An opportunity...

The reason this type of business is going bust is that there are simply not enough sales at good enough margins to make ends meet, much less to make a profit or a living
One large nursery close to here went bust because they finished up having to sell to a large supermarket at silly prices until they could last no longer
If someone else with the experienced head nurseryman you mention in charge failed to make a go of it, then you really have to think very carefully why you should succeed where those people failed
My training has always involved caution. Advice given to others in that regard in the past (why they should succeed where others failed) was met with various reasons for pursuing their objective. I have to tell you that out of 5 that come to mind immediately, who decided to proceed anyway, ALL FIVE failed within a year. Their problem then was that their banks, whilst appearing to give the project the ok, had tied them up with so many guarantees, second mortgages etc, that they lost everything
In the present depressed climate I would think, off the top of my head, that you would be quite mad to consider such a project
But then .. I am a lawyer, not an entrepreneur

 

One more thing I would like to mention, but that probably does not apply to Guildford which is reasonably well off in terms of shops...

If one was living in remote area I think that it would work much better to make a little "shopping centre" (of course a very small one!!!) where you would find plants as well as maybe some pets, some tourist items or household items etc and a facilities maybe to have a bite and something to drink.

In remote areas it is not so easy to find people so therefore the business should more take into account the socializing aspect compared to, say, if you had a shop in London (:gaagh.

 

point taken, however, serious gardeners know what the plant looks like ... at the end of the day, money talks .... if you can sell the same plants for cheap, you will sell lots (small profit... big turnover)

this can currently be seen on ebay ... you can go to the garden centre and buy a hosta for £10 .... or you can buy the very same one on ebay for £2.50 ... if you only need one or 2, then go to the garden centre and sort it on the same day ... if you need 10 hostas, the saving by buying on ebay is huge

so, a landscaper will need to buy several, so he will shop on ebay ... and he will find a seller who has several different plants he is looking for, so as to save on shipping costs

thats what I do (and many other landscapers, according to a large landscape forum) ...


bottom line .... you need to move with the times ... online selling is the way, and if you can combine that with a garden centre/nursery, you may increase your turnover substantially, which will help in keeping your business liquid ...

but saying that, I have no experience in retail, and am merely 'thinking aloud'

 

Sam, this is why I suggested a retail nursery. Bigger returns for less layout. No transport costs for a start, or competeing for a smaller and smaller wholesale market. Loofah, subletting part of the site would be a sound way of helping with your overheads. Especially if you can entice one or two landscapers.

 

Dai ... nobody ever made their fortune listening to their lawyer
But then ... nobody ever lost their all by doing so either (I think )
As I said ... we are trained to caution
Who knows what the future may bring ... you pay your money and take your chance
All of the ideas are sound enough, probably, but the price of failure is great, and in the present economic climate, the chances of failure are even greater
The idea that I can do better than someone with years of experience in the business who has just failed, has to take some very serious thought
We are talking here about Loofahs future, his home, his bank account etc etc
His ideas would cost a lot of money to do them properly
The returns would not happen for, maybe, at least 5 years
Can he withstand that?

 

Its been left for 5 years, its going to cost a lot of money to bring it back up to scratch, how much profit can you really make on one plant?

The old staff may seem a good idea, but unless they approach you, I wouldn't employ them, they will be too set in their old ways, ways which have to change if its going to succeed.

Online is good, but there are lots of online places to get plants, too much competition.

Overall you have to get on the bus sometime if you want to get somewhere, but this is one bus going in the wrong direction.

 

It depends on the timescale you can wait to make a profit, or more importantly how much can you afford to lay out and for how long

Otherwise you should go for it

If it has been unmanaged for five years it is going to take a long time to get it up to use again, can you afford to lay out the cost for that length of time

Nothing wrong with the ex nurseryman and staff, it would be management that led to its downfall most likely

Yes there is lots of online stuff, and supermarkets, that is true, but you should see the queues at our out of town nursery
One of the attractions at this nursery, is they have a home baked tea room which is well frequented by many people during THE WEEK when the weekend plant buyers are not there, so there are no real no TAKINGS days

The other attraction is you get real looked after plants for just a couple of pence more than big organisation rubbish in some cases a few pence or pounds less for a quality product that you can see before you buy

Again sell products competitively, I know nothing really, but I find it wrong that some out of town garden centres charge outlandish prices for things like bags of compost You are better making SPQR than selling nothing at all IMHO

Seasonal XMAS buy in Christmas trees, buy in lights and baubles to sell alongside

IF you can take the hit for a couple of years I am sure you would have a great business ahead due to the economic climate more people are turning to grow it yourself out of necessity

Good luck whatever you decide

Jack McHammocklashing

 

Sam, I am not a lawyer, I am a horticulturist, When I took over the running of the GC plant area, plant sales were £80,000 a year. After 5 years in the job, plant sales were £440,000.00. You do the maths.lol

 

If Loofah wants to make money from the site, he just needs to give me a call.

 

hehehe
Mefinks Loofah will be on the phone as a matter of urgency LOL

 

It's a shame Loofah that you've lost out, but at least it's made your mind up for you, whether to have gone for it or not.