Plantation Systems

We have developed a technologically-superior method for the production of black truffles. We establish truffle plantations with partners and the main revenue stream comes from the sