Growing Bee Business- Selling Honey
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- I was asked to discuss selling honey in my nuc sales video. Selling honey is a difficult subject for me to advise on, but I gave it a shot in this video.
If you have any specific questions for me on this subject, leave them in the comments and I will make a follow up video to address them.
Thanks for watching!
Great points Gus. I thought the same thing when I was coming up with my logo. I wanted something that was basically one solid color so that it could easily be made into a vinyl sticker, embroidered hat image, engraved in wood, etc. Thanks for sharing.
I had to edit this to say: you keep saying you don't have much advice, but you keep adding more and more great advice. Lots of great tips in this video! Thanks again
Gus I’m really enjoying your videos. I’m growing into a comfortable sideline operation and it’s nice to hear from someone who’s been through it. Thanks
It helps to be in wealthy areas. It is not uncommon to see people gladly pay 16 dollars for 8oz of a nice honey in a fancy jar around here in central Massachusetts.
If I designed your label Gus I'd let you pick out the graphics, but it would read "Raw local honey by Gus Mitchell, I grow my own bees and We produce what's in this jar."
Probably put a closeup of a queen and a few attendants on the left side and a good picture of you holding frame of bees like you're doing a fake inspection without you veil on the right side and always ask what's wrong on this label, and after noone can answer you say you've never seen a queen left colony . Kinda cool my upper comment got 2 likes already
Stingy ridge apiaries. Every one says it as sting-e instead of stingy (penny-pincher) lol
It was kind of odd for me selling comb honey. This was my first year selling honey and I dint have much interest.
Every area can be a little different, it took me some time to find/build my market
I was just about to say "What about chefs and restaurants?". Then you touched on it. 😆 Good advice. My honey is the best though!
LOL, it always is the best, because it has your sweat and blood behind it, which only a beekeeper would understand.
The best thing I learned from this is a blind squirrel can find a nut!
Your chefs point is great, the rotating restaurant in downtown Atlanta has 3 hives on top and the head chef keeps the bees, because he wants the freshest honey he can get and it's a focal point for their clientele.
Don't bash other people to sell your honey. Very wise. Thanks for sharing
What about selling wholesale to roadside farm stands or honor system stands? I have seen a lot of those in my area and I've been thinking about approaching them next year.
Thanks for all the advice. I know cut comb is popular for charcuterie boards. I’m going to try some this upcoming year. Take care
Good chat and spot on with the key points. A problem I have is an ongoing fear of doing the work to generate a customer base / market and then running out of honey to sell. I've been approached by some local restaurants and cafes that want my honey for their recipes, but they would drain me leaving my direct customers empty handed. Ran into supply issues this year with Queenline jars and had to shift to canning jars - and that messes up your pricing models too.
damn! I thought it was all rainbows and puppy dogs running a honey business haha
great info gus! thanks for making these videos!
Spot on, very regional and very personal. The little details are key. Like anything in Beekeeping, context is key. Good stuff Gus.
How did you approach chefs? Did you drop off samples? Do you do special extractions runs to get different flows for them?
Look for chefs that use lots of local products, then approach them with yours.
If you do farmers market print up a price list with your sizes and price. Make sure your Logo is on the price list. This is all about branding your product.
I sell my product at beer and wine making supply store and a breakfast/lunch restaurant
Glad to see I'm on the right path, I designed a label based on my channel logo and I have 2 sizes of jar: 4 ounce hex jars and 500 ML mason jars. Speaking of comb honey... I made a custom inner cover that can have mason jars screwed on it... Only 2 got drawn, so you aren't kidding when saying its hard to make comb honey, getting those bees to draw in the jars is worse than herding cats even when done correctly heh 🤣
Great tips Gus. The law of supply and demand. Pricing and sales will fluctuate in different areas. I feel very similar to you in almost every way. I love your realistic approach. I really the concept you explained; that you are basically selling yourself. Of course honey is a great product, but each person really has to find their own niche in their individual market that meets their goals.
Thanks Bruce, I struggled with what to say for this video. I’m happy that you got my point so well.
@@gusmitchellcranesnesthoney6529 yeah man. You did a great job explaining it but I also understand it because I am living exactly what you are talking about. I have a lot of honey and it’s not moving as fast as I would like. So of course I am trying to be creative in how I market and sell it. Most recently I started selling it online. Maybe we can sell a few bottles that way. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge. You are doing a great job.
You pretty much nailed it. Good video.
Sure I get $10 to 12 a lb for my honey at the markets. But I have to sit there for hours, buy a tent, table, cover cloths, displays, and drive the car to get there and back. My creamed honey takes 3 stickers, jars and containers are a buck. Got put gas in the car to get to the market and back. Most markets charge to let you sell there to cover their costs. Yah Gus, $3-4 dollars for bulk honey isn't bad.
I'm thinking the same on comb honey. I started doing Ross Rounds this year and they worked out well. It's just hard here in the north to get people interested. But I ca get 32+ comb rounds per super at $10 each is pretty good money and not asuch work as the cutting and draining.
Hello Gus hope you are doing good with your Honey sales it been the best year for sale for me been doing it 12 years now Thanks Rudy Bee Farm.
