# Drop the word "Apiaries" from business name



## sqkcrk

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?


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## alpha6

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.  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.


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## Merlyn Votaw

I would at least put HONEY in it.at the same time the word APIARES might not know what it is but would try to find out then it might bring in business becuse it does have a different name.. Just SqueekCreek alone don't sound good


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## Gregg

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.


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## wolfpenfarm

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.


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## downthehill

Have you considered a tag line? They are useful in clarifying purpose/brand...

Squeak Creek Apiaries--
Your local supplier of products from the bee hive

Something like that will allow you to retain your name and educate your market.

Just a thought...


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## peterloringborst

how 'bout Squeak Creek Skeps? that'll keep 'em guessin'


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## deknow

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


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## justin

i would keep it. with out it you seem like one of those ambigous companies that contracts for gov. jobs. halliberton, plum creek, monsanto, you don't want to be mysterious. ours is rivulet apiaries


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## bigbearomaha

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


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## Tom G. Laury

How many times can you Squeek Creek over and over and over? I get tongue tied on the second one. 

OK, carry on.


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## Kingfisher Apiaries

My bee business is named Kingfisher Apiaries. It sounds better and more professional than Kingfisher Honey. I am also thinking about getting more into the bee end of the business as opposed to the honey end. I like our name and that is what matters. 
Mike


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## bhfury

I think depending on what you are selling.... Have you considered adding the words "bee products"? That would give people an idea of what you are selling, and would make them as the question what more bee products are there?


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## emichaelbennett

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.


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## sqkcrk

deknow said:


> 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.


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## sqkcrk

Tom G. Laury said:


> How many times can you Squeek Creek over and over and over? I get tongue tied on the second one.
> 
> OK, carry on.


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.


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## sqkcrk

Thanks for all of the input and support. I can't see changing the name. It'll take alot of convincing for me to do so.


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## peacekeeperapiaries

Gregg said:


> 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.


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## indypartridge

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".


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## wolfpenfarm

sqkcrk said:


> 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.


IF you have had your name for 20 years, i wouldnt' mess with it. Its known. Like the old adage don't fix it if it ain't broken. 
It is annoying when they don't get the name right. :|


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## sqkcrk

Pissed me off the first few times. Then I let it go. Well, after I called Martha and reminded her that she didn't mispronounce other underwriters names. They don't do it anymore.


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## sqkcrk

Which is correct "Apiarys" or "Apiaries"? Just curious. Maybe both are correct. Is one more an English usage, British that is? Not that I would change the way I spell it.


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## Omie

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).


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## giant pumpkin peep

I have been cotemplating this myself. I have been cotemplating apiaries or honey. My last name ryhms with bees. So I have settelet on "Crees Bees". I dont know what the future will hold. I would like to get into more than honey. I'm very proud of myself for comming up with Crees Bees.


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## odfrank

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.


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## Bens-Bees

sqkcrk said:


> 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?


Well, I kinda agree on the apiaries bit, but I think Squeak Creek doesn't give anyone a clue of what you do either, so I think maybe Squeak Creek Bees might work, or Squeak Creek Honey (leave Company off, it makes it too long).

WAIT!!! I got it! Squeak Creek Beek


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## berkshire bee

It's much harder to say squeak creek than apiaries. We call our business Berkshire Farms Apiary. We live in the Berkshires, keep bees, and most of our hives are on farms so the name says it all. I vote for keeping the Apiaries in your name.

ps: I'm glad you aren't starting a kennel club


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## RayMarler

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.


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## peterloringborst

I'm for shortening it. Who says "Ford Motor Company", when you say Ford, everybody gets it. IBM took off when they lost the "International Business Machines". Apiaries always puzzles people. What is that, something to do with birds? Or apes? You want a brand they remember. Squeak Creek is Unique!


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## Skinner Apiaries

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!


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## rainesridgefarm

You can not look at this from your own point of view. We are all beekeepers we know what Apiaries are and what they do. The general buying public does not, even new beekeepers do not know the word Apiaries when they get into beekeeping. The dumbing down of America is getting worse and you need to explain in simple terms what your product or service is in your business name. I am not saying it is right but if you want sales you need to make it understandable with a glance.


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## sqkcrk

Thanks for all of the input. I think that having "Apiaries" in my company name tells those who know what it means that the company is more than a company that sells honey. It is a company that has bee hives and produces honey, so it knows what went into the production of that honey.

I need to talk to Marc more about this, but he seemed to be leading me to thinking about being more than a source for honey. I need to make my business profitable. Perhaps honey, and pollination service, is not enough to do that.

Thanks.


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## StevenG

You've had the name 20 years... in your marketing you probably have hand-outs that describe your product... You're going to expand your product line as you've just indicated. So, why change?


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## sqkcrk

I know what you mean SteveG, but no hand outs yet. Restaurant table tents are in the development stage, as well as a new label and other forms of exposure material.


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## sqkcrk

Now he wants me to change the Squeak part and think about selling things other than honey. I told him that I wasn't making enuf profit and this is what he comes up w/. I did also say that I didn't think that I could raise my prices 25% to make the profit that I would like to have. 

I wholesale honey, doing direct store delivery. Raising the price of a Honeybear from $2.20 to $2.75 would make the shelf price around $4.00 in some store to $5.50 in others.

Now, that's just one item, but do you think that people who buy honey at the store would pay that price?


