REACT – RECOVERY – RESILIENCE
SBDC IOWA CLIENTS SHARE THEIR COVID-19 JOURNEY
Bountiful Blossoms Bee Company
Carol Fassbinder-Orth, Owner

How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I grew up on a commercial honey bee farm in Northeast Iowa, Fassbinder Apiaries, but I went to graduate school to be a researcher. I am a virologist by training and am now a professor at Creighton University, where I study honey
bee diseases. I started this business to help fund my honey bee research at Creighton University, and because I enjoy designing high quality, creative products made from all-natural materials.

How did the SBDC help you with your business?
Michael M. from the SBDC helped to give us perspective on our business goals and to think big regarding our potential in different local, regional, and national markets.

How has COVID-19 impacted your business? Have you pivoted your operations? How are you helping others during this time?
With the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve had several factors impact our business. A few retail shops where we sell our products have closed or significantly decreased operations, decreasing our wholesale sales. We also cannot vend at the Omaha Farmer’s Markets this summer because non-food items like our honey and beeswax skincare products are not allowed this summer.

Our customers have supported us well, and we have seen increased online orders. To help our customers, we are doing free delivery in our local area and giving free products away with every order. We are also opening an on-the-farm store in June!

Find Bountiful Blossoms Bee Company at https://www.bountifulblossomsbeecompany.com/.