Biz Startz ~> Biz 'Treps ~> Next Article (Cookin' Up the Biz)
NOTEWORTHY NETWORKING |
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Casey used networking to get information, supplies, and even
money for her business. Check out her methods and see how they can help you! JOIN THE CLUB Casey joined the garden club and FFA at school. Through FFA she competed in the National Agri-Entrepreneur Competition in 1996. As one of the 10 winners, she was awarded $1,000 for her business. She is now the president of her horticulture club at Oklahoma State University and exhibits her plants in the club's annual show. WATCH OTHERS "Get ideas from visiting other people's gardens," says Casey. She visits botanical gardens when traveling to other cities and asks as many questions as possible. READ & RESEARCH Casey calls herself a "magazine junkie" because she constantly reads gardening trade magazines. She also surfs the Net to keep up with all of the gardening sites, especially the ones with free plant swaps. |
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By Melissa Maupin |
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Wanna use green to make green? That’s right ‘treps, you can make some serious waves in your bank account with the hottest new trend in H2O — water gardening. |
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Water Bug Casey always loved traditional gardening, but wanted to try something a little bit different. She came up with an idea for setting up a small, homemade pond. “I put plants and goldfish in an old-fashioned bathtub. Later, I read an article that said what I had done was called water gardening. It was like I was making a little ecosystem. You have water and plants. You have fish that eat the mosquito larvae and the plants. Then other things like frogs and ducks move in.” |
| Seeds of Business |
Wanting to learn more about her new hobby, Casey searched the pages of Water Gardening magazine for information. She found a few names of water garden suppliers and decided to write letters asking for their advice. Before she knew it, suppliers from New England to Texas were sending her brochures, information, and even samples of pond equipment. Then Casey’s parents helped by giving her plants and equipment as birthday and Christmas gifts. |
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Casey had a natural talent for gardening. “I bought a few plants, they started growing, and I had to expand,” she says. Casey sold the livestock she’d raised in Future Farmers of America (FFA) and used the watering troughs as holding tanks for her plants. She even bought a 10-foot-wide tank and converted it into a garden complete with a running creek! Word soon spread about Casey’s green thumb, and people began calling to buy plants. |
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Seasonal Success According to Casey, water gardening is seasonal — March through October — which has made it a good summer business. Here’s the only downside: Casey’s mom has to help maintain the plants while she is away at college during the school year. |