We were lucky to catch up with Rayann Wilcox recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Rayann thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?
Am I happy as a business owner? Most days I do say yes, but I get tired and wonder if it would be easier to work a regular job. Small business owners such as my self, are their own boss, laborer, manager, HR, market manager and everything else in between. Imagine this, you get up in the morning, ready for the day, get to work in the bee yards and then 10 phone calls come. You have to stop what you are doing to the hives to take each and every phone call. The first phone call is pleasant and ends quickly, but the next 5 take an hour out of working the bees. Each person needs different things and now your running out of time to get the bees taken care of. Leaving the phone in the truck, you quickly finish up what needs to be done to head to the next yard. Then you hop in the truck with the phone ringing again, and you need to run to the neighboring town to catch a swarm of bees. There goes the plan of checking and managing 100 colonies that day. You get home and set down for dinner later in the day, the phone rings again even before you can take one bite of dinner. On the road again, because another swarm needs to be caught. Time is essential when managing and catching bees. Bees don’t wait for anything. When a call comes, nothing matters but getting to the call fast. This is most of my summer, running around from yard to yard and phone call to phone call coming in pulling me in 10 different directions. Sleep and relaxing is non-existent during the busy season. Feeling this stress and lack of sleep makes me question every year “why am I doing this?”. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just work a 9 to 5 everyday?” The simple answer is yes it would be easier to work a regular job, but I love what I do. All the hard work makes me happy. Each jar of honey extracted and bottled is testament to everything I do. Watching the bees thrive all summer long brings me such joy. Customers returning to my market stand over and over brings such a smile to my face even with all the hardships and struggles. Being my own boss and running my business makes me so much happier than a regular job would.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am Rayann Wilcox owner of RC’s Bees LLC out of West Michigan. I specialize in pure raw local honey and honey products from my own 280 hives in 27 different locations. I started beekeeping when I was 14 as a summer job for a beekeeper I met at the local farmers market. My dad attended farmers markets selling produce from our own farm. This was the start of the conversation of needing bees for pollination. I fell in the love with the keeping of the bees. I started out with 1 hive when I was 16 years old in 2017. 1 quickly turned into 50 and from there it just grew. Last year, I had the highest number of hives as ever with 280. This spring I plan to have around 300. These colonies produce the best quality honey straight from the hives. Along with honey, they produce honey comb and beeswax. I never add sugar or pasteurize my honey which keeps it raw. I also provide swarm removals and sell starter beehives for customers who wish to start their own hives. From start to finish, I take care of the hives, extract all the honey, bottle and sell each jar. Each jar is labeled by the season that the bees produced it for allergy purposes. Spring, summer, and fall honey is available with a distinct flavor profile depending on the nectar sources the bees collect from. Most businesses do not extract based on season or take the time to label each jar that way. My philosophy is I have to love the product to sell to others. If I don’t love it, it does not get sold or advertised.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Reputation is everything and one small thing can change it for good or bad. When I first started my business in 2017, I attended every market, and every craft show I could. I wanted everyone to see my face and meet the beekeeper behind the product. I explained to everyone the step by step process on how the hives were started, how they were managed, the extraction process and how I bottled every jar. Honesty is what helped build my reputation. Customers like having a face to a product. They like to support someone they know and trust to produce the very best product. If problems arise, I handle them very quickly and fairly. I answer phone calls and inquiries very fast. I do not make my customers wait and that helps to build that trust. I treat each and everyone how I would want to be treated from other businesses.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
The most effective strategy in growing my business and clientele is face to face interactions. From the beginning of my business, I have been traveling all over Michigan attending craft shows and farmers markets to meet my clients. I interact with each customer explaining the different types of honey, where it is made, and my process. I also offer samples for them to taste and decide what honey they prefer. My business thrives on interactions. I have tried online sales but have not been as successful as I am with interacting with each person.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rcbees.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcsbees/
