Our family projects: The making of… the Nursery

I never wanted a physical business.

When I worked in the angling store, I noticed how the owner was bound to the place to come there every day. He build his own jail. The reason he sold it was to gain back his freedom. I never wanted to own a place like that.

Building a business that runs by itself and does not need YOU always there, is key to such freedom, but I did no know that back then, because it was not what I saw.
I guess the examples I saw when I was younger was not those of a scaling business. Keep things running, or just a bit better than yesterday, was good enough.
No. A such business was not for me.

Also, I preferred a working environment where I get to see some natural daylight once I a while.

Later on, I started some physical businesses. None of them lasted long.

One summer, I repaired and flipped inflatable boats and rented a storage unit for that. The rent took all of my little profits. It just provided for a place to store my fishing gear, so that was the benefit of having the ‘business’. When summer was over – and the source of zodiacs that needed repair dried up – so did my business.
What I remembered from that time, was the thought:

“If I would own some land, I could be the one to build storage units and rent those out, but that is not accessible for me, because I come from a poor family, we do not have a farm with lots of empty space to develop such kind of business”

Now, all of a sudden (two decades later, on another continent) I find myself in a situation where I DO have a piece of land that I can use to build a business on.
In my day to day I run a real estate marketing agency, so why would I start another business?

Three reasons, four perhaps.

First, for diversification of income. If for some reason the banks stop working, a very real scenario that is actually happening in Bolivia, it is good to be able to provide value locally.

Second. Giving something back to Bolivia. This country have given us many good things, so that is part of my motivation. Provide employment, make the urban environment more green to compensate for the damage we have done, planting trees for a better world! It just feels good and is totally selfish, true.

Third. All the conditions required are already present. Not doing this would be a waste. We have space available, we have the waste / source materials of cutlings and seedlings and earth and compost already available.

Fourth: It’s an ego thing. Again, a totally selfish motivation. With my experience and marketing skills, I must be able to set up a simple successful physical business?

Watch episode #1: The Making of The Nursery

Freshly uploaded on my youtube channel: First episode of “The making of the Nursery”. A typical example of a local small physical business. Interesting to learn more about local marketing techniques.