Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Umberto Moreno, Co-Founder of Specialized Bee Products - HummingBee, located in Tabio, Cundinamarca, Colombia.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are in the bee products business, producing, sourcing, and selling honey, bee pollen, bee propolis, bee-pollinated organic coffee, and beeswax lip balm. Bee products naturally contain antioxidants that help in a wide variety of ways. Bee pollen contains an anti-oxidant called Myricetin and is responsible for assisting with reducing symptoms of seasonal allergies. Bee propolis contains Flavonoids that have many functions such as Antibacterial, Antiviral, and Immune Supporting properties.
Our customers are people who value natural products and supplements to maintain and improve their health and not have to depend on synthetic ingredients. These people recognize that bee products provide a wide range of nutrients and bio-compounds that help their daily search for sustained health.
Tell us about yourself
I am the co-founder of Specialized Bee Products and the HummingBee brand, I've been beekeeping in Colombia, Brazil, the United States, and New Zealand for 25 years. Together with my wife, Angelica, we founded Specialized Bee Products in 2016, intending to improve people´s health by sourcing and providing the best bee products worldwide.
HummingBee is our brand of bee products sourced from small-scale beekeepers. Supporting these producers, we help communities better provide for their families and assist with their great effort to protect bees.
Beekeeping has a low environmental impact. It is an activity that protects bees and the environment from where they collect their resources and, ultimately, the products that go into our bodies.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
The biggest accomplishment of being a business owner is the freedom to create your own path in life. Whether you succeed, fail, restart from scratch, pivot, or whatever life throws at you, you are the one in the driver's seat. For me, that is a fantastic motivator for being an entrepreneur.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
You have to be resilient. It is not easy, and success won't be fast. You'll face many problems and struggles at so many levels that you must grow a thick skin to move forward. So, you have to be patient and work hard that is easier said than done.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Do it. It is scary initially, but you will be fine. Be conscious that so much can go wrong, but failing is part of the trade. Just pick yourself up and keep going.
- Work hard. It can be much more work than your traditional 9 to 5, but it is so much more rewarding that it pays off.
- Be patient. Immediacy nowadays is the norm; unfortunately, success does not come quickly, so if you start thinking long-term, you'll end up better off.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
We believe a clean diet, regular exercise, and the right supplements are the ingredients for a healthy, well-balanced life. Bee products are just part of the right supplements.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.specializedbeeproducts.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/specializedbeeproducts/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/specializedbeeproducts/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/specbeeproducts
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.