Management Consulting

[Barry Digman]

I don't believe I've ever seen an ad or an article for management consulting services that is specific to bees. Several members of this forum are either starting or planning to start commercial operations. I know there is a lot of free advice available, much of it good and much of it worth what you paid for it, but it would seem that there would be a market for real consulting services that are specific to beekeeping. Marketing, pricing, production, etc.

Does anyone know of someone who does this type of work? (And yes, the kernel for this question comes from the discussion regarding Bolling Bees.)

[Jim Fischer]

While the agricultural aspects of beekeeping
certainly are unique, the remainder of the
business is classic food marketing.

That said, there are very very few large
beekeepers who do more than sell honey by the drum.

Ann Harmon is someone who speaks and writes often
on these issues. She goes overseas to assist
beekeepers in other countries in their marketing
efforts. She can be reached through Bee Culture
magazine.

As far as Bolling Bees goes, the whole problem
could have been avoided with the hiring of a
minimum wage high-school student to answer the
phone and send e-mails or letters. This sort
of thing happens every few years with one
bee supplier or another, and every one of them
fails to realize that the communication load
increases when schedules start slipping.

But no one is going to be able to "help" tiny
firms like Bolling Bees, let alone convince
them to pay for such help - like most beekeepers,
they are highly likely to think that they know
more than everyone else! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Dick Allen]

> like most beekeepers, they are highly likely to think that they know more than everyone else!

Yes, indeed. You are a beekeeper aren't you?

...oops! I promised I'd behave myself, too.

[Jim Fischer]

> Yes, indeed. You are a beekeeper aren't you?

Glad to see you can "get" a simple punch line.
I had wondered...

[Barry Digman]

You're both incorrigible.

the whole problem
could have been avoided

See? You're a consultant, and probably right. It's the small stuff that gets overlooked and creates the biggest headaches and costs small operators the most in lost business. I'm serious when I say that there's a place for experienced commercial beekeepers providing services to start-ups.