# How do you sideliners turn a profit?



## johng (Nov 24, 2009)

I just started keeping bees last year in January when I bought 5 hives from a local guy. I have sixteen hives now going into winter and they all look good so far. I have made all of my equipment so far. (except for frames) I'm in the process of making three supers for splits from last year. So if I can come out of winter with close to that many hives I should be able to make quite a bit of honey next year. I have been paying for everything as I go. 

How do you guys ever get to where you make a little bit of money? I'm not looking to make a living, I have a good job that gives me twenty days off a month and would eventually like to keep bees as a side job. Right now I mow grass on my days off. Is there a breaking point where things start to come together? I guess after next year I may be able to answer my own questions. Just wondered how some of you guys got started? Thanks, John


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## cheezer32 (Feb 3, 2009)

It depends on the goals of what you want to produce financially. Meaning the more money you want to make the more money you are going to sink into the business before you see a profit back close to what you’re expecting. Beekeeping is also a little longer turnaround than other items, I consider it (and I think most would agree) a yearly thing you typically can't invest and see a return on that a month later (although it’s possible). 

In your case I would recommend building your own equipment, using your own bees for splits, and honey/queen/nuc sales to purchase more equipment. Try to only break even every year so you not putting anything into it but you’re growing the oversize of the business gaining hives, customers etc. and then one year either slow down expansion, in which case you will slowly see a profit. Or stop expanding all together and you will reap all he profit from that size apiary. 

I'm sure other's have a lot more info and thought on the subject as well a million different ways to do it.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I think before you can make money, you have to stop buying equipment and bees... in other words stop spending it, but of course you can't do that until you HAVE equipment and bees.


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## kg4jck (Nov 7, 2010)

Lots of Honeycomb equals a little profit. It's an energy problem: it takes about 9 units of energy to make honeycomb vice one unit of energy to make honey...(You get the idea)

Once your frames are all full of honeycomb, then life will be better. That first/second season where all you do is produce bees and honeycomb is the setup for the following seasons of honey....

Good Luck
JDR


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## Countryboy (Feb 15, 2009)

It's hard to make a honey crop and build hive numbers in the same year.

I think when you stop expanding is when you start to see the better profits.

Some people expand one year, and hold that number the next year. Expand the following year, and then hold that number the next year. This allows you to refine your time management, build your honey market as your grow your production, and it also allows you years of better profits.


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## bigbearomaha (Sep 3, 2009)

there are more ways to make money with bees than honey production. 

bee removals are one way.

pollination is another.

selling equipment and supplies is yet another.

the list goes on.


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## alpha6 (May 12, 2008)

OK...if you are moving from hobby to business you need a business plan. What is your market? What price can you get for your product? How much can you produce? Do you have the equipment to produce, package, label, etc. As you are working on building your numbers get your market plan together. Start testing the markets. Visit local farmers markets, etc.


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## wildflowerlanehoney (Aug 17, 2010)

stair step your way up. and save as you go. 

if you make $100, put $20 in an envelope and buy $80 worth of what you need. if you make $200, put $100 back and buy $100 worth of say, supers. before you know it, you can buy that nice new dadant extractor, or you can go on vacation.

i don't think you are going to turn a "profit" until you decide how many hives you want. you can turn a "profit" on three hive, if you are going to stay there, just the same as you can turn a "profit" once you get to three hundred hives if that is your goal/limit.

if this is a true sideline business, then you decide where you profit threshold is.


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## scdw43 (Aug 14, 2008)

Building your own equipment, if you have the time, your path to profit will be a lot shorter. I have seen people that throw money at bees and equipment. Unless your well is very deep it will prob ally go dry before you get your money back. Start small, as you have and as you make money expand.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Who said beekeeping was profitable? Do it because you enjoy it. As long as you enjoy it. Do other things for the money.


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## Birdman Jack (Nov 23, 2010)

Make your beekeeping a hobby and enjoy it. If you really enjoy it then the next thing you know before you realize it the money will be there. It may not be a lot but at first but it will grow and in the meantime have fun with it. A lot of people hate thier job and wish they could do something as great as beekeeping. :thumbsup:


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## dixiebooks (Jun 21, 2010)

I just started this year with a single swarm, so my knowledge is limited. That said, I really never expect to "profit". I suppose I will eventually gain some income but the expenses will likely take most of that and my time invested will make the "net" not-so-profitable. I'm looking at it as a hobby-business. Great for filing a Schedule C but the real advantage is in helping the honeybees and agriculture. -james


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## brooksbeefarm (Apr 13, 2008)

In a bad year i raise my price to $100.00 a quart. i don't sell any but i eat high on the hog.:lpf::lpf: Jack


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## Cedar Hill (Jan 27, 2009)

Rent your bees as often as possible during the seasons to a pollinator and help him move them from and to your yard(s). Learn how pollination work is done from him with your hives. Honey won't be as much but you'll still get plenty to sell. You'll earn a profit much quicker this way and you'll be learning how to do pollination work as well as market your honey. OMTCW


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

The only thing I can think to add is that the expenses are all up front. Be patient, make your plan and work your plan. I am 5 years into my expansion plan from 0 hives up to 50. My goal was to have all the bees and equipment in place before I retire. Based on my experience the first time 'round with the bees (1970's-80's) I knew the profit would come. Then it took only 3 years to reach the break-even point. 4 years it was profit.

Now? I figured on 7 years, and it is tracking that way. I could have started showing a profit earlier, but it would have slowed my expansion down. You have to decide what works for you. Like I said, be patient, develop your plan, then work toward fulfilling it. You'll not regret it. The money does come, but trust us, you won't get rich. For me, it's going to be travel money. Back in the '70's, it paid all the doctor and hospital bills for the arrival of my children. Life IS good!
Regards,
Steven


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## Stonefly7 (Nov 3, 2005)

Steven,

You hit the nail on the head. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail! I saw earlier in the post, someone mentioned a business plan. You really need to plan for everything in life.

I built most of my equipment, and purchased used metalware to get started. Then dumped everything into the business. While working, I did not need the income from the bees. I concentrated on finding a market and expanding the bees. Like you, this is educational money for the grandboys and travel money for us when we retire.

My goal is a little higher, we will have 400 when we retire in a few years, but right now it pays for a private education for the boys. Life is good, and we are truly having a blast working the bees. Its not work, its FUN!

Kind regards


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## ekrouse (Aug 26, 2004)

A P..R..O..F..I..T..? Isn't that one of those religious fellows?

Seriously, I too have a good career. When I started out I gave a friend one of my first 1 lb jars of honey. Facinated, he ask asked how much it cost me to produce. Without missing a beat my wife chimed in "about $300"!

I currently run about 10 to 14 hives. I sell everything I produce and am now making a profit every year. Unfortunately in my business for every $1 profit I make in beekeeping I could make $20 putting more time into my job, so it really is a labor of love.

In addition to many of the valid comments made in the previous posts I would say:

- Produce all natural honey (no chemicals). It sells for a premium.
- Produce varietal honey, even if its Summer Wildflower and Fall Wildflower. Those are still varietals and sell for a premium over "honey".
- Sell honey in the comb. It sells for a premium.
- Sell crystalized honey (i.e. creamed / whipped). It sells for a premium. My freshly extracted Fall Wildflower honey has goldenrod / aster nectar in it so it crystalizes solid in two weeks. No need for the "Dyce Method".
- Make your own labels. It use photoshop and my own flower photos so I have many different labels for each varietal and container size. I print in color on paper and glue on with diluted Elmer's white glue to glass jars or use Avery labels for plastic jars. If you are not handy have a friend or student create them for you.
- Pickup your jars from a supplier and avoid the shipping cost. You don't have to buy from a bee supplier (Betterbee is relatively cheap, but see other Beesource posts on the subject).
- Use existing jars. We go through a lot of peanut butter jars and jelly jars at my house. I use these for regular customers and save the purchased jars for retail sales.
- Sell at a premium $$$$$$. You cannot compete with Sue Bee honey. Forget the cheap customers. I sell all my honey for $8 / pound liquid, $10 lb creamed, $15 / lb in the comb.
- Wholesale I give 35% off the retail price.
- I make gift packs out of resawn scrap 2"x4"s which I turn into boxes holding two 8 oz. jars with a plastic honey dipper. They sell for $16 each. They don't sell all that well but attract customers who then buy the other items.
- Give honey sample out. Use disposable taster spoons (see my other posts). I do this at fairs and self-serve at a couple of stores.
- You can make your own woodenware, however honestly I purchase my frames from Walter Kelley and hive boxes from Kelley or Dadant. Even though I'm a woodworker and have all the machinery, it is still more cost effective to buy and assemble (unless you have a free source of lumber). Be sure to glue everything so it lasts longer.
- Give customers $1.00 back for every glass jar returned. You may be able to buy new jars slightly cheaper, but it helps get repeat business (you can buy new lids).
- Work the bee yard, not the hive! Like anything related to efficiency the more time you spend on one hive the less you will make an hour. Its better to lose one hive and make three more from splits than spend to much time nursing a weak hive.
- Standardize your equipment. I use all medium boxes... both for the brood boxes and supers. Less equipment and everything is interchangeable. I can give the bees extra frames of honey from the supers when they need a boost. If I did it all over again I might have even considered 8-frame meds instead of 10-frame.

