[vc_row][vc_column][vc_message]Niche : Home and Living
Shop link : https://www.etsy.com/shop/HoneyLakeBeeCompany
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/honeylakebeecompany/
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/honeylakebeecompany
Website : https://honeylakebeecompany.com/[/vc_message][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]”
Tell us something about yourself. What is your niche? How did you get your idea or concept for the business?
It all started 45 years ago when I was learning the art of keeping honey bees. I always wanted to start my own business and then I was fired from my employer after 24 years. This was the motivation to start anew with the idea that was brewing in my mind for 45 years and my wife and I began Honey Lake Bee Co. A desire to create a business around raising honey bees locally, sustainably, and making healthy products from our honeybees. At the same time fill a niche where the big box stores could not. We sell local honey, pure beeswax candles, hand made creams and lip balms, and more!
What are your responsibilities as a business owner?
Owner, beekeeper, candle maker, shipper, online store maintainer, accountant, and more…
What are your best selling products, what type of materials are used in your creations, how do you design your products, what makes your products stand out?
Honey for sure but close behind is our candles, beeswax wraps, creams, etc. Also, our creamed honey and honeycomb are amazing!
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What do you enjoy most about being an entrepreneur? What’s the hardest about it?
Freedom to do what I love – to make people happy and work with amazing honeybees!
Who do you sell to (and how do you get customers)? What marketing tools or strategies you use to boost your sales? Are you satisfied with the results?
We sell through Farmers Markets, our own website, and Etsy. It has taken a few years to develop a customer base, but it has increased each year grown.
Do you believe there is a winning formula for becoming a successful entrepreneur? What is yours?
Believe in yourself – work hard and don’t stop. Listen to your customers. There were several products I did not think would be worth selling, and now are our top sellers. They all came from our customers asking for them.
What was the toughest moment you have experienced in your business practice? How did you succeed to get over it and move forward?
After being fired and wondering if I really had a good idea or not. We just keep believing in our mission and adjusting to our customer’s ideas.
What inspires you when you’re creating? How do you get ideas for new products? What are some methods or tools you use to get creative?
Our customers, searching around Etsy and other sites to get new ideas.
Do you ship your product internationally? How do you handle postage pricing? What is the average time it takes from the order to the delivery? Do you use free shipping? If so, why? How do you package your products?
We have sent some internationally, but in most cases, it has been more of an issue with customs than it is worth for us.
What would you say are the key elements for starting and running a successful online business?
Keeping the site “fresh”, using great pictures and adjusting as needed. Responding to customers quickly is also important.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who are starting out?
Start slow and listen to what your customers say. They will leave you little bits of useful information.
How do you personally define business success? Is it money? Freedom? Influence? Creative expression and innovation? Something else?
Monday is important, if you don’t make money your business will not last long. We won’t sell a product unless it is up to our high standards. It is important that our business name means quality. Success for me is also the freedom to do as I wish!
Describe your day-to-day operation. How do you manage your time?
We have been working more now than we ever did before. But it is different – we take lunch when we want, we can go do something in the middle of the day and I love working with honeybees, so that doesn’t work for me!
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How do you plan on growing your business? What is the biggest impact on your profitability?
We will most likely start hiring help in the next year. That is a big step for us. We want to control the quality. Eventually a brick and mortar store… maybe.
What are some things you did to set your shop for success on Etsy? What is one lesson you learned the hard way?
Good pictures are key. Purchasing ads help get your product noticed.
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