Launching my business

A few years ago while at the Chicago’s Flower and Garden Show, I attended a seminar about microbes. Jeff Lowenfels was speaking about an all-organic way to restore life to soil and, because an environmentally sustainable lifestyle has always been important to me, I knew the subject would definitely grab me. 

Compost tea is the best organic alternative to synthetic chemical fertilizers. It contains an extremely diverse set of microorganisms – up to 30,000 different types – and when applied to your soil they literally restore life to it. Compared to synthetic fertilizers when tend to be salt-based and behave as plant steroids, the compost tea works with the natural ecology to produce healthy and luscious plants.

I got home that night and researched compost tea. I read every article I could find and they were all saying the same thing: this stuff is great for your soil and it really does work. After researching the best companies, becoming a distributor of fresh Alaskan humisoil sounded like a fantastic idea. I bought myself a brewer and went right to work.

After only a few applications, I noticed my tomatoes growing bigger and the grass outside my building was looking a lot healthier. My landlord even commented to me on how he was surprised that my dogs hadn’t ruined the front lawn. With its microbial life restored, the grass seemed much more capable of restoring itself. My indoor plants were thriving, too, and I knew this was a product that everyone needed to know about.

At the time, I worked for a landscape company based out of the Chicago suburbs and decided I would tell my boss about this product. He was not as enthusiastic as I thought he’d be, but he did decide to bottle and sell the tea. I was completely in charge of this aspect of the company, but still didn’t quite feel like I was doing everything I could possibly do to get the word out about the compost tea.

It didn’t take long for me to leave that landscape company to start my own: Organic Garden Company. It’s still a small business, but we’re gradually expanding and doing everything we can to spread the word about compost tea and all-natural lawn care and creating beautiful yards on the way!

I'm planning to purchase a CNG (compressed natural gas/gasoline hybrid) truck and a scooter for appointments around town.  I've also done research on wind and solar power.  My goal is to be off the grid and lower my carbon imprint. 

Advice for others

 An elderly gentlemen from score approached me and told me most business fail because they don't ask for enough money. After a year in business, I can see how this is true. Taking advantage of SCORE has been invaluable to the start up of my company. My counselor has already saved me from one costly mistake. He advised me on my business plan and cash flow chart which are essential and refined my marketing strategy. Where else can you get free advise from a successful business person.