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Sideliners and Those Beeks in business!

6K views 23 replies 18 participants last post by  John Gesner 
#1 ·
I have decided that 2009 is the year that I will make a go at beekeeping as a sideline business. I have hit my break even point and need a lot more equipment from here on out.

My questions are these:
1) Is there much of a demand for specialized honey? I have considered buying bulk honey varieties that aren't available locally to bottle and sell with my wildflower. I sold out of honey within a week in 2008. Good year and our new house is in a great location. (Main thoroughfare!) Just curious what everyones experience was with this.

2) What other "item" do you keep for selling to the public? Honey straws, lip balms, etc. Just trying to get a feel for what is everyones best sellers.

Thank you in advance for the information!:D
 
#3 ·
I try to seperate out varieties of honeys and sell them separate. I separate by color when extracting. I sell lip balms, lotion bars, soaps, cutcomb, chunk, and spun honey, honey staws. I do removals and pick up swarms, sell nucs and any other thing to help make a buck.
 
#4 ·
I keep varietal honeys and sell them at the farmer's markets. They are a HIT when you give out free samples on ice cream sampling spoons. It's a little more work to keep them separate, lable them and make sure you have enought of each variety in each size. But it will almost guarantee you return customers.

However, I've tried to sell varietals in my driveway/honor box system. It was nothing but confused customers asking why one was darker than the other. I sell through some stores and they don't want the hassle of customers asking the same questions. It works EXCELLENT at the farmer's markets.

Also, some of my varietals come from different locations, not necessarily different crops. The different locations produce a honey that tastes different, looks different and I don't know why. But I keep them seperate and customers will show a DISTINCT preference.

I gave a talk at the Missouri State Beekeeper's Fall meeting and I have an article coming in a future edition of the ABJ.

If you want to view the manuscripted talk from the fall meeting, go to:

http://www.msbafall2008.homestead.com

Grant
Jackson, MO
 
#5 ·
first off marketing is just as important as producing something if your desire is to make a buck... and this applies to all ventures or enterprises of which I am familar.

at the lower end of production you are almost required to sell product yourself in order to make ends meet since at low volume selling at wholesale would seem to make little sense (or perhaps little dollars for sure). to start I would consider variety honeys if your market is large enough. here (where the market is not so large) I concentrate on locally produced extracted and chunk honey. the latter is really desired by a certain portion of the market here and it does seem to add a bit of authenticity (to the beekeeper standing behind the table selling bee stuff). I cannot overemphasize how captivating chunk honey is at our local farmer's market... it has literally snapped folks head about with an 'oh wow' forming on their lips.

my future plans are to eventually add honey straws and then beeswax products to my line of product. each and everyone of these products requires time and attention to detail... so I would caution you to go slow and add one product at a time.
 
#6 ·
tec is so right on on this. It is not only producing good but you MUST couple it with marketing and customer service. You MUST find your niche in each to really kick butt. All in all... how do you persuade people that they should buy honey from you and not the guy next door? You need to find what sells well in your location. Some places sell cut comb honey better then others but see, if you take the time to EDUCATE people, you will be golden.

Have a plan. For example, I think in the winter time, we will start bringing a educational beehive with us while in the summer time, we will bring an observation hive. Talk usually equals a sale. Dont sit down.... that is foolish. Stand up. You need to be a salesperson.
 
#7 ·
It is interesting that nobody so far has mentioned local honey for allergies. I am not totally convinced that local honey can cure pollen allergies but about 70-80% of my Farmer's market buyers are buying local because of this perception. I don't know if this perception applies all across the US or if Reno, NV is different. Do other beeks on this thread sell a lot of honey to people concerned with allergies? I know for a fact that this holistic perception has allowed us to get about $8.00 for 1lb jars and to sell out over a ton of honey per year. Demand is always higher than our annual supply.
We also sell hand dipped candles, soap, lip balm, lotion, cut comb, creamed honey, chunk honey, Ross rounds, Bee-O-Pacs and honey sticks. Our kids get to sell all the honey sticks and run that part of the business. Making money keeps them interested in helping.
 
