Calculate the profitability of your apiary (finances)
The amateur beekeeper is often well equipped to manage their colonies: observant, curious, motivated, enthusiastic, sometimes idealistic, often well coached, supported by introductory courses and the reading of numerous articles online; they share their concerns with colleagues and appreciate advice or even hands-on help from the “experienced” beekeepers… yet they often have no clear idea of what their hobby actually costs or earns! Reassurance comes from weighing the harvest: great, 15 kg of honey per colony!!! But what did those 30 jars they are so proud of really cost? What is the exact profit from selling the part of the production that was not consumed personally?
The experienced beekeeper asks a different question: what if I turned this hobby into my profession? What is the initial investment, and what turnover do I need to achieve to make a living?
The professional beekeeper must report to their bank and asks: how can I improve the profitability of my operation? How can I depreciate assets in order to renew my equipment?
How can risks related to poor harvest years or diseases be managed?
All three types of beekeepers have access to a user-friendly tool, developed with expertise and precision, to help them answer all questions related to financially responsible beekeeping.
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When you open the Excel file, you arrive at the main menu. At the top left you can enter the year, and on the right you can change the logo.
The first step is to enter the basic data. To do so, you need to click on “admin”. |
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In the second column, you can enter the parameters of your beekeeping operation.
In the chart on the right, you can see the forecast of profit or loss. |
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The chart shows the evolution over the next five years. If you enter fewer than 50 hives, the maximum “gross salary” (476) that you could pay yourself is displayed below the chart (this is the profit or loss remaining at the end of the year). In addition, the required investments (5,595) as well as the necessary equity capital (4,559) are also displayed. |
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If you have more than 50 hives, the required workload (a 37% position) as well as the actual gross salary are also displayed. To ensure that you do not incur a loss, the tool also indicates the maximum salary you can pay without losing money. In this case, that means: 10,148 instead of 26,438. |
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From the main menu, you can view and adjust the calculation details in the corresponding menu items: |
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Investment details. |
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Turnover details. |
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Details of merchandise purchases. |
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Equity and borrowed capital. |
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Details of liquidity (cash flow). |
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Details of operating expenses in the projected income statement. |
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Details of personnel costs in the projected income statement
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Other operating expenses in the income statement
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A tool to analyze strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. |
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… or a tool for risk management. |
