Episode 107, Having A Beekeeping Business, Ben's Bees!

Episode 107 of the Bees with Ben podcast is likely to be the last for two or three months, as spring has sprung and Ben is busy contending with his usual hectic workload at this time of year. This episode is also a little different, as Ben gives us some insight into his journey thus far and offers some advice for those possibly thinking of setting up a beekeeping business. First of all, it’s hard work; Ben tells us that his next day off is likely to be Christmas Day, so you have to love the bees to be in this business. Back to beginnings. As a chef in the 90s, at one stage Ben used to work 90 hours per week, with two full-time jobs. Perhaps that was partly responsible for reinforcing the work ethic that is required as a beekeeper, but working nights with a young family certainly wasn’t ideal. Ben had always been interested in strange critters, and in 2004 he was offered a job at Amazing Amazon, a shop in Melbourne that deals in unusual pets like reptiles, fish, spiders and the like. Four days into cleaning fish tanks, Ben was wondering why he had swapped cooking for celebrities for the bottom of the barrel in a pet shop, but he persevered and eventually became the manager of the business. In his downtime he ran a few bee hives, but by about 2008 he was getting right into bees, catching a few swarms, selling bees, etc. The bees started to take over, and Ben went from five days a week at the pet shop to four and then three. Then one day about six years ago, the owner of the shop wanted to talk to Ben about the wages bill, and Ben told him that he simply couldn’t do it anymore. And with that he became a full-time beekeeper. Initially, things went well; the income from removing swarms was good, and Ben also started eradicating European wasps (people were often calling him for bees mistakenly, when they had a wasp infestation), and this necessitated accreditation with a pest control license. Incidentally, Ben believes it is important to charge for removal of swarms; it is, after all, a service which requires appropriate expertise and equipment, plus insurance, certifications, etc., all of which cost money. Anyway, after about Easter, things started to go quiet. Ben had been pouring money back into his business but was forced to max out a $40,000 credit card limit to make ends meet. Fortunately, soon it was September again, and along came some lucrative pollination jobs. Ben points to the importance of diversification, of finding your niche and of working with people and finding people you can work with - even if they are from completely different industries. He also learnt a valuable lesson from the only bad review he has received. One day, when it was hot and the bees were stinging, a man rang Ben’s mobile for a chat. Ben made the mistake of answering the phone but his manner was (perhaps understandably) a little short and sweet. Consequently, now Ben doesn’t answer the phone unless he can give the caller his full and undivided attention. Ben has some valuable tips about marketing and branding too; he says that every post he puts on social media is evaluated by three criteria; it must entertain, educate and inspire. He cautions against undervaluing both yourself and the bees (“If you’re too cheap, it’s a race to the bottom”) and underscores the value of excellent service, and of staying positive (“Don’t think negative thoughts….be excited, because the job we do as a beekeeper is a marvelous job”). Ben says that he is still learning and evolving, and reveals that he once even went to comedy school in an effort to make his interactions with customers more memorable! www.bensbees.com.au