Besides being an entrepreneur, what else could you tell us about yourself?
I am Nino Nibloshvili, a beekeeper. My interest in beekeeping was driven by my love of honey. I was inspired to purchase bee colonies by the book “Encyclopedia of Beekeeping” that I accidentally saw in a relative’s library. At this stage, I own a family apiary with 18 bee colonies in the village of Lisho, Tianeti district. I am a member of the Biological Farming Association “Elkana”.
Why this business?
There are not many options for profitable businesses in a high-mountain village. There is not a lot of agricultural land, equipment, labor, the winters are harsh and long, there is a high level of migration and other difficulties. That's why I decided to start a beekeeping business.
I was also influenced by the attitude of the customers, they liked the honey produced in my apiary. It is also important that work in an apiary is seasonal: spring, summer and autumn are actively busy, and in winter it is possible to devote time to deepening knowledge, preparing for spring work. I decided to turn my hobby into a business, although at that time I did not even realize the difficulties that entrepreneurship in general entails.
What is the main benefit that your product/service provides to the customer?
At this stage, I offer customers honey and royal jelly produced in my apiary. Demand for both products has increased significantly since the pandemic.
Honey, as a natural sweetener and a therapeutic and prophylactic agent, is very beneficial and easily absorbed by the human body.
Royal jelly is a unique product, has strong healing, bio-stimulating properties. According to studies, it significantly improves a person's physical and mental performance, helps to increase the body's immunity, and is also used as an auxiliary remedy in diseases. The honey of my enterprise is pure, without additives, is distinguished by its taste, and this is highly appreciated by consumers.
What is the biggest challenge that you have turned into an opportunity? What did this particular incident teach you?
The biggest challenge for me is unfavorable natural conditions: rainy periods during the breeding season or when transporting to the mountains, strong bee colonies are closed and killed. I avoid other types of mistakes by deepening my knowledge in my work. I analyze my weaknesses, mistakes. I learn a lot. BPN Georgia trainings help me with this. I am also the winner of the “Elkana” grant competition, which allowed me to completely re-equip my apiary (skeps, cybrut, etc.), I also learned how to collect royal jelly.
All of this has taught me that there is no impossible situation. When one door closes, another opens. The main thing is not to give up.
What gives you strength and energy for your daily activities?
Many things… A satisfied customer, a visitor to the apiary, when he expresses his admiration for the environment and nature. The bees themselves and working with them. Family members, like-minded people and my small victories. All this is a great stimulus for me, filling me with faith and hope that everything will work out. My goal is to create a financially sustainable, educational and demonstration-oriented apiary.
The main reason why BPN Georgia?
I came to BPN Georgia during a very difficult time for me. The caring environment, calm, and high professionalism that I encountered there made a great impression. I would like to highlight the attitude towards both novice and established entrepreneurs. They treat each participant with the same attention and responsibility during training and individual consultations. This was a great incentive for me. After completing the training, I wrote a business plan. I will always remember the day of its discussion. While evaluating each point, I realized how I needed to think in order for my business to be profitable and viable.
If BPN Georgia were a person, what would it be like?
I imagine BPN Georgia as an educated, developed, broad-minded person who has a great talent for sharing knowledge and experience in an interesting and understandable way, using concrete examples.
Based on your experience, what advice would you give to entrepreneurs?
Take care of customer trust, constantly take care of self-development, be good managers with a purpose and a broad vision. Always maintain moderation, a sense of caution, and the ability to observe. Unfortunately, we also make mistakes, but it is important to realize them in time and continue to move forward.
Do you think the customer is king or you?
I see my customers more as partners, I take care of their trust. I try to share my knowledge about honey, bees, and the life of a bee.
Past, present, or future?
When I became interested in beekeeping almost 20 years ago, I, and most beekeepers in general, were represented by family-type apiaries. The technologies and basic tools that we used when working with bees or extracting honey were outdated. This was reflected in our income and product. Cases of falsification were also frequent.
Nowadays, the situation has changed. We, beekeepers, are facing serious challenges. On the one hand, we have diseases and pests that attack our apiaries, climate change and frequent rains that prevent bees from developing and collecting honey, the need to adopt new technologies and re-equip apiaries, the introduction of food safety standards, etc. On the other hand, we have opportunities: increased demand for honey and other bee products, both in the local and European markets. Participation of Georgian beekeepers in Apimondia (the international organization of beekeepers' associations). Joint projects of the Rural Development Agency and the Georgian Beekeepers' Association, trainings, etc. I perceive all of this as a prerequisite for the transition to industrial beekeeping. This requires a proper development strategy, the need to deepen knowledge, the training of professionals, the cultivation of honey plants or seedlings, and many other good things. Therefore, all three phases are important. Past mistakes have faced challenges in the present and created the need to create a better and more thoughtful future.
