Small business beer distributor loses upwards of $2K/day over government shutdown

The partial government shutdown is having a negative impact on some entrepreneurs and small business owners’ bottom line.

TapRm is a new comany that delivers your favorite beer from all around the world to your doorstep.  The company, which already runs a distribution center and an online operation, was set to open its third leg of the business with a retail store allowing customers to experience all the craft beers and brands it carries.

After submitting an application with the federal Tax and Trade Bureau, TapRm anticipated it would be granted a license permitting the small business to transfer from its original location in Rochester, New York, to Brooklyn, New York, in order to open its retail shop.

“We opened up the store, built it out, had it ready to go anticipating that our license would be clear to go by the federal regulatory bodies in early January,” TapRm founder Jason Sherman said during an interview on FOX Business’ “Mornings with Maria” on Monday.

TapRm estimates nearly $1,500 to $2,000 a day in lost sales during the partial government shutdown.

“Every week that goes by it is more lease running, it’s more expense on us, it’s more breweries that we can't be taking on,” Sherman said.

TapRm’s business model is attempting to transform the beer landscape through its distribution, online and retail outlets by offering consumers the most sought-after craft and micro-brews. Sherman said he currently doesn’t have any investors and is self-funding the business with a portion of the money coming from an inheritance.

“It’s only so long I can go on my own funds," he said. “I only worked for about seven years before this, some of this is from inherited money.”

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The partial government shutdown is going into its fifth week with no sign of a truce looming as the Trump administration and the Democratic-led House battle over border security funding.

Sherman hopes the president and congressional leaders see the need of not only the 800,000 federal workers affected by the government shutdown, but also the small business owners affected at the legislative level.

“As a young guy, I took the leap from corporate America about four months ago to try and live the American dream and these kind of road blocks are devastating,” he said.