P-O could have been describing our business - right down to the shipping container.  My husband and I run 60 hives alongside  our (more than) full-time jobs and young family here in New Zealand.   We take all our boxes to a commercial packer for extraction, they buy the honey extracted, and we get to concentrate on being the best beekeepers we can be, as opposed to packers, marketers, etc.   We've looked seriously at setting up a honey house, but the expense of set up, the extra hours involved in extraction and packing, not to mention marketing - farmers markets etc are a huge commitment.  We've decided we'd far rather keep doing as we are - the outcome is better for the wallet, the spirit and the family. 
 
 >Juanse: No problem with to high temperature inside in summer?

> >P-O:  A used sea container is a cheap winter storage for boxes.

Not so far.  Of course, by the time we hit January/February summer high temperatures, all the boxes are on the hives collecting honey, so there's no wax to speak of left in the container.  The few boxes with foundation that come off in late summer because the bees have stopped drawing new comb have not suffered any damage, despite sometimes still high temperatures.. 

It is a very hard crossover - that line between 'the business is too big to fit into a weekend' and 'can't afford to leave the day job'.  If you're growing the business as you can afford it and in the fortunate position of being able to scale back the day job in steps rather than having to take an all-or-nothing leap, that's do-able.  Alternatively, the next step probably involves buying out a full-time operation where you've been able to do the figures and the business plan is supported by the bank so you can ditch the day job.    Gradual growth and having to ditch the day job without the business being fully developed.. that's a Catch 22. 

Deanna Corbett
Hawke's Bay, New Zealand   

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