#14 ·
When customers ask about the allergy connection I tell them the truth - there is a lot of anecdotal evidence to support it but nothing in the scientific literature. After telling people that placebo worked just as well in one trial they still buy the local honey and don't care about the scientific literature. So we get top dollar for our honey because others believe it relieves allergies.
 
#9 ·
Most of the Honey I produce is gall berry. I live in Georgia on the Florida Georgia Stateline on I-95. I sell a lot of my honey to the souvenir stores at the exits. Most of my Honey is from word of mouth. I did have our Honey Label logo made and place on our vehicles. This really increases sales more then anything. Grocery stores are a hassle as mention previously. I would think adds in the local paper, even flyer would help. Try the advertisement on your vehicle. But make sure you keep a few jars with you. People stop me all the time and ask if I have any Honey. My2cents worth.........
 
#17 ·
... I did have our Honey Label logo made and place on our vehicles. This really increases sales more then anything. Try the advertisement on your vehicle. But make sure you keep a few jars with you. People stop me all the time and ask if I have any Honey. My2cents worth.........
Hey, great idea! Can you elaborate on this? Did you have one of those magnified things made that will stick to the side of your car? Did you put your phone number on something larger or do you think just your car sitting around people see the number? Just curious what exactly you included, on what type of device and how large etc.

Musashi
 
#10 ·
Thank you for the replies thus far. I feel that maybe I should further explain my intentions to help with the feedback.

I am on a main road to the local stores. It is very well traveled. What I have been conisdering is a small store front on my property where I can sell honey and other items from my hives. I make lip balm and lotions currently, but I didn't know if it would be worth the time and money to add varietal honey to the list. Currently there is no source to purchase varietal honey in the area except the local Health food store. THey have small containers for a very "healthy" price. I used to sell to the store, but found hat they were marking up the honey about $2.00 per pound. I thought that it was a waste for them to get the extra money from the honey sales when I could sell direct. ANYWAY, I am getting away from the subject.

I like the idea of honey straws. Is there a particular flavor that sells better than the rest?

Thank you again.
 
#12 ·
But know where you stand

I have to agree, your enthusiasm...along with a good looking pack, and it all seems tooo e-z.

I was told by the state of NY. (after quite a few phone calls, I might add),that if I repack other beeks honey,then I am required to be licensed.
I made sure the person I talked with understood I was a small time operation....but it was clear that they meant ANY amount.

If you sell creamed honey, other than stuff that just happened in the jars naturally, along with "value added" foods (such as the honey vinegars I would like to sell) then you need to be licensed...or maybe I should say... your kitchen needs to be licensed.
IE:inspected.

You might want to ask...

GOOD LUCK SELLING THAT HONEY
Remember all us back here on beesource when you're a millionaire.
Mark
 
#13 ·
We are new at it 4 years, But we added creamed honey or whipped if you like. Also Honey jelly and Blackberry honey jelly, it is wonderful and very easy to make. We ordered honey sticks, they are a nice extra but we don't pull in a bunch from them.

Most return customers want the biggest jug I offer, off of the hives along my drive way. Only local, if I sold it in 5 gal they would buy it. But then I would be sold out in about 30 minutes.

I'm not sure if I'll even sell 1 gal this summer, 5lb might be the biggest , I'll have to see how the harvest is..:D
 
#15 ·
When customers ask about the allergy connection I tell them the truth - there is a lot of anecdotal evidence to support it but nothing in the scientific literature. After telling people that placebo worked just as well in one trial they still buy the local honey and don't care about the scientific literature. So we get top dollar for our honey because others believe it relieves allergies.
This is also the way I have approached this issue. I don't believe it helps one iota. But if my customers get relief from their symptoms by eating honey who am I to take that away from them.
I just tell them allot of people claim that it helps, but the scientist have not shown that it works one way, or the other.
 
#16 ·
Grant

I sell at farmers marets also.If you sell honey in stores you must have a certified kitchen,the healh dept.here in greene co.drops in uninspected to check your operation(which is good).They don!t allow tasting honey at the market here?How do you get around it,the way I was told it!s a state law? Jack
 
#18 ·
My wife and I did a farmer's market for the first time last year. When the missus said we were going to sell for $6# and $5/12oz I thought she was nuts, but it sold briskly. Observation hive really helps; next year we will use that Ulster model from Brushy mt. where you have the bees in a 5 frame nuc below the glass. beats digging thru producing hives every weekend. Design a nice personal label and as other posts have pointed out, keep talking. People want to help the bees and understand that means paying the beekeeper what they are worth. Don't give the stuff away!
 
#19 ·
Are you looking at other value added products from the hives as well?

ie:

Pollination income
Selling nucs, frames of brood, queens
Collecting and selling pollen
Making soaps, lip balms, hand creams
Propolis

I'm sure there are others these just come to mind quickly.

Honey is only half of my income.
 
#20 ·
Would you care to share with us your recipe for Bluebery Honey Jelly?

As far as allergies go. It might just be anekdotal but I used to get sick 4 times per year. I've been only beekeeping for a year but I haven't been sick at all this year. No allergy, no flu nothing. :thumbsup:
 
#21 ·
I have customers that buy honey specifically because it helps with their allergies. They'll pick up quantities in the fall that will last them thru the winter. If they're happier using my honey for that purpose, then I'm happy to sell to them. "Scientists" might have all manner of studies to say one way or the other what works, but it all comes down to the customer's perception.

As for outright selling, if you're going to do the farmer's market thing or street fair or whatever, remember that you'll need to price your honey higher than what you might sell at the end of your driveway just to compensate for the rent of the space you get. It's not price gouging or anything like that, it's just business. And most of all, TALK TO EVERYONE. Ever notice who attracts more customers, the stand with people at it or the stand with no one at it? Break the ice with someone. Have a free handout, like a recipe or a sale flyer. If someone looks at you, great them. Say hi. Start a conversation. Once you get them at your stand, others will follow. It's amazing. And it's fun.
 
#22 ·
An alternative market

I don't even produce honey yet, but I've had an offer from a local Asian "herbal medicine" and tea bar to have my local honey included in their store and gift baskets when/if I have enough to sell.

All because of the "local allergy prevention" perception. Look, I don't believe there's any scientific proof (from a Western med standpoint) that acupuncture works, yet millions of people swear by it. You might consider this alternative market, if you have access to such a thing in your area.
 
#23 ·
The western medical world is missing an awful lot in my opinion. I don't understand much about alternative ways, but I sure know they work. And since I've been eating my honey, three years plus, my allergies have been knocked down to about 2 percent of what they were before. Maybe it's not the honey, or maybe honey is a plecebo. Who cares? I can again do some of the things I couldn't before. I'll keep eating it.
 
#24 ·
One of the most powerful entities in this country is the pharmaceutical industry. It's scary, really, if you spend any time around it. And I have the opportunity in my day job to see the workings of it. Don't be surprised if, someday, we learn that much of natural medicine's benefit has been suppressed by pharmaceutical lobbyists in our government. I don't consider myself a "conspiracy theorist", but much of what the public "knows" has been bought and paid for in the halls of some of our most sacred government institutions...

But back to your thread... Someone above stated that there were restrictions in their locality with re-packing someone else's honey. Not aware of that in Ohio, but I've never looked into it either. You should ask around for Illinois.

My biggest seller of last year was the one pound plastic dripless bottles. They're awesome. Folks love them. They're easier to squeeze than a honey bear, unique in their appearance, and since they sit on their lid, the honey is always right at the spout and ready to pour when you want it. HOPEFULLY, two pounders will be available in the near future!
 
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