Bulk wholesale prices

[Brosville]

there is another way......... rather than aiming for "bulk" and mass-market production, look instead at a "niche" product where you do two things - firstly, increase the public's favourable impression of your honey, and market it as a premium product, at a very premium price, and shorten the distance between you and the consumer as much as possible - you'll get the very best price selling directly (the internet is a wonderful medium for that), second best selling to a retail outlet - if you flog it by the tanker load you'll get clutter all..........
"Frithgar's raw comb and unfiltered* honey, craftsman produced in small batches in Cornwall with love......." 170g jar £5.99, postage extra............

* there is method in my madness - you sell what some may think as a disadvantage as a unique selling point - what you are saying to a particular part of the market is "this is natural, it varies, it may be cloudy, it may crystallise, it's got all the goodness left in it, like wholemeal bread........ and because we do it by hand in small batches, it's reassuringly expensive.........."

 

[Frithgar]

My current idea/plan was to market as much as I could in the area, bottled by myself along with cut-comb and sections, as well as propolis (going for buckfast bees so will have excess of this). Also wax products in the mix as well. The remaining honey would be sold bulk as it would be near impossible to market the produce form 250+ hives entirely in this area and still have enough time to actually produce the honey. I'm not planning to have bulk honey production as the only income.

 

[Heather]

I am trying to bulk buy Apiguard but not having much response. I need 16 boxes of 10- Owen yet to reply , local loathe to discount apparently. Maisemore yet to respond
Any more suggestions??

 

[MJBee]

With a risk of stating the obvious, have you considered Th**nes? They do a 3kg tub - the equivalent of 6 boxes of ten. They may give you a discount on the quantity you want. Mike

 

[Haughton Honey]

I am trying to bulk buy Apiguard but not having much response. I need 16 boxes of 10- Owen yet to reply , local loathe to discount apparently. Maisemore yet to respond
Any more suggestions??

Why don't you make your own Heather.........?

 

[Abba Bees]

Just a quick one, does anyone here sell bulk honey to a wholesaler?
If so what price do you get for it?

I ask because I'm looking to expanding my beekeeping this coming year as much as I can afford, then I will be looking at loans/prices and business plans etc in order to start doing it full time in 2-3 years. I've found 100's of prices for direct sales for jars, cut comb, comb sections, novelty presentation packs of differant types of honey etc, but drawing a blank on wholesale prices.
It's kind of important that I get this right as I need to build business plans around these prices so some names of bulk buyers would be appreciated.

To be honest, most of the answers you got were typically British
You have made your mind up to be a bee farmer, go and do it.
I have the same plan I have for myself, I only have 2 hives, I stated with 1 and they swarmed, so I caught the swarm, popped them into the nuc that I originally got with the first lot, Bingo 2 hives, yes you will have problems along the way, but you will deal with them as they come along.
Go for it, if you plan it well, by rearing your own queen, breeding your own stock, or buy your queens in, it should cost a lot to get started, its only time you need, you can purchase hive for $40 plus frames and foundation.

Watch this video on Youtube, i found it inspirational
The Sustainable Apiary by Mike Palmer
I cannot post the url as I do not have enough post

 

[Davelin]

To be honest, most of the answers you got were typically British
You have made your mind up to be a bee farmer, go and do it.
I have the same plan I have for myself, I only have 2 hives, I stated with 1 and they swarmed, so I caught the swarm, popped them into the nuc that I originally got with the first lot, Bingo 2 hives, yes you will have problems along the way, but you will deal with them as they come along.
Go for it, if you plan it well, by rearing your own queen, breeding your own stock, or buy your queens in, it should cost a lot to get started, its only time you need, you can purchase hive for $40 plus frames and foundation.

Watch this video on Youtube, i found it inspirational
The Sustainable Apiary by Mike Palmer
I cannot post the url as I do not have enough post

If it were that simple you'd think we'd all be doing it, and be millionaires by now!!

 

[Abba Bees]

If it were that simple you'd think we'd all be doing it, and be millionaires by now!!

Dave, it is simple, what is the difficult part???

 

[Dan Job]

This thread is 4 yrs old! We should have an answer by now, Frithgar? Any luck?

 

[Alabamaeee]

Either he is too busy to post since taking the plunge or he has given up being a Beek.

His last post was Feb 2011

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

To be honest, most of the answers you got were typically British
You have made your mind up to be a bee farmer, go and do it.
I have the same plan I have for myself, I only have 2 hives, I stated with 1 and they swarmed, so I caught the swarm, popped them into the nuc that I originally got with the first lot, Bingo 2 hives, yes you will have problems along the way, but you will deal with them as they come along.
Go for it, if you plan it well, by rearing your own queen, breeding your own stock, or buy your queens in, it should cost a lot to get started, its only time you need, you can purchase hive for $40 plus frames and foundation.

Watch this video on Youtube, i found it inspirational
The Sustainable Apiary by Mike Palmer
I cannot post the url as I do not have enough post

Update us in two years' time as to how your plan is doing Abba, see if it's still as easy

 

[BeeJayBee]

you can purchase hive for $40 plus frames and foundation.

Not in Britain you can't!

 

[Davelin]

Dave, it is simple, what is the difficult part???

Speaking as someone whose father struggled to make a living from bees 60years ago, quite a lot I can assure you. And In those days it was possible to make a living from small scale farming, that is not the case now.

There is a world of difference between running a few hives as a hobby that might bring in a bit of pocket money, than looking at empty supers in July and wondering how you sure going to feed your family for the next year.

 

[sipa]

The armchair beekeepers, who have never had the courage to run a business will always say you can't make money out of bees.

Frankly, that's rubbish.

Do it right and run the operation as a BUSINESS and you can make plenty !

 

[richardbees]

...." most important things a beefarmer needs are a spouse in regular employment"...

 

[Hivemaker.]

...." most important things a beefarmer needs are a spouse in regular employment"...

I agree, i employ my missus in our bee business.

 

[Midland Beek]

...." most important things a beefarmer needs are a spouse in regular employment"...

... and an already paid off mortgage.

... and a retirement pension from some former well-paid position of employment.

 

[For want of a better word]

This thread is 4 yrs old! We should have an answer by now, Frithgar? Any luck?

Hear tell he went to the wall?

Nos da

 

[ladaok]

Hear tell he went to the wall?

Nos da

sounds as if you chaps struggle over there.

My 1st season as a semi com neted me close to $5000 from 16 hives, the following season, $3000, and I lost all my hives bar 3 ...[/B]VARROA, I just dropped the ball. End of last season a true com helped out, and we just split and split, as of right now, I'm about to split again, as this is spring over here i'm going for 50 hives. With a lot of good management, and a bit of luck, maybe $20,000, and a split Feb 2017, will give 100 for the next season,
If I scored a good Manooka site, with 50 hives & the other 50 odd on mixed floral there's a good chance of walking away with $65,000. which is peanuts compared to those beeks with maybe 2-3,000 hives
Jealous ? ... you all have the ability, just the wrong country

 

[Plenty of honey]

... and an already paid off mortgage.

... and a retirement pension from some former well-paid position of employment.

this helps too:


http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=13679&stc=1&d=1477291676