Makers of All Things Honey - Williams Honey Farm
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jay Williams, CEO of Williams Honey Farm, located in Franklin, TN.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Our business is all about inspiring people to become new beekeepers, protect native pollinators, and become honey addicts! We offer in-person classes, virtual beekeeping academies, one on one coaching services, and gourmet honey production.
Tell us about yourself
The business was born when my wife read an article in the newspaper about how bees were in trouble. We started with two hives and our new hobby became our new addiction. Jay has a background in filmmaking and storytelling so a lot of our content is created with still cameras, drones, POV cameras, and even our smartphone! As much as possible we try and get the student up close and personal with bees to see more than what you may find on YouTube.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment has been the creation of our online digital beekeeping school called "Tactical Beekeeping Academy". It was born during the pandemic and allows anyone, anywhere to learn about beekeeping in a practical and useful way from their own homes. It is way more interactive than you may think and has been well received by 100's of students from all over the US!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest thing is being in charge of "all the things". ;) Your day doesn't really end at a normal time and you have to always be ready to work as your IT specialist, host, shipping manager all at the same time. Oh and don't forget being a dad to three growing boys and a husband. BUT I have an understanding family and we all pitch in to get the job done when the orders are piled high.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
1. Always batch your work. Dedicate your time to one topic and hit it hard so you don't have to revisit for a while.
2. Find the time of day where you are most creative and use that time wisely. I found I am most creative right when I get up in the morning. So my rule is always to take care of big picture tasks or creative work first thing in the day (usually when the house is quietest).
3. Use automation whenever possible. There are a million apps and websites to help you automate your processes. I use auto-posting and scheduling for all marketing tasks. I'm also a big fan of applets like IFTTT (If this then that) to help gather data and process it effectively in real-time.
Anything else you'd like to share?
Running a small business is hard. All the responsibility rests on your shoulders. BUT it's also the most exciting and rewarding thing you can do! It is all worth it. My message to everyone starting out is to always remember nobody is perfect (despite what social media says), we are all in this together and try and remain as open and honest with your customers as possible. They will stick with you if they know you're telling the truth. Oh and don't forget to connect with other entrepreneurs! There's a bunch of support out there if you are looking for it.
Where can people find you and your business?
https://williamshoneyfarm.com/
https://www.instagram.com/williamshoneytn/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-williams-441756147/
https://twitter.com/williamshoneytn
https://www.facebook.com/williamshoneyfarm
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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