To listen to this podcast please visit: https://bizchatshub.com/podcasts/bilhah-njeri-maina-bil-honey-enterprises-kenya/

Bilhah, the owner and Managing Director of BIL Honey Enterprises works with over 100 women beekeepers in Baringo County, Kenya to produce unadulterated honey and honey by-products. Bilhah started BIL Honey much earlier than she had planned to, following her decision to resign from her job on medical grounds. Bilhah uses all the professional skills that she learned as a customer service representative to run BIL Honey in a professional manner. BIL Honey products are sold in Kenya and neighbouring Uganda. The company opened in 2016 and employs a permanent staff of four.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Why Bilhah decided to invest in honey.
• Starting a business using her savings.
• The origins of the name BIL – Bee Indigenous Liquid.
• Bilhah’s training as a beekeeper and her commitment to equipping beekeepers in Baringo County, Kenya with beekeeping skills.
• How she introduced over 100 women in Baringo County to beekeeping and honey production.
• Bilhah’s commitment to hygienic harvesting and the processing of pure honey that retains all its original nutrients.
• BIL Honey’s by-products include: beeswax candles, beeswax body cream, hair shampoo and conditioner from honey and propolis.
• The products are sold to individual customers, barber shops, beauty salons, beauty supply shops, local retail companies and importers based in neighbouring Uganda.
• Challenges overcome: Finding the right market. Convincing the local market that BIL Honey is pure, unadulterated honey through Word-of-Mouth.
• Unsolved challenge: Honey supply shortages.
• Dream achieved: Obtaining product barcodes, obtaining standards certification for BIL Honey products from the Kenya Bureau of Standards. Getting BIL Honey products into supermarkets in Kenya.
• Pending dream: Regional and International Export by 2019.
• Lessons learned: Be patient – growth takes time! Set goals in order to reach your entrepreneurial destination.
• Words of inspiration: Take the first step. Learn from your mentors. You can begin, even without money.

Useful Resources
Kenya Bureau of Standards: https://www.kebs.org/

BIL Honey Enterprises Kenya
Facebook: @BilHoney

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