Bees in the city: “Build a business around your passion. Do what you love”

Thalia set up Bee Innovation four years ago but her passion for bees dates back to her childhood. “I had a brief introduction to beekeeping when I was eight. My neighbours kept bees and I used to go and spin their honey.” Eventually, Thalia got the chance to learn more about beekeeping from another neighbour, who asked her to teach him to ride a horse in return for beekeeping lessons.

At the time, Thalia was working as a sales director. When her son was born, she decided to leave her city job and focus on her own business. This gave her the time to focus on beekeeping and turn a hobby into a business. “I wanted to build a better future for my son and for everybody else and I had a good feeling that I’d be able to make money. I could have gone back into the city but I saw a gap in the market and I loved the idea of bringing bees to people in the city.”

Thalia initially tested the idea by leasing hives to residential customers; today, most of her clients are corporates.

“Following our initial experimentation with the branded beehives and delving deeper into understanding our clients’ requirements, including aspects like ESG considerations, staff engagement and environmental testing, it became evident to me that a feasible business model was within reach.”

“I’m a very driven person. I do have days when things go wrong but I tend to just pick myself up and get on with it. That’s what sets apart those who succeed and those who don’t. I’m lucky that I’m quite a resilient person.” Her biggest mistake, she says, was buying poor-quality bee suits at the start. “I got stung a lot!”

Thalia is an innovator who is always looking ahead. “I’m an ideas person. Nobody was doing what I was doing when I started the business. Now I’ve got a few competitors,” she says.

One of her latest innovations is a portable beehive which has been granted a design patent. “Imagine a box trailer with a beehive and beekeeper inside; it has mesh on the front and eight sets of holes so you can put your hands inside the trailer with beekeeping gloves. It allows people to handle bees safely. I can take that mobile trailer anywhere, knowing that nobody’s going to get stung.”

Like any business owner, Thalia has had to adapt and pivot at times. “About a year ago, I started working with a business mentor. At the time, we were planning a lot of events and talks on beekeeping; he sat me down and said you really need to look at the figures on the extra time it’s taking you and how much profit you’re going to make. This was great advice. I’m quite thin on the ground as it is, so I have to look at where my time is best spent.”

Thalia has also had to learn new skills. "Trying to conquer social media was like befriending a Rubik’s cube - so many twists and turns. From analytics to identifying my audience, it was a puzzle that needed solving. When you're a small start-up business there is no real budget for a personal social media guru."

Thalia’s advice to other would-be entrepreneurs is quite simple - follow your passion. “Pursuing something you’re passionate about naturally fuels your motivation and determination. Running a business requires long hours and hard work. If you’re passionate about what you’re doing, you’re more likely to stay committed even during tough times.”

It’s also vital to be on top of your cash flow, margins and profit, she adds. “I was very clever in how I built the business up. I built it slowly and I was working alongside the business to make sure that everything was paid for.”

“For me, it’s the mobile banking. I like the fact that everything is on the phone. The favourite feature for me is that I can message somebody within the app during the day and they get back to me within five minutes. It’s also great to be able to keep on track with categorised spending analysis. HSBC Kinetic helps me break down my finances and that allows me to know how to spend and when to spend. Effective management of cash flow, profit and margins is fundamental to the overall success of a business.”

“I still really just love beekeeping as bees make the world a better place. Ultimately, building a business around your passion can bring a deep sense of personal fulfilment. Doing what you love and seeing it succeed can be immensely rewarding.”