Beesource Beekeeping Forums banner

Drop the word "Apiaries" from business name

26K views 50 replies 31 participants last post by  Musashi 
#1 ·
I am taking a small business course and the instructor thinks that I should drop the word "Apiaries" from the name of my business, Squeak Creek Apiaries. His line of thinking is that the word Apiaries is hard to say and most people don't know what it means and says about the business. He wants me to think of the brand as being Squeak Creek. Not even Squeak Creek Honey Company, just Squeak Creek. I think I understand where he is going w/ this. I just thought that I would ask y'all.

Any thoughts?
 
#2 ·
We went with "Bee Farm". People can get an image of what that is. I personally think you need "Squeak Creek Honey" as a minimum. Just seeing Squeak Creek by itself I would think it had something to do with mice. :D Another way to go about it is keep Squeak Creek Apiaries as the business name but have a DBA (Doing Business As) of Squeak Creek with your bank so when writing out checks or invoices to your business you can just use Squeak Creek if you want to.
 
#4 ·
I disagree (just my humble opinion) with dropping "apiaries" from your business name. Our company name is "Stewart Apiaries". I decided on this for a few reasons: sounds a bit more dignified & professional (to me, at least) than "Honey Farm" (and I really don't own a "farm"). We also do more than produce honey, I consider ourselves stewards of the land we place bees on/near, in addition to providing pollination services. Also, educating people in terms of expanding their vocabulary (again, IMHO) is never a bad thing. I think the term "apiary" may intrigue some people and increase their interest as they may not know what it means.
 
#18 ·
I think the term "apiary" may intrigue some people and increase their interest as they may not know what it means.
I agree, people are always asking me "what is an apiary"? They see my hat or t-shirt and ask, it actually happens very often. I see it as an opportunity to educate, promote my business (answer is followed with business card), promote beekeeping, and talk about bees.
 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
I think that would depend on if your primary product is going to be bee related. First of all how in the world is anyone going to know squeek creek sells honey. With apiary, its pretty much a given that you have bee related products.
With squeek creek honey it only says that you sell honey. doesn't say that you are a apiary. Lots of stores sell honey but don't sell bees.

So Squeek creek apiary in use says hey i've got bees, i've got honey, i've got pollen, hives, ect ect ect.......
But most important it says your professional.

So what if people don't know what apiary means. IF they run across it, and dont' know what it means, that a lot of the time will cause them to come see what it is.
 
#8 ·
first of all, what are the "qualifications" of the instructor? is he running a small business and making time to teach a class to give back to the community, or is he a teacher?

second, whether or not you have "apiary" in the name is secondary to your feelings about it. if you like "apiary", then use apiary, you will be better at selling it. if you drop the word, you will remember dropping the word every time you say or write "squeak creek".

i don't know if this has been the focus of the class so far, or the one thing that you are having trouble with. if there is too much focus on the name, then run away quickly.

deknow
 
#15 · (Edited by Moderator)
first of all, what are the "qualifications" of the instructor? is he running a small business and making time to teach a class to give back to the community, or is he a teacher?

deknow
He is the Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Clarson University School of Business.

I'm not having "trouble" w/ it, it's just something that he has brought up for me to think about. I have been operating under this name for 20 some years. I'm really hesitant about messing w/ something that is as recognized as it is. It took me some time to get the local NPR station manager to not call it Squeaky Creek Apiaries. I don't know if they could handle just Squeak Creek. :)
 
#10 ·
so his rationale is that because some people may have a limited vocabulary, you should simplify your name to something said persons can contend with?

Whatever happened to the notion that people will rise to expectations and creating opportunities to educate.

I think keeping "apiaries" on the card gives you a starting point to educate people.

Once the discussion is started to explain "apiary" it could take the person to a whole new interest level or at least a better education on bees than they had till they met you.

just my two cent

Big Bear
 
#16 ·
Yeah, but I bet you won't forget it. And when you hear someone else say something about it you will instantly think of me. :) Is that a good thing? Hmm.

As long as they spell my name correctly, even bad press is good press. In a manner of speaking.
 
#14 ·
im struggling with the same question. my company na e is honey tree apiaries. I could shorten it to honey tree, my bank already accpts checks made out to honey tree. I do have honey in the name, but there are pre schools named honey tree, and it invokes thoughts of pooh bear. I think having the word apiaries in the name sets me apart from thoes entities. also people do have to ask "what does apiaries mean". that is the start of a conversasion which may end up as a sale. I think im going to keep it.
 
#19 ·
I googled "apiaries". I recognized nearly all the companies on the first two pages: Rossman Apiaries, Draper's Apiaries, R Weaver Apiaries, HoneyRun Apiaries, BeeWeaver Apiaries, Latshaw Apiaries, Glenn Apiaries, Strachan Apiaries, Merrimack Valley Apiaries, Hackenburg Apiaries, etc.

"Squeak Creek" doesn't tell me anything about your business. Now if you had a multi-million dollar advertising account, then perhaps you could raise public awareness to associate "Squeak Creek" with honey and other hive products. I'm guessing that your advertising budget is a bit less.

My two cents is that if you're only gonna to sell honey, then "Squeak Creek Honey"; but if you have any plans to sell other hive products and/or beekeeping supplies, then stick with "Squeak Creek Apiaries".

P.S. In the mid-nineties, when I worked for General Motors, they brought in a "brand management" guru (Ron Zarella) and for about three years advertising focused on "brands" instead of "cars". It was a disaster by every measure and remains a textbook case of losing focus on the product by concentrating instead on the nebulous idea of a "brand".
 
#23 ·
Marc, one little suggestion-
You should probably also buy the domain name of "SqueekCreekHoney.com" because a LOT of people misspell the word squeak as squeek, and will wind up on a "Server Not Found" page....but if you own the misspelled domain too, you can have the page redirect them to the correct domain location.
Along the same line, when you put in keywords for search engines and such, always include the 'squeek' spelling in its various incarnations as well as the correct one, so you don't lose those customers searching for you who can't spell it right. If I had to guess, I'd say that at least 1/4 of people these days probably spell it incorrectly as 'squeek'. (maybe fewer in this thread because they are likely checking your post to spell it the right way).
 
#25 ·
A prestigious competitor told me 33 years ago that I should only offer $70000. for my property, not the $115,000. being asked. I bought the property for the higher price anyways. Rent from tenants paid all the expenses until the mortgage was paid off, and still do. The property is worth $1.5 million today, and I have run my business out of it for 33 years.
I am still very cautious listening to advice from experts. If you feel strongly that you are right, you very likely are.
 
#28 ·
I think the "expert" was more concerned with the way the words rolled off the tongue. Have you thought of Squeaky Creek Bees? I was thinking of Rays Bees for my name. I think Squeaky Creek Bees has a good roll to it.

Oh, sorry, I just read page two. No, since you've had the name for 20 years already, I agree to not changing the name. You're already known, no need to be changing things that is already working well.
 
#30 ·
Lol 'they cant pronounce it' is his way of saying people are morons who actually don't know WHAT it means. So, if you deal with alot of public sales, honey is good in your name, if you're involved supplying bulk bees or something if a nature that beekeepers are your clients apiaries is better. If you're working with polli, then add it in your name, because dumb growers wont know what it means, and hey, even dumb people sometimes fall into money. On the note of having had it for 20 years, don't change it, no reason to. Everywhere that name is have "honey for sale" and a phone number.

And herb, its not squat creek, no snickering!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top