For many people, beekeeping begins as a pastime. It doesn’t take long for them to understand what an interesting and rewarding profession it may be. Beekeeping is more than simply gathering honey; it’s about getting to know your bees, their mannerisms, and how they react to their natural surroundings. What would it be like to turn your passion into a career?
Table of Contents
Follow these ten steps to start a beekeeping business:
Plan your Beekeeping Enterprise
Create a legal entity for your beekeeping business.
Register your apiary for tax purposes.
Create a Business Bank Account and a Credit Card
Create an accounting system for your beekeeping business.
Get the Permits and Licenses You Need for Your Beekeeping Business
Purchase Beekeeping Business Insurance
Create a brand for your beekeeping business.
Make a website for your beekeeping business.
Configure your Business Phone System
Starting a company entails more than just registering it with the state. We’ve put up this basic guide to getting started in the beekeeping industry. These stages will guarantee that your new company is well-planned, correctly registered, and legally compliant.
STEP 1: Make a business plan.
A well-thought-out strategy is vital for entrepreneur success. It will assist you in mapping out the intricacies of your organisation and uncovering some unknowns. Consider the following crucial topics:
What are the initial and continuing expenses?
Who is your intended audience?
How much money may you charge your customers?
Fortunately, we have done a lot of the legwork for you.
What are the expenses of starting a beekeeping business?
The site on which you will keep your bees will be the most valuable element of your investment. You’ll need to buy or rent enough acreage for your bees to forage. If you’re concerned about having too much land, remember that bigger locations may be developed into, but tiny bits of property might stifle development.
Once you’ve located a suitable location for your bees, you’ll need the following items:
$130 for bees with queen
$10-$30 for a veil
$10 for the Hive tool
$16 for a bee smoker
$15-$170 for a beekeeper’s outfit
$10-$40 for gloves
$30 for Beekeeper’s Boots
Each fully constructed hive costs $270.
$6 for a bee brush
$27 for an escape board
Honey extractors range in price from $100 to $260.
$30 for an electrically heated knife
$7 for 4 yards of cheesecloth
Winter clothing for individuals that live in colder areas
Your first investment should also include the creation of a website, the creation of marketing materials, and the purchase of an insurance policy as advised by your attorney or agent.
What are the continuing costs of running a beekeeping business?
Beehives that are well-maintained may live for more than 30 years, greatly cutting your continuing costs. Depending on your unique demands, annual prices for extra supplies should range between $80-$100 per hive.
Who is the intended audience?
You will have two categories of customers: those who buy honey and those who buy beeswax items. Individual sales will be your bread and butter when you initially start out. You’ll want to target bigger clientele as you create a reputation for yourself in the neighbourhood. Restaurants and health food shops may buy your items in bulk, making the sales process simpler.
How can a beekeeping company generate revenue?
Your beekeeping company will make money by selling honey and other bee-related items. Some beekeepers hire out their bees for commercial crop pollination depending on their location and demand.
How much money may you charge your customers?
Prices vary based on the product, size, and manufacturing method. Honey is often sold in pounds, with a 1.5 pound container of raw honey costing $11 and a 3 pound jar costing $21. A pound of local bee pollen costs about $10.
How much money can a beekeeping company make?
A variety of things influence annual profit. What items do you intend to sell? How many colonies do you plan to have? What part of the nation do you reside in, and how is the weather? If the weather is nice and the pests are few, 800 colonies might make $90,000 every year.
How can you increase the profitability of your company?
Other beekeepers have used the following tactics to guarantee a more lucrative business:
Rent out your bees for agricultural pollination.
Produce and sell a wide range of items such as honey, beeswax, lip balm, tinctures, and hand lotion.
Selling pollen is an excellent strategy to boost your yearly earnings.
Some beekeepers have had success by providing bee sting treatment.
Rear queen bees or sell in bulk
Make a tax-deductible donation of honey to a local food bank or kitchen.
STEP 2: Establish a legal entity
Sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation are the most frequent business structure forms.
If your beekeeping company is sued, forming a formal business organisation, such as an LLC or corporation, prevents you from being held personally accountable.
STEP 3: File your taxes
Before you can begin for business, you must register for a number of state and federal taxes.
To register for taxes, you will need to get an EIN. It’s really simple and completely free!
Taxes on Small Businesses
Depending on the business form you choose, you may have multiple choices for how your company is taxed. Some LLCs, for example, may benefit from being taxed as a S company (S corp).
These guides will teach you more about small company taxes:
Taxes on LLCs
LLC vs. sole proprietorship
Corporation vs. LLC
S Corp vs. LLC
How to Form a S Corporation
S Corporation vs. C Corporation
There may be state taxes that apply to your company. In our state sales tax guides, you may learn more about state sales taxes and franchise taxes.
