rec.gardens.ecosystems homepage -> archive: MOD$990617.21268@rec.gardens.ecosystems



Subject: Re: Starting a Plant Nursery
From: "Bill Robinson" <roseguy@gte.net>
Organization:
Date: Thu, 17 Jun 99 23:19:32
Message-ID: <MOD$990617.21268@rec.gardens.ecosystems>



Zaklok posted saying that he wanted to start a nursery and
was looking for suggestions.

I understand that the nursery business is tough. So much of the
plant material is sold through places like Home Depot and that
most of the stuff is sold on consignment with very little mark-up.
Because it is consigned material, the retailer is not obligated to
take care of it and when it dies or looks so bad that it is "unsalable",
it is the nurseryman who bares the pain.

If I were to open a nursery business, I would want to go into
specialized stuff that avoids the Home Depot route. I know of one
man who makes a living off a single acre - he grows huge
tomatoes for some of the better restaurants - they stuff them with
crab meat, avocados, etc and they are beautiful. I know of another
man who grows Christmas tree seedlings in a hot house and
sells them to Christmas tree farms. Heirloom Old Garden Roses
in Oregon and Rose Emporium in Texas have good businesses
growing rose cuttings - own root roses have many fans, etc.

I'm no great businessman and I don't have any real experience
in running a triving small business but I do think that it takes a lot more
than hard work and a cleaver plan to make a business go. I think
it really takes a lot of good decisions and that means a lot of business
savvy. Since you asked. . . . . I'd spend a lot of effort in learning
how to run a small business before committing any real dollars.
Just wanting your own business doesn't really count.

Bill

..

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