James C Bach wrote:
>
> I recently made come comments about the increased production of two queen
> vs single queen colonies.  Someone replied that my two queen colonies made
> 85 lbs. while two single-queen colonies make 60x2=120 lbs.  Apparently it
> never entered his mind to think about the cost of operating a hive.  This
> is typical of most beekeepers, and is one of the reasons why the industry
> is in its current economic straits.
>
> Over the years I've talked with many beekeepers who wanted to give up jobs
> paying 40K  or more per year to go into commercial beekeeping.  They had
> been developing their plans for two years but had never analyzed what it
> costs in cash and time to operate a commercial operation.  Neither had they
> consulted commercal beekeepers about their costs.  They had talked about
> the income side, but not about the time costs.
 
How refreshing it is to hear your comments on this topic.  I am
self-employed but not as a beekeeper.  Anyone who runs a business knows
that there are many aspects that affect the bottom line and to
concentrate on one and neglect the others is poor business.  I tend to
be a perfectionist.  This can have positive effects on a business if
used the right way but it can be a real burden too if not properly kept
in balance.  I've learned the hard/slow way about this lesson.
 
Look at the areas in your business that aren't your strengths and ask
yourself if there is something you can do to improve it.  If your not
open to taking an honest look at your business in all areas then you are
likely to get stuck in a rut and not make the kind of changes necessary
to make the money you could be making.  If you are only looking at the
income side and not accounting for the time side, you will be the
loser.  They do go hand in hand.
 
Sure enjoyed your input on this.  You obviously speak from experience.
 
Regards
 
-Barry
 
--
Barry Birkey
West Chicago, Illinois  USA
[log in to unmask]
http://www.birkey.com