Catching up on videos, really like the your new label
How fast do you sell out? Or do you try to hold some back for a more consistent supply to your existing customers.
I try to hold some back for my consistent regulars.
Thank you - I always appreciate your advice.
A lot of great advice. Learn your market and find your niche. We have honey that crystallizes fast, and although we still sell a lot of liquid honey, we like to make creamed honeys in the late summer/fall as a way to channel that tendency to crystallize.
That’s awesome advice, well said.
I appreciate the help you are giving to those are listening.
Thanks Matt from Battletown ky
Thanks for your advice Gus! My sales were great immediately following extraction but has slowed this year. I’m looking for more ways to “sell myself” as you suggest.
I would just add that learning how to use social media, even if your an old dog, can really help you build your brand and be a valuable marketing tool.
Really appreciate your plainly spoken talk on honey and selling it Gus. Thanks for sharing.
I went through 3 or 4 generic labels. When they discontinue, you have to look for another one. I have my own personal label now. Good advice on that.
Gus, good video! Have you every called on any local craft breweries to see if they were interested in your product? I’ve sold buckets to individuals for them to make Meade for themselves. I don’t produce enough to try to sell to local craft breweries but I do think that there’s a market for it especially someone like you that could commit to one or two hundred gallons a year.
Yes actually, no real interest from any.
LOL, Cranes Nest Brewery and Pub, opens when the honey season is over, Gus looks like he'd be a good bouncer, hope that made you chuckle, Gus
I've been using the generic lables for a couple of years now and really need to get some custom ones made. Most of my sales are coworkers and friends. Thanks for the great info Gus. Always a pleasure watching one of your videos.
all great points...especially the 'we are all in this together as beekeepers and honey' its the long game we are playing with not only our business, but keeping bees what they do best...pollenating and making bee barf.
I said 5 years ago when our beginning bee keeping class kept filling up that before long there will either be a lot of honey for sale or a lot of used bee equipment😂
Thanks Gus. You have a great channel with great advice!!
I’ve missed seeing new videos from you.
Great insight. Thanks
Good honest talking
Great info. Thanks as always for sharing!
Great video Eastender👍👍😂😂❤️
Great advice
Hi friend I just want to ask you why them bucket in your back is not lucked
Thanks
What do you mean lucked?
I think he meant locked and sealed
@@carlsledge3868 oh, because I had a customer return a large number of buckets and I reused them.
I see but there is any reason you are not locking back
@@saeed4ish I’m not sure what you’re getting at, if it’s the bucket lids they are secure.
BTW, I think I know how you came to "Cranes Nest Honey", I could be wrong, but you keep bees beside a swampy pond or lake that has a lot dead trees In it and I'm betting there Cranes that net in old broken off stumps out in the safety of the waters and they can always find something there to feed their young.
Back in the mountains in VA there is a small river called Cranes Nest River.
The first land I owned and kept bees on was called Cranes Nest River Farms. So, that’s why I originally called my apiary that.
But, Herons have special meaning for me and I consider them to be good luck.
Living down here there are a lot more heron and egrets, so I dropped the river and kept the rest.
Not a catchy name but a special one to me.
Well, you have admit it was good observant guess, but we both know bees need lots of water and you have a close natural source.
It does taste different based on the nectar it’s produced from in your area.
Of course there are varietal differences.
That wasn’t my point. In your local area, odds are your honey is not any better than the next beekeepers raising bees and selling honey there too.
That’s a tough pill to swallow for some.
@@gusmitchellcranesnesthoney6529
I didn’t say my honey taste better, what I meant was it taste different. It even taste different in different frames in my flow hives. That does make a big difference based on what people like.
Love watching your down to earth videos and listening to your common sense approach to bees and honey business. It’s really an inspiration to us on the fence about which way we want to go. I feel like I can relate.
Great video man. :). I appreciate it. I am just starting out and I found a lot of value in what you said, and how you put it.
Gus loved the video. Plenty of food for thought.Regards
Do you use plastic or glass jars and where do you purchase them, thinking of doing 1 lb and 2 lb
Both,
Arkansas glass & betterbee
you make more money by offering 8 ounce and of 12 ounce jars then 2lb
Pint jars holds 24 oz. Of honey. Pint jars at dollar general 9 bucks for 12 glass jars with lids. 10 bucks a jar here in S.C.. . Been that price for last 10 years but I just sell to my locals.. only have 30 hives and with suger prices I leave plenty honey on for bees to use on those 50 degree days when they need it.
@@BucksBeesS.C. how much do you sell your pints for?
@Guss and anyone else You mentioned infused honey. Do you know where I can get a ride infused honey. I’ve been looking for the longest.
Not sure what you mean
Great video friend! 💯
I use 1/2 pound and 1 pound Queenline jars. I sell a 1/2 pound jar for 10 bucks and 1 pound for 20 bucks. I’ve found that people don’t mind spending 10 bucks or anything but n general. So that’s why I picked the 10-20 range. I’m still building up my base. I give away a lot of my honey because I’m trying to build my base. It’s working so far.