Hope that helps,

ekrouse


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## johng (Nov 24, 2009)

Thanks Guys!! This has been some great advise. I'm planning on concentrating on making more honey this upcoming year than last. I'll try to build up to about 25 hives this year and slowly build up each year after that. I will also look into the pollination aspect more next year cause the bees will make honey just about anywhere here in North Fl. atleast in the spring and early summer. I just finished putting all my supers together. I've got plenty of deep boxes made already and 12 of the easy nucs I'm going to use for swarm traps. I really have enjoyed working with the bees, its like a sickness I just can't stop. LOL My wife keeps asking me when will I have enough bees, I just keep telling her I don't know. Thanks again guys!


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

It's always good to have a plan. I get accused of always needing a plan, and it's true. but the problem with any farming, especially bees, is the plan never exactly works out. better to think of it as a chess game. You have strategy, rather than plans. Strategy means you have a plan with contingencies and you expect the unexpected but are in a good position when the opportunity happens.

http://bushfarms.com/beesexpectations.htm


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## peacekeeperapiaries (Jun 23, 2009)

Michael Bush said:


> You have strategy, rather than plans. Strategy means you have a plan with contingencies and you expect the unexpected but are in a good position when the opportunity happens.


I like the strategy vs. plan MB, like many I can tell you the bees will deviate from the best laid plan  I have a plan and know where I want to be out about 4 years, but im contantly adjusting my strategies to get there. Had a lofty plan for this past year and quite frankly the bees "schooled" me and they threw the plan in the dumpster, change of strategy ensued.... 

I suggest the following:

Plan on spending money...the bigger the increases in colony numbers you are shooting for the bigger the $$$ that are going to be spent

When purchasing equipment such as extraction stuff, look for used first and buy something you see working in 3-4 years...not what you need right now. what works for 10 hives will be a lot of work and time with 150 hives

Stay ahead of the game with boxes frames etc...its frustrating going into splits having to build everything, get it painted, wire frames ect...

TO turn a profit......sell everything, wax, honey (wholesale and retail) queens, cells, nucs, full hives, royal jelly, pollen, etc....but dont expect a profit for a while....be glad when it starts paying for itself and starts to return a little of your investment.


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

The part that confuses me is. If I have 60 hives and they produce 50 lbs each that is 3000 lbs of honey. How does that not have some profit in it?


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

Great advice in this thread.

I've often heard people say "I don't really care if I make any money or not..." If making a profit isn't a primary goal then it's pretty likely that you won't - in any business.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>The part that confuses me is. If I have 60 hives and they produce 50 lbs each that is 3000 lbs of honey. How does that not have some profit in it? 

Some years they produce 200 lbs each. Some years you feed them all 100 pounds of sugar a piece and the produce nothing... that doesn't have much profit in it. Especially if you also bought a lot of equipment that year. Some years they produce 50 lbs each...


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Eastside,
Profit is what is left over after you deduct all of the expenses from the income made on what you produced. I have had more Profit or Loss from Farming Forms come out a Loss tha I have come out a Profit.

Produce 3,000 lbs of honey. Sell 3,000 lbs of honey. All the time keeping track of Expenses related to the Production and Sale of said honey. Subtract those Expenses from what Income you produced by selling the honey. There's your answer.

