Foxhound Bee Company: Leveraging Ecommerce to Build a Business

Show Notes

Introduction

  • Introduction of the episode and the topic of leveraging eCommerce to build a business.
  • Introduction of speakers: Carrie Rollwagen (Host) and Adam Hickman (Guest).

Beekeeping and Bee Specialties

  • Different types of bees have unique roles in pollination.
  • Honeybees can be transported and work anywhere; bumblebees have specific foraging preferences.

Journey of Foxhound Bee Company

  • Adam Hickman started the business in 2014 as a side hustle.
  • The business began with a shelf in Adam’s garage and has grown to include a retail store.
  • Plans to move to a larger location by next spring.
  • The new facility will include a retail store, warehouse and outdoor education center.

Education and Community Building

  • Importance of education in beekeeping and customer attraction.
  • Current offerings include beekeeping classes; plans to add honey tasting classes.
  • Foxhound’s outdoor space houses about 6000 beehives for educational purposes.

Content and Branding

  • Emphasis on creating good, long-term content over immediate sales tactics.
  • Negative impact of ads on user experience and brand perception.
  • Importance of SEO and high-quality content in building the brand.
  • Transitioned from Squarespace to a more robust website platform due to evolving needs.

Business Advice and Mistakes

  • Importance of good advisory relationships (lawyer, accountant).
  • Experiences with managing taxes and licenses.
  • Cautionary tales about growing too quickly and taking on debt.
  • Emphasis on saying no to non-essential products to manage space and focus.

E-commerce and Physical Presence

  • Utilizes a combination of e-commerce and brick-and-mortar strategies.
  • Strategies for shipping and customer loyalty.
  • Success on Amazon selling high-margin products.

Final Thoughts and Resources

  • Encouragement to join local beekeeping clubs.
  • Mention of supportive communities like the ecom crew.
  • Sharing of Foxhound Bee Company’s websites and social media handles.

Find full show notes, including links mentioned in this episode, at carrierollwagen.com.

Carrie Rollwagen

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