Cacti Economics and the 20th century dream

[Flayzerflay]

Don't know how many of you have instagram? well if you do you may have noticed that cacti businesses in places like Thailand seem may i say "viable"?
It just seems mad that there are so many businesses selling what are 10p plants, soil, pots, stall after stall day after day.
Without the right contacts in the UK you would have no chance due to fee's, licenses, middle men, pointless hurdles that hit any business that is not a charity or has some allowable tax avoiding mechanisms in place.
I have done 3 months research on eBay (yes, on some of you ) and the result i find is a successful plant seller can get £1200 to £1500 turnover BUT that is before the costs and fees so at best £250-£400 take home before earning tax if applicable.
So what's the crack? there is no way you could live off it even if the maths are out by 50% yet it requires most of your time to process the orders and the upkeep etc, i can only think of the following but please by all means jump in with thoughts...

1. You are retired with no outgoings.
2. You are doing a bit of this and a bit of that but have a main job.
3. Only one person in a couple needs to work so the other does the plant sales.
4. Data harvesting or offsetting the benefits of one business to use on another.
5. Every seller is doomed to failure it just takes a month or two to realise after all that you are £3.20 in the red but won't admit it so the next poor person falls into the same trap.

[BrianMc]

You missed off "money laundering front"

[Stuart]

I reckon the cactus nurserymen in the UK are doing a great job, a wonderful service to the hobby, and next time you go to a Cactus Mart, maybe Spalding or Herne Bay next April, everyone should support our nurserymen by buying as many plants as possible and literally shower them with money.

Stuart

[MalcolmP2]

1. You are retired with no outgoings.

When you are retired everything seems to be going out.

[Cidermanrolls]

What a strange post.
Is this a dig at people selling plants, or a genuine question from someone thinking of setting up a small business? Or some thing else?
The ‘turnover’ figures don’t state a time period. If that is weekly, then £400 profit a week is good income for many people. It is more than someone working full time on minimum wage, for example. And that is without questioning the supposed overheads that take so much of the headline sales figures.
But honestly, I think many ebayers are people trying to subsidise their hobby. That is exactly what I will be when I start selling. A few sales will help cover the costs of heating etc.. for me £400 profit a year for spare plants would be very nice.
Many other ebayers are using the platform to get sales in addition to the ones at the nursery or from other platforms. Don’t assume ebay is the only string to someone’s bow.

[Flayzerflay]

You missed off "money laundering front"

haha yeah I am sure some of you are dark horses.

[Flayzerflay]

1. You are retired with no outgoings.

When you are retired everything seems to be going out.

Indeed but the current retired generation usually don't have to worry about rent, £700 - £1200 per month means current generations are never able to retire

[Flayzerflay]

I reckon the cactus nurserymen in the UK are doing a great job, a wonderful service to the hobby, and next time you go to a Cactus Mart, maybe Spalding or Herne Bay next April, everyone should support our nurserymen by buying as many plants as possible and literally shower them with money.

Stuart

Indeed Stuart, without our UK cactus marts the alternative is to buy frauds from Hungary or Italy via ebay, photoshopped fake rotten misleading bit of cork lol.

[Flayzerflay]

What a strange post.
Is this a dig at people selling plants, or a genuine question from someone thinking of setting up a small business? Or some thing else?
The ‘turnover’ figures don’t state a time period. If that is weekly, then £400 profit a week is good income for many people. It is more than someone working full time on minimum wage, for example. And that is without questioning the supposed overheads that take so much of the headline sales figures.
But honestly, I think many ebayers are people trying to subsidise their hobby. That is exactly what I will be when I start selling. A few sales will help cover the costs of heating etc.. for me £400 profit a year for spare plants would be very nice.
Many other ebayers are using the platform to get sales in addition to the ones at the nursery or from other platforms. Don’t assume ebay is the only string to someone’s bow.

The post can be what ever you want it to be as your interpretation is unique and I love to hear how people approach this be it pay for the hobby, one finger in many pies, etc etc.
Turnover is always monthly these days due to the supply chain models, little choice, although i do remember the brown cash pay packet once a week, 1990's i think.

[Tina]

£700 - £1200 per month means current generations are never able to retire

but not all generations feel the necessity to get every upgraded phone, unlimited data calls n text, netflix, cinema monthly passes, lots of meals out & socialising weekly, boys/girls holiday & joint ones. this is just one of my son's life but he will retire as he does include a bit of savings & doesn't go past his income- sensible.