Then again, there are other ways to figure profit in beekeeping. Some call them benefits. Working out doors. Working for your self. Travel. Enjoying what you do. Meeting and getting to know other beekeepers. Getting to talk to people who don't know much about what you know alot about. I'm sure you can come up w/ a longer list.


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## Countryboy (Feb 15, 2009)

_The part that confuses me is. If I have 60 hives and they produce 50 lbs each that is 3000 lbs of honey. How does that not have some profit in it? _

60 bottom boards, homemade $5 each, $300 total
60 migratory lids, homemade $5 each, $300 total
60 deeps with frames, $20 each, $1200 total
60 plastic excluders $5 each, $300 total
180 supers with frames, $20 each, $1200 total
60 packages of bees, $70? each, $4200 total
Extractor $1000 minimum

Right there, with a bare bones set-up for honey production, you have a minimum of $8500 invested.

3000 pounds of honey at $2.00 a pound is $6,000 in sales. You are $2500 in the hole.

Or you can spend another $1000 for a bottling tank, and sell the bottles bulk for $3.00 a pound. You are still $500 in the hole that way.

This is not factoring in your time, wear and tear on your truck, fuel, etc.


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## Flewster (Nov 3, 2003)

And next year you are $7500 in the black when you sell that honey. But you should be able to get $5.00 a pound retail if you hustle your butt off working farmers markets and wekend festivals.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Both of you forgot to factor in the cost of jars, caps, and labels.

But you got the gist of the arguement. It takes money to make money. It also takes blood, sweat, and tears. Mostly sweat, I believe. The most succesfull are those who eat, sleep, drink, and etc. beekeeping.


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## S&H (Feb 25, 2010)

Countryboy said:


> ...
> 180 supers with frames, $20 each, $1200 total
> ...


Add another $2400 to the investment; $3600 for the supers...


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## Stonefly7 (Nov 3, 2005)

Your right on Mark. It does take money to make money. That is the truest of statements. I was thinking that earlier. There are a few exceptions who start with nothing and over several years and a lot of luck, can make some profit. 

Then theres the few others who inherited daddys operation and had a leg up. But it still was someones initial investment. 

Then theres the rest of us who are lucky enough to have sufficient resources to dump into our operation to get it to the point of being profitable. Not borrowed money, but our spare income from our jobs.

I always thought of a hobby as something you dump your money into, that brings you enjoyment! Even though its well pass the hobby point, its still enjoyable as ever. I think someone mentioned a "fever" of sorts.

I know alot of hunters who spend thousands on guns and equipment for a deer that I could purchase for 150 bucks from a farm that raises them. They love the hunt, and it brings them enjoyment. Money well spent for them.

Bees are no different for someone who truly enjoys what they are doing. Money well spent!

Kind regards,


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## peacekeeperapiaries (Jun 23, 2009)

sqkcrk said:


> It takes money to make money. It also takes blood, sweat, and tears. Mostly sweat, I believe. The most succesfull are those who eat, sleep, drink, and etc. beekeeping.


I agree, lots of sweat, pullin honey and makin july august splits in Florida.....lots of sweat. 

Hard work, lots of sweat, smart business decisons, a good plan and strategies, might get ya to the break even point.....with a 9 or 10 day work week....you might turn a profit.....but I gotta say I love my bees and cant wait to grow it even bigger


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## Countryboy (Feb 15, 2009)

_Add another $2400 to the investment; $3600 for the supers... _

I was going too fast and tallied 60 supers, instead of 3 supers each for 60 hives. You're right, add another $2400 to your losses.

_Both of you forgot to factor in the cost of jars, caps, and labels._

I didn't add it in for a reason. After deducting those expenses, that's where I get the $3 a pound price in bottles. I can easily get $3 + the price of bottles and labels.

_And next year you are $7500 in the black when you sell that honey. _

Don't forget the cost of mite and disease treatments, and the cost to apply them. Let's not forget the cost of feed to overwinter those bees either. Oh, you had overwintering losses? Now you have to replace bees, and you just gained added management issues because all of your colonies are not equal strength now.

_But you should be able to get $5.00 a pound retail if you hustle your butt off working farmers markets and wekend festivals. _

How are you working farmers markets and weekend festivals when you are busy working your 60 hives, pulling honey, extracting, etc.? 

_The most succesfull are those who eat, sleep, drink, and etc. beekeeping. _

If you are talking about the most successful financially, I disagree. Beekeepers are notoriously bad businessmen. The most financially successful beekeepers are folks with good business sense who pencil things out ahead of time shooting for maximum profitability.

My aunt married a guy who had a PhD in entomology, specializing in honeybees. Uncle Chuck ate, slept, dreamed, and had forgotten more about bees than I will likely ever know. He even bought a 1000 hive commercial bee operation in the Dakotas. 4 years later, he was only running about 400 hives and went belly up. Being infatuated by bees does not make one a successful beekeeper. He went back to teaching about bees at a college.


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## MARBIS (Jun 10, 2010)

Stonefly7 said:


> Then theres the rest of us who are lucky enough to have sufficient resources to dump into our operation to get it to the point of being profitable. Not borrowed money, but our spare income from our jobs.
> 
> I always thought of a hobby as something you dump your money into, that brings you enjoyment! Even though its well pass the hobby point, its still enjoyable as ever. I think someone mentioned a "fever" of sorts.
> 
> ...


This is how I see it. New passion that justifies my spending. Most of the honey I harvested this year, gave away as samples of what it's gonna be in years to come.
This year got 120 deeps, 1200 frames, 12 nuc boxes, 50 sbb, 50 telescoping covers. Ordered 10 deeps of bees for next spring, queens to do splits...
Am I going to make some money, one day? I hope so, but not any time soon.
In the meantime I enjoy this beekeeping thing. Watching bees fly in and out of hives makes me forget about time, stress and after an hour in apiary my bateries are recharged. Money well spent.


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## MeadFarm (Nov 4, 2009)

Make mead! It's only 1/5th honey and you can sell it for much more than honey!..of course there's the additional labor and marketing and distribution. Oh, I guess making a profit is hard.


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## Countryboy (Feb 15, 2009)

_Make mead! It's only 1/5th honey and you can sell it for much more than honey!..of course there's the additional labor and marketing and distribution. Oh, I guess making a profit is hard._

How much mead do you have to make for it to be worth the hassles of jumping through all the ATF hoops?


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## Capricorn (Apr 20, 2009)

I think you're looking at about 2K annually for all the licensing required for alcohol production.. I've toyed around with the idea of opening a brewery...


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Countryboy said:


> How much mead do you have to make for it to be worth the hassles of jumping through all the ATF hoops?


I do know a cpl of beekeepers who morphed into mead and wine producers and are doing quite well. So it can be worth the hassles if you do it correctly.


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## KeithC (Jun 15, 2010)

Commercial Meadery = Good Place to Sell Honey


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## MeadFarm (Nov 4, 2009)

As with most business endeavors you need to be motivated even passionate to do something that others may see as difficult or not worth the hassle. We have been making mead commercially for 13 years @ about 5000 cases a year. Within the next 10 years we should be @ 20,000 cases.
There's definitely a profit in it but yes, it takes time, effort and sacrifice. Not exactly a get rich quick scheme. 
When all is said and done, we do what we love - and that sure beats making a living doing something you hate.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

The advice that I have been getting for the last cpl of years is to have a Business Plan. W/ Mission and Vision Statements and SWOT Analysis and a bunch of other things.

I wonder how many potential sideline commercial beekeepers would give up before even starting if they went thru the Business Plan Process and didn't see enuf profit at the end of the first year?

How many beekeepers who are truely in business have Business Plans? What's your Mission Statement?


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

As mentioned, its one thing to sell honey and related products out the front door or at farmer's markets. But its quite something else to sell an alcoholic product. But gifts? As well as personal consumption? That's something else. 
Regards,
Steven


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

"If all you have is a hammer, the whole world is a nail."

What if all you have is tons of honey? What is the whole world then?


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## peacekeeperapiaries (Jun 23, 2009)

sqkcrk said:


> what if all you have is tons of honey? What is the whole world then?


sticky


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

sqkcrk said:


> "If all you have is a hammer, the whole world is a nail."
> 
> What if all you have is tons of honey? What is the whole world then?


 sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!


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## bigbearomaha (Sep 3, 2009)

> How do you sideliners turn a profit?


usually on it's back, it usually snores less that way.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Is that your Business Plan, bbo?