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## deknow

mark,

the point i was trying to allude to earlier is that if this guy was really good at running a small business, he would not be head of a department, he would be running a business. ...he clearly doesn't understand your market and your needs.

fwiw, we sell honey in stores at far above the prices you cite...but, in order to do this, we spend a lot of time in the stores doing tastings, and educating the customer. last week, at a tasting, i had someone put back on the shelf a 1lb jar "local raw" honey and exchanged it for a 1/2lb muth jar of the honey we are selling....at 3X the price per pound...the 1/2lb cost more than the 1lb.

this takes time and work....high priced honey will not just float off the shelves on it's own...you have to figure out what your customers want, and figure out how to provide it at a premium price.

deknow


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## mike haney

"...Now, that's just one item, but do you think that people who buy honey at the store would pay that price?..." our local walmart sells generic (china) crap honey for more than that. whoever said "all beekeeping is local"? must have meant marketing,too. good luck,mike


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## sqkcrk

deknow, do I know what you mean and agree w/ you. 

I thought that it was funny when the other night he talked about how much he liked going to this one place for his coffee, because they know just how he likes it and he likes the place. He said that he doesn't know how much he is paying for his coffee. They run a tab for him and he pays it every now and then. Now that is affluent, in my opinion. And not the way the rest of us live, I imagine. I don't have anywhere that I go that runs a tab for me. Just the credit card kind.

A fellow professor or two own the place too. So what does that say? Not real world to me.

mike,
Wally World is selling 12 oz honeybears for more than $5.50 each? I didn't know that. I never go in Walmart, unless I am away from home and need some underwear or jeans. I don't do much shopping. Maybe I need to do some market research.

Thanks for the input.


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## justin

""""I never go in Walmart, unless I am away from home and need some underwear or jeans. I don't do much shopping.""""
it sounds like there is a story in that. i have never been away from home and then suddenly needed underwear and pants. i think you know more about your buisness and market than this small buisness guy. it sounds to me like you need to pick a direction and then work as hard at that as you have been working up till now. that is my expert opinion. if you could see my bank statements right now you would probably ask me to keep my expert opinions to myself. justin


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## sqkcrk

Well, from pms w/ some folks, maybe I should eithetr raise my prices the 25% I think I need to make a viable business or stop bottling honey and sell it in the barrel. I just like the idea of selling locally produced food to the local market.


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## bluegrass

sqkcrk said:


> Now he wants me to change the Squeak part and think about selling things other than honey. I told him that I wasn't making enuf profit and this is what he comes up w/. I did also say that I didn't think that I could raise my prices 25% to make the profit that I would like to have.


My buddy owned a a building supply store and when the economy started heading south he hired a "pro" to come in and consult him on increasing his profit margin. The "pro's" advice was for him to diversify and cut out the middle man, buy a portable sawmill and start milling his dimensional lumber himself.

He looked at him and asked if he knew what kiln dried and graded meant in the building supply business? Then informed him he didn't need his services any longer. 

I think shortening the name isn't a bad idea. But use a graphic to advertise what you sell... A picture is worth a thousand words:thumbsup:


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## ScadsOBees

My $.02...
I don't think it matters all that much. 

Honestly, 6 years ago if you'd have asked me, I'd have guesses that an apiary is where they keep cages full of monkeys. (aviary for apes!)

I think if your customer is wholesale, in the business of bees, then it makes sense.

If you are targeting retail, and putting your name on the bottles, and that is your focus, it would make just as much sense to leave it off. 

If you are trying to do everything, then leave it on. That makes it easier for beekeepers to identify you on the internet and in print. The average retail customer might not know what a Squeak Creek Apiary is, but who cares, its obvious it is honey. And chances are on the front you have in big letters "Squeak Creek Honey" anyway, NOT "Squeak Creek Apiary Honey.

Rick


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## Kieck

Weird concept, to my way of thinking. Dropping identifiers off the name that is. By his way of thinking, are you down to just "Creek" as a name? Or should you just go to "Honey?"

I think you need to stick with the name you've been using. You must have some brand identity already in your markets. And "apiary" in the name is no different than "dairy," just not as widely known at this point.


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## Chef Isaac

a lot of us seem to be missing the whole point of a business name. It is an identity.... and FOR YOU.... but for your customers.... customers to understand who you are and what you do. 

in the marketing world, you have to spell it out to your customers.... what you do. In marketing, it is better to use simle terms to identify.... like xxxx honey farm..... or xxxx raw honey. It is much easier to remember. 

Remember.... (the name) is for customers..... not for us as beekeepeers


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## bluegrass

Sue-Bee doesn't have "honey" in its name.

nor does Beemaid


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## Chef Isaac

no.... they have the word "bee". understandable and cleanr (somewhat)


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## peterloringborst

Here, the word Honey is bigger than Sue Bee










PS 

Check out their cool web sites:

http://www.suebee.com/

http://www.suebeebuzz.com/


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## peterloringborst

Here's another one where the Honey is even bigger than the brand name


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## Musashi

How about "Squeak Creek Top Bar Hives" or Squeak Creek Langstroth (you never heard of it) Honey" ?

Ok, I do agree with some others, if you don't have a personal connection to the name that you personally relate to then you will feel like a sell-out in the end. People can sniff out marketing pretty well too, so an honest pulse test for yourself is usually more effective in the end.


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## sqkcrk

I believe that the word Honey is supposed to be bigger than any other word on the label, by label law. The product has to be promonent. I could be wrong.


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## Musashi

At least in Florida, and I believe the labeling law is a US thing, not by State, the NET WT. thing must be no smaller than twice the size of .....wel heck I forget the exact details. Once we did it right on our own labels, I forgot what the exact requirements were. It did become far easier when I found out that the label requirements can be on the back of the honey jar. So we have a decorative label on the front on some and some the label is large enough to just include it all on the front. 

Again, I'm fuzzy on how we did it originally since it's been more than a year, but the only requirement was to show a local address and or phone number...some way for the inspector people to get ahold of the bottler if they wanted to check up on them, or consumers for that matter. There are some links for resources on each exact detail but it wasn't as onerous as it at first sounded to me when I first looked into it.


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