Contact Information
Project sponsor name and title:                             Jacques Barben
Main contact phone number:                                 + 27 (0) 72 464 77 12
Main contact email:                                               info@barbenbees.co.za
Preferred meeting location during the week:        60 Vredehoek Ave, Vredehoek, Cape Town, 8001

Company Information
Company name:                                                    Barben Bees
Company sector/ industry:                                     Bee Keeping
Year of establishment:                                           2020
Company website:                                                 https://barbenbees.co.za/
Number of employees:                                          4

Brief company overview:
Starting as a bee keeper in 2012, Jacques Barben and his wife Janet started a small commercial business, Barben Bees, in 2020. Not only do they source and produce their own honey to sell, but they also train and equip aspiring bee keepers through workshops and mentoring. In addition, Barben Bees offer pollination services to a number of farms in the Western Cape. Over the years, they have made a considerable impact on the environment through bolstering crop and fruit yields, including blueberries, plums, pears and carrots.

Project Information
Project title: Assist Barben Bees to scale their business model over the next financial year.

Overall project description:

Currently selling between 1 and 1.5 tonnes of honey per month, Jacques is seeking to increase the size of his business in line with rising demand. This would involve expanding the number of hives owned by the company from 300 to 1,200, a considerable increase. Barben Bees is also looking to develop loyalty and long-term contracts with clients, to ensure that they remain front runners within an increasingly competitive market.

Your mentor: Karabo Makgoane

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WORKING GROUP 2

Project Focus Area 1: Preparing for external investment & Business scaling

Define a strategy for scaling number of hives to meet the rising levels of demand, identifying challenge and opportunity areas

• Define internal pricing model to increase revenue whilst remaining competitive within the market
• Gather requirements for external investment

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WORKING GROUP 8

Project Focus Area 2: Strengthen loyalty of current and prospective clients

• Assess competitor landscape
• Bolster marketing and service offering that would allow Barben Bees to differentiate themselves from other competitors and service providers
• Define a compelling Service Level Agreement template for buyers