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## bigbearomaha (Sep 3, 2009)

You keep believing that.


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

I love all the advice given in this thread. I found it quite helpful.

I turn a profit by keeping costs low. I'm not above buying used equipment or making my own, though time is often in short supply. Right now I'm assembly frames and fixing hive bodies in anticipation of next spring. I always on the look out for scrap sugar and buckets from the local bakery. I buy equipment to be delivered at the beekeeping conventions to save on shipping.

I turn a profit by selling retail. I sell from my driveway (honor box) and at farmer's markets. I also sell quite a bit wholesale to other stores, and while not as profitable, I make more money on the volume. Setting up and running the booth at the farmer's market takes a lot of time. But part of selling is customer relations.

I also turn a profit by discounting my labor. I view beekeeping as a therapeutic endeavor to keep my sanity. It's more of an income-producing hobby. If I had to, I would pay to keep bees.

Grant
Jackson, MO


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## RiodeLobo (Oct 11, 2010)

I have a side line question. 

I am just starting out and am already hooked and planning for the future. With in 2 years i am planning on having about 15-20 hives. After that i want to expand and move into the small farm/garden pollination market (I call it retail pollination). 

The question is what is the best way to market to the person who has 5-10 acres with some fruit trees and a garden? Is this a market that even is viable? I know it is a service i would use, but than i am into bees. 
Thanks
Dan


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## chillardbee (May 26, 2005)

I think the first part of getting to where you want to be with your sideline beekeeping adventure is to know how many hives your gonna want to run. 75 -100 is a good number, 200 can be done as well. i've heard of some people doing 600 but then at that point you've got little time for anything else.

lets say that 75 was your target goal. It well be important to make that hives you have now profitable. excluding pollenation, the honey production will be the main source of income from the bees. so look at what you will need to make each unit profitable. you will need-2 brood supers, an excluder, honeysupers (how many per hive will depend on whether you want to take them off regularly through the season or do only one pull at the end of the season), lids, innercovers, and bottoms. you will also need a extractor (i suggest ten frame radial), and a sump (300lb-400lb) and a barrel to strain your honey into. the extractor and sump will be your best and most important investment, even a 4 frame hand crank to start with would suffice. the key here is to get the honey out of the comb and get it as clear as possible for a product that will fetch a top price.

That being siad, you will need a bee proof shed or workshop. you will most likely sell the majority of your honey to a local packer and keep some back for family an freinds. you will need a fairly reliable truck or a freind who has one. Did i mention a strong back, you'll need one of those too.

other things you might need is a uncapping knife or plane, bee blower, honey drip boards, wax handeling equipment, ect. most of these things are nessesary to make the job more effecient and easier.

the difficult part here is to know when to make those investments. for me personally, i would stay at 20 hives until I had it some what effecient. Once i was at 40 hives I would try to make it twice as effecient. 

Idon't know your area but lets say through the course of a season you got a 150lb average. A good clean product at the end might fetch 1.50/pound in the pial to the packer, more or less, so that is 225/hive. If you could set a goal to do that with 20 hives, you could get 4500.00 at the end of the season minus the expences for your operation (feed, gas, pest managment, ect) treat your hives right and if your expence was 50.00 per hive, you would have 3500 to reinvest. asuming you had all other equipment, 3500 could give you the nessesary equipment to increase, if you were to say 5 supers, lid, bottom, innercover, and excluder was around 200.00 that would make a new unit, you could get you another 17 hives to increase the following year. make the increase into the drawn honey comb you have and let the strong hives draw out the foundation.

there's so many ways of getting started though. the simplest would to be to buy someone out or buying used equipment too. And after saying all of this, this is asumming that we are dealing with ideal conditions and as we all well know, those conditions don't seem to be here anymore.

Good luck on your endevure, may the bees rain honey on you.


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## Countryboy (Feb 15, 2009)

_The question is what is the best way to market to the person who has 5-10 acres with some fruit trees and a garden? Is this a market that even is viable? I know it is a service i would use, but than i am into bees. _

For the past few years (maybe longer) a local garden club comes to our bee club spring meeting. They pack the place. They show an interest in bees, but they don't seem to pursue it any further. (I wonder if they get scared off by the initial cost.)

I have always heard that the easiest way to double your production in a garden is to get a hive of bees. (Use this advertising pitch.) If you wanted to start some kind of small garden oriented pollination, I think there is a market for pollinating by targeting the garden clubs and folks who want to have bees around because they feel like they are helping the environment.


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## Merlyn Votaw (Jun 23, 2008)

Everyone has a different opnion but I think you need polination contracts along with selling the honey.So far I haven't been the salseman to convince the farmer hee needs bees for polination.


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## arnaud (Aug 2, 2009)

Marketing, marketing, marketing.


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## jjgbee (Oct 12, 2006)

You live in Jacksonville FL. I would be looking for an old beek with a good Tupelo site and buy him out. I had a good day job as you mentioned you did. I bought a 350 dodge flat bed and accelerated the depreciation. That made my tax obligation almost "O". I put a fifth wheel hitch on the flat bed, then bought a Nice 5th wheel rv. Called it my northern location housing. Again took accelerated depreciation. Bees paid for that through the tax right off. Farmers gripe about not making money but if you look close, the only thing that is not a business write off is the family sedan. Back to that Tupelo honey. Probably the best honey in the world. Sell it on a corner where the tourist traffic is heavy. Keep your numbers low so you have time to also sell retail. A 1 ton will carry 60 doubles nicely. I did operate up to 450 and then back down to 250 but am located only 70 miles from Almonds which doubled my profit. About every 4 years we would have a honey flow that would bring in enough to pay back the cost of the whole outfit.


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## Yuleluder (Mar 2, 2005)

When people think about honey bees they automatically think honey=money. I look at honey as a byproduct, it is not a central part of my business. The real money seems to be in the bees themselves. The demand for bees has yet to be met at least around my area. Everyone I know sells out of bees every year and has for many years. Of course you need colony resources to sell bees, so an initial investment is needed to get there. It doesn't matter what business your in, there is always an initial start up cost. If you have enough passion and desire you can be successful in anything you choose to do. Marketing and good customer service will drive your business.


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## tarheit (Mar 26, 2003)

I agree with Yuleluder. Honey is a byproduct and sometimes gets in the way of producing the real money crop. Queens and bees. The demand is huge for northern queens as long as you take the time to raise good queens and just don't push them out of the door as soon as they lay the first egg.

If you depend on honey alone you can loose your shirt many years because production is just not dependable in any one location. But I can always produce queens.

Still I don't do it for the income and I do have a day job. You have to do it because you love it.

-Tim


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

tarheit said:


> If you depend on honey alone you can loose your shirt many years because production is just not dependable in any one location....You have to do it because you love it.
> 
> -Tim


That's why I have several locations, and production varies differently in different years, especially in the flood plains. And if you don't have passion and energy for this kind of work, my guess you're doing something else.

Grant
Jackson, MO


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## arnaud (Aug 2, 2009)

I decided this year I would turn a profit. I've been doing a lot of business planning, reading a lot about beekeeping, and I'll actually be building some of my equipment myself to save on costs. My few hives are doing great. Getting a few more packages in the spring.

I've identified a real demand for local/regional "natural" honey, and I'm also thinking about selling varietal honeys from other areas. Assuming I don't lose 100% of my colonies this year, I should actually make a little bit of money by the end of 2011.

Now this will be - hopefully - achieved through extensive marketing. It's something I'm familiar with through my experience in other fields, and I hope I'll do a decent job applying it to my own honeys (and possibly other people's).

Maybe I'll fail. Maybe not. But I'm going to give it a shot.

As far as bees and queens, it's definitely something I would love to learn. I only know how to make a few splits (successful so far), and I've caught a couple of swarms. That's the extent of my experience outside of my established hives. I would love for a beekeeping old-timer to teach me the in-and-outs of queen-rearing, but there aren't any in my area. If however there were, I would definitely jump on the opportunity to learn, because there is a huge demand for it.


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## NorthernIllinoisPlumber (Aug 17, 2010)

My profit will be the added benefit of offering honey to my customers as a "thanks for your business." 

When I had chickens I used to bring eggs. 

I live in the suburbs north of Chicago. People travel to farmers markets for all sorts of produce, anything to get away from the stuff at the big box stores. 

My profit is a happy customer, one who does not hesitate to throw my name out there when they hear of someones plumbing problems.


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