Simall Wines on the NSW South Coast produces premium cold climate wines chiefly via wholesale to bottle shops and restaurants across the Illawarra and South Coast.
Launched in 2013 by proprietor Simon Hall, who graduated from Charles Sturt University with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Winemaking, Simall Wines sources its grapes from regions such as Orange, Young and Cowra.
The business of winemaking
Hall says that his interest in pursuing winemaking as a business opportunity was driven partly by curiosity and mostly by variety. Simall’s locally produced wines include Southern Highlights, Vita Vie, Serra Vista, Take A Gander, Keaton, and Estella.
“Eight years ago, we started with two wines and then grew the business to about eight or nine different brands and 30 different wines,” said Hall. “Because it’s a wholesale business, we needed wines for bottle shops, wine for restaurants with a bit more premium. We’re making a super-premium wine to sell only from our retail outlet.”
The quietly spoken small business owner was drawn to winemaking for several interconnected reasons. “I like the mix of business, science and agriculture and the challenges of each year that you have to face,” he said. “I found winemaking gave me a good variation. You are inside for some parts, and then you are out in the vineyard.”
Hall is also passionate about educating the public about wine and sharing his love for a nice red.
Collaborating with OnDeck
In 2018, Simall Wines initially sourced OnDeck funding to support cash flow. Simon Hall explains, “We’ve always used funding for stock because in this industry, wine is only made in two months of the year – February and March, and then we start bottling in June and July.”
When it came to securing loan funds, Mr Hall encountered a common problem facing small businesses – a lack of enthusiasm among traditional lenders. “I wasn’t getting anywhere with the banks – they’re too tight on their lending”, says Mr Hall, who came across OnDeck on a comparison website – eBroker, which enabled him to compare a half dozen different lenders.
“I settled on OnDeck because they offered a better interest rate and fixed payments.”
More recently, Simall Wines has used OnDeck to support a business expansion project – The Wine Hub, an urban cellar door located in Wollongong.
Simon said he found OnDeck to be “Pretty simple and straightforward to deal with. It’s just a quick turnaround, and the team know what they’re doing.”
To find out more about the Simall Wines story, visit the boutique winemaker at simallwines.com.au/
Get in touch today to find out about funding options to help finance your business’s recovery planning which may be available to you.
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