STEP 4: Establish a company bank account and credit card
Personal asset protection requires the use of distinct business banking and credit accounts.
When you combine your personal and business accounts, your personal assets (your house, vehicle, and other possessions) are at danger if your company is sued. This is known as penetrating your company veil in business law.
Furthermore, understanding how to develop corporate credit may help you get credit cards and other financing in your company’s name (rather than your own), lower interest rates, larger lines of credit, and other benefits.
Establish a business bank account.
Opening a business bank account is not only required when asking for business financing, but it also:
Separates your personal assets from the assets of your firm, which is required for personal asset protection.
It simplifies bookkeeping and tax reporting.
Create a net 30 account.
Net 30 accounts are used to develop and grow company credit while also increasing cash flow. Businesses use a net 30 account to purchase items and refund the whole debt within a 30-day period.
Many net 30 credit suppliers submit information to the main business credit agencies (Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Business Credit). This is how firms establish business credit in order to get approved for credit cards and other lines of credit.
Apply for a business credit card.
Obtaining a business credit card benefits you in the following ways:
Put all of your company’s costs in one location to separate personal and business spending.
Build your company’s credit history, which will be important for raising funds in the future.
STEP 5: Establish business accounting
Recording your numerous costs and sources of revenue is crucial to assessing your company’s financial status. Keeping precise and thorough accounting also makes yearly tax filing much easier.
STEP 6: Obtain all required permissions and licences
Failure to get appropriate permissions and licences may result in significant penalties or possibly the closure of your firm.
Requirements for State and Local Business Licensing
In most jurisdictions, obtaining several honey processing permits is required. Visit the Small Business Administration’s reference to state licences and permits to learn more about licencing requirements in your state.
Because honey is a product of this company, you will need to get a licence from your local health authority. All businesses that provide and/or prepare food must pass a health inspection. Here are some pointers for passing a health inspection.
For additional information on local licences and permissions, please visit:
Check with the clerk’s office in your town, city, or county.
Contact one of the local organisations mentioned in the US Small Business Associations database of local business resources for help.
Occupancy Certificate
A beekeeping company is often conducted on a site that includes a honey-processing facility known as a honey house. A Certificate of Occupancy is often required for businesses that operate from a physical site (CO). A CO certifies that all building rules, zoning laws, and government restrictions were followed.
If you want to buy or construct a honey home on your property:
It is your responsibility to secure a valid CO from a local government entity.
Examine all building regulations and zoning criteria for the site of your Beekeeping Business to verify compliance and the ability to acquire a CO.
STEP 7: Obtain commercial insurance.
Insurance, like licences and permits, is required for your company to operate safely and legally. In the case of a covered loss, business insurance protects your company’s financial well-being.
There are several sorts of insurance plans designed for various types of companies with varying risks. If you are unaware about the hazards that your company may encounter, start with General Liability Insurance. This is the most popular coverage required by small companies, so it’s a good place to start for yours.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance is another important insurance product that many companies need. If your company will have workers, your state may require you to purchase Workers’ Compensation insurance.
STEP 8: Establish your brand
Your company’s brand is what it stands for, as well as how the public perceives it. A strong brand will help your company stand out from the crowd.
How to Market and Promote a Beekeeping Business
Education is one of the most effective strategies to advertise your company. Many customers are ignorant of the advantages of eating local honey and instead buy it at the grocery store. Create a website and write frequent articles to educate people on common myths and misunderstandings. Don’t overlook the most cost-effective advertising tool for any small business: social networking.
Get out into the community to establish a name for yourself. Participate in local activities as well as farmers and flea markets. Visit natural retailers and restaurants in your neighbourhood; many will buy your items for resale and to use in their own recipes.
How to Keep Customers Returning
You will gain a devoted following if you constantly provide high-quality items. Word of mouth is frequently the most effective marketing technique for a small firm in a specialised industry, and good customer experiences speak volumes.
STEP 9: Create your company’s website.
After you’ve defined your brand and designed your logo, the next step is to build a website for your company.
While developing a website is an important step, some may be concerned that it is out of their grasp due to a lack of website-building skills. While this was a fair concern in 2015, online technology has made significant advances in recent years, making the lives of small company owners considerably easier.
The following are the primary reasons why you should not put off developing your website:
Every genuine company has a website, period. When it comes to bringing your company online, it doesn’t matter what size or sector it is.
Social media accounts, such as Facebook pages or LinkedIn company profiles, are not a substitute for your own business website.
STEP 10: Install your company phone system.
Getting a phone for your company is one of the finest methods to keep your personal and professional lives distinct and private. That isn’t the only advantage; it also helps you automate your company, provides it legitimacy, and makes it simpler for prospective clients to identify and contact you.