I am trying to get access to a field that is owned by a corporation that would allow me to have my hives very close to work and behind lock and key. I think this location is prime for foraging. Has anyone ever made a pitch to a corporation with the benefits of beekeeping, how CCD is killing bees etc? I think the corp would be interested in good PR.
Presentation for a Corporation
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I've never had to do a sales pitch to place a yard of bees somewhere. When I ask it is usually a yes or no answer. Having to do a big sales pitch just leads to more problems later when they ask their corporate lawyer his thoughts on having bees on there property.
Have given military, corporate, and civic presentations for various reasons.
If the presentation will be a conference meeting type, Power Point slides with pictures or sketches to hold interest. Each slide having a couple of bullets of interest that you want to discuss and the rest fluff (drawings, graphs, photos...but not too complex). These people probably go to a lot of meetings, so their attention span has to be managed carefully.
If it's a letter to establish contact and go from there, then I would suggest a 1 page business letter, perhaps with bullets listing advantages of such an arrangement for the corporation. Anything more than 1 page will be too long.
If it's a small corporation and you can go right to the president, all the better. You will probably get an answer pretty fast. Middle management can take forever to make a decision.
Also, be prepared to convince people they won't be stung by the bees.
Good luck with your efforts.
Walt
If the presentation will be a conference meeting type, Power Point slides with pictures or sketches to hold interest. Each slide having a couple of bullets of interest that you want to discuss and the rest fluff (drawings, graphs, photos...but not too complex). These people probably go to a lot of meetings, so their attention span has to be managed carefully.
If it's a letter to establish contact and go from there, then I would suggest a 1 page business letter, perhaps with bullets listing advantages of such an arrangement for the corporation. Anything more than 1 page will be too long.
If it's a small corporation and you can go right to the president, all the better. You will probably get an answer pretty fast. Middle management can take forever to make a decision.
Also, be prepared to convince people they won't be stung by the bees.
Good luck with your efforts.
Walt
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I have made exactly such presentations successfully.
basically, I broke the discussion down to how does it benefit them, how does it benefit the bees and how does it benefit the community.
All the information given to them was presented in such a way as to show them the benefits of having bees there.
Be straight forward, honest and down to earth with them. Allow your natural enthusiasm to work with bees to show.
Big Bear
basically, I broke the discussion down to how does it benefit them, how does it benefit the bees and how does it benefit the community.
All the information given to them was presented in such a way as to show them the benefits of having bees there.
Be straight forward, honest and down to earth with them. Allow your natural enthusiasm to work with bees to show.
Big Bear
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the july issue of american bee journal has a short article on how a msu prof is keeping bees on state land to pollinate the buckwheat that is planted there.
might be wroth asking him how he closed that deal.
i would make a presentation and have some focus on how gentle honey bees are, give them the benefits, and sell them on your idea. videos of people working the hives with out protective gear sell that?
maybe start it off like.
Albert Einstein once stated that human life would end without the honeybee, i have a dream of preventing this from happening by keeping bees naturally. yada yada yada. tie the positive benefits to the companies products, service, brand.
depending on the business type, focus on the sustainable resource that bees provide, honey and wax. but also the on going good PR. find example of other businesses having a positive relationship with bees. the white house could be one example as they now have a presidential beekeeper.
might be wroth asking him how he closed that deal.
i would make a presentation and have some focus on how gentle honey bees are, give them the benefits, and sell them on your idea. videos of people working the hives with out protective gear sell that?
maybe start it off like.
Albert Einstein once stated that human life would end without the honeybee, i have a dream of preventing this from happening by keeping bees naturally. yada yada yada. tie the positive benefits to the companies products, service, brand.
depending on the business type, focus on the sustainable resource that bees provide, honey and wax. but also the on going good PR. find example of other businesses having a positive relationship with bees. the white house could be one example as they now have a presidential beekeeper.
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No, this is a fake quote attributed to Einstein.
You could point out that Google has bee hives at its corporate headquarters:
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/hello-from-hiveplex.html
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Just remember that a power point is supposed to have pictures with a few main points backed up by what your saying. Not just stuff you read of the slide.
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Let me get this straight. You want to put killer bees on company property?
So who is liable when someone on company property gets stung up or killed by the killer bees?
You are in AHB territory, and folks will assume that your bees are AHB.
If you want a beeyard close to your workplace, find a landowner and talk to them. Bring a bribe of some honey. If you want the bees behind lock and key, build a fence around your beeyard.
It will be much, much cheaper in the long run. Someone will get stung eventually, and the company will get sued. It will get ugly really fast. Why invite troubles like that?
So who is liable when someone on company property gets stung up or killed by the killer bees?
You are in AHB territory, and folks will assume that your bees are AHB.
If you want a beeyard close to your workplace, find a landowner and talk to them. Bring a bribe of some honey. If you want the bees behind lock and key, build a fence around your beeyard.
It will be much, much cheaper in the long run. Someone will get stung eventually, and the company will get sued. It will get ugly really fast. Why invite troubles like that?
Wow, thanks for the input. A couple of details probably would clear some stuff up....it would not be too close to humans. The property I am talking about is about a 40 acre field that is behind their plant. It only has a natural gas well in one corner but otherwise the field has tons of springtime foraging and loaded with goldenrod in the fall. The closest they would be to humans would be our IT building maybe 150 yards away.
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I'm pretty much with Countryboy on this. Even if they are on 40 acres, how much control do you have over who approaches the bees? I, and probably you, do live in Africanized territory and I have bees that become Africanized. The thought of some kind of power equipment, or truck, or who knows what, disturbing an Africanized colony might keep me awake at night. Of course, I don't know the exact situation, but what is the risk/benefit ratio? Is the location good enough to warrant that kind of risk? Beekeepers in Texas have been successfully sued for attacks that have occurred when a third party used power equipment in the vicinity of the bees.
Private landowners, where I keep bees, know full well that they are to keep away from my bees, and they leave any brush maintenance up to me.
Private landowners, where I keep bees, know full well that they are to keep away from my bees, and they leave any brush maintenance up to me.
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AfracinI may be wrong but from what I read who said anything about far Africanized bees? Some people think all bees are Africanized and that is not the case here.
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AfracinI may be wrong but from what I read who said anything about far Africanized bees? Some people think all bees are Africanized and that is not the case here.
Anyone who gets stung will be claiming they were Africanized bees. Plan on needing a lawyer and lots of $$$ to prove they aren't AHB.
The property I am talking about is about a 40 acre field that is behind their plant. It only has a natural gas well in one corner but otherwise the field has tons of springtime foraging and loaded with goldenrod in the fall.
40 acres isn't anything to a bee. Maybe 1/2 of 1 percent of their foraging area.
What benefit will the company gain by having your bees there? (none?)
What liability will the company have by you having bees there? (Risks of being sued.)
All I am hearing is how this will be a benefit to you, and all I can see is how this would be a liability for the company. I think you would be hard pressed to find a corporate lawyer who would think it was a good idea.
If you really want a beeyard there, do NOT ask permission. Get them to invite you to have a beeyard there. Give some honey to the highest bigwigs you can find, and let them know you keep bees. When they ask you where you have your bees, tell them and mention that you are always looking for more locations.
Suppose the owner, or some bigwig is walking around the property and gets all stung up. Are you willing to risk your job to have bees there? If I was a CEO, and some regular worker said the bees were safe to be around, and I got all stung up, I'd probably fire him.
Life would be so much easier for you if you would talk to the guy who owns the ground across the road. The bees won't mind flying across the road to get to that 40 acre field.
Anyone who gets stung will be claiming they were Africanized bees. Plan on needing a lawyer and lots of $$$ to prove they aren't AHB.
The property I am talking about is about a 40 acre field that is behind their plant. It only has a natural gas well in one corner but otherwise the field has tons of springtime foraging and loaded with goldenrod in the fall.
40 acres isn't anything to a bee. Maybe 1/2 of 1 percent of their foraging area.
What benefit will the company gain by having your bees there? (none?)
What liability will the company have by you having bees there? (Risks of being sued.)
All I am hearing is how this will be a benefit to you, and all I can see is how this would be a liability for the company. I think you would be hard pressed to find a corporate lawyer who would think it was a good idea.
If you really want a beeyard there, do NOT ask permission. Get them to invite you to have a beeyard there. Give some honey to the highest bigwigs you can find, and let them know you keep bees. When they ask you where you have your bees, tell them and mention that you are always looking for more locations.
Suppose the owner, or some bigwig is walking around the property and gets all stung up. Are you willing to risk your job to have bees there? If I was a CEO, and some regular worker said the bees were safe to be around, and I got all stung up, I'd probably fire him.
Life would be so much easier for you if you would talk to the guy who owns the ground across the road. The bees won't mind flying across the road to get to that 40 acre field.
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