Roadside Stand Honey Sales
The roadside stand honey sales is as common a sight in rural America as the lemonade stand is in the city. Whenever someone’s garden produces a surplus of produce the farmers drag out an old card table, load it down with baskets of fruit and vegetables and slap a for sale sign in front of it. The same roadside stand that you use to sell your extra fruit and vegetables can also be used to sell the excess honey that you’ve collected from, your beehive.
When you are getting ready to set up your roadside stand you need to make sure that you have a sign indicating that you are selling honey. The sign should be simple. The letters should be clearly printed with ink or painted the contrast with the background of the sign. The sign should be large enough that the people driving past your house should be able to easily read the sign as they drive past your roadside stand. Make sure that the sign can be easily seen from the road. Keep the writing simple, the sign you are using to advertise your roadside stand is not the place to practice your writing skills. People who total their cars trying to read a long-winded spiel on a piece of cardboard generally aren’t good customers. Don’t get cute and draw a picture of a bee on your sign, people might misunderstand and think that you are warning them of a potential attack.
Before you set out your honey take a second and examine it. Make sure that the honey has been strained. There shouldn’t be any dirt, clumps of wax, or other foreign materials in your honey. Take a minute and wipe the outside of the container with a wet washcloth and remove an indication of spills. Make sure that the container is dry before you expose it to dust.
If possible offer your customers various forms of honey. Give them the opportunity to purchase jars of honey that you extracted from the honeycombs and also invite them to purchase a honeycomb that still has the honey entombed behind the wax plugs.
Offer your clients a variety of sizes of containers of honey. Some people will shy away from purchasing large containers of honey because they are afraid that the honey will crystallize before they have an opportunity to use it.
Don’t be afraid to market other products alongside your honey. Feel free to sell cut flowers, sweet corn, or banana peppers. Different foods, in a variety of colors, will give your roadside stand an artistic flavor.
If possible try to set up your roadside stand in a shaded section of your front yard. The shade will make your products appear fresher and will also encourage customers to linger over the merchandise. If you notice that your merchandise is starting to look tired, replace it.
If you are selling vegetables don’t be afraid to spritz the vegetables with a fine mist of water. The water will look fresher if they are occasionally watered.
Feel free to mingle with your customers. Customers are more likely to make return trips to a roadside stand if the owner is cheerful and friendly.
