be members.
Like others I can't really see the value of being a member if your not in the area, and I can't really wrap my head around how it could be run as a co-operative. BUT, if I had a spare $250 and was even contemplating taking my homebrew to a professional stage, then it might be money well spent. At the very least you would be able to read the business plan, see what beer styles sell (and which don't), have a good look at a couple of brew days, see (or better volunteer if possible) with packaging and cleaning etc.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Far better if you wanted to do something with $250, is donate it to the parents of a child who are trying to raise a squillion dollars to take a terminally ill child for lifesaving treatment in America, and feel a whole lot better for knowing it has gone somewhere useful.

 

[bootlegnjack]

Good on them for having a go if it was in Brissy I'd be interested . I can understand the scepticism but it doesn't seem like a Nigerian scheme to me, sounds like a fun way to spend a Saturday to learn and hang with other brewers. Why not.

 

[Roosterboy]

Well , I spent $250 and now I'm a share holder in Australia's first co-op Brewery. As for there are more useful things to do with $ 250 as wide eyed .. said , yes
there are . But as someone who works in a Hospital and battles everyday within a deliberately broken system and saving lives has more to do with ideology than
financial constraints , I think spending money to look forward to something and taking your mind off your day job is a justifiable .
What other things can cost you $250 , concert tickets maybe, stopping in a clear way $248 , a keg of crappy beer ??
You won't find many cheaper ways to be part of a start-up business ( any business has risks ) but breweries have a better chance than most in the current market.
The Hopsters are after member now.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

To be honest Roosterboy I have come across these scams schemes before, first off, like has been mentioned previously where is the business plan? If it is going to be a money spinner why share it? Surely a group of six could raise the money to get a brewery up and running without putting it out to a co-operative, just do as most other breweries do, start off small and grow at the pace success allows.
I do not think that you are battling a hospital system that has been deliberately broken, what you are battling is an increase in the sick and elderly that the system can't cope with. I attend treatment every 3 weeks and I see the pressure the oncology units are under.
But $250 isn't a lot of money to have a flutter with if you really believe that you will get a return for investment good luck to you, I just think there will be some disappointments, but only time will tell.