10. How to bootstrap your hobby into a successful business | Nicola Reed

Are you ever too old to turn your favourite hobby into a brand-new business venture? In this very special episode of All About Business, James Reed is joined by his wife Nicola, founder of the successful drinks company, Beeble. Nicola shares how she turned her husband’s birthday gift into a thriving business, the ups and downs of bootstrapping a company with her daughter’s friend, as well as some rather disturbing facts about her bee colony. Nicola is an artist, teacher, beekeeper and entrepreneur. She owns Beeble, a B-Corp that makes a wide variety of spirits with honey from her very own hives. Nicola has a Master's degree in Fine Art from St Martin's School of Art, a PGDip from Chelsea College of Arts and a teaching degree from University College London. 01:37 Introduction 02:27 Nicola Reed's Beekeeping Journey 04:43 Turning Honey into Spirits 07:45 The Beeble Brand and Business Growth 13:22 Balancing Business and Passion for Bees 23:54 Insights and Lessons from Beekeeping 27:07 Beekeeping Courses and Techniques 28:31 Personal Experiences with Bee Stings 30:39 The Undertaker Bee and Bee Communication 32:49 Challenges in the Spirit Business 36:11 Marketing Strategies and Customer Feedback 41:36 Beekeeping in Prisons 43:17 The Joys and Challenges of Beekeeping 46:03 Future Plans for Beeble 48:25 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Try Beeble’s delicious honey whisky Take a beekeeping course Follow Nicola Reed on LinkedIn Follow James Reed on LinkedIn All About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more at: www.reed.com This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk