How It All Bee-gan…
Big things start little
I love honey. I love art.
I had dreamt of owning a honey shop but the reality of owning a honey shop that sold enough to pay Manhattan rent was beyond a dream. I doubt it could afford me the opportunity to even live in one of those horror story apartments you hear about… a sixth floor walkup studio with a shower/toilet combo accessed literally next to your kitchen sink.
I also love art. Not that you would find any of the greats on my walls. I’m sure if that was the case, how to pay Manhattan rent for my honey shop would likely not be much of a concern. Or I could possibly have sold one to pay for said honey shop dream - may as well extend this fantasy to a full-blown fiction novel. The art that adorns my walls are pieces that remind me of places I’ve visited and memories I’d like to keep. I have framed the most inexpensive pieces to hang on my wall that are unique and hold the greatest sentimental value which money can’t buy. I’ve also splurged (which I know has very, very, very different meanings to us all) on artwork by artists more experienced in their craft.
As I sat pondering about my love of honey and my desire to dip my toes into the art world, I jokingly said to my husband, “Maybe I can merge a honey shop and art sales together”. Best of both worlds, right? Our friend, the artist I was going to connect the dots to the honey with, said it hadn’t been done before, and that was all it took. The more I thought about it, the less ridiculous it seemed. Why not? Stranger things have been successful. And if I don’t try, then I’ll never know. My husband agreed that this novel approach was a fun one to explore - and with his love of art (and let’s face it, way more academic knowledge than I) and my love of honey, we decided to blend the worlds together.
So, I opened an excel spreadsheet to crunch the numbers. Which initially left a lot to be desired and once again, a lot of honey that needed to be sold. After several tabs and multiple formula’s, I found one that could work. And from there, the flood gates opened. The potential was unlocked and so the dream started to become a reality.
A lot of hard work, blood, sweat, and tears are required to start your own business. As they say, an overnight success is usually years in the making. But when there is a pot of honey waiting for you at the end - that’s all the gold I need!
Written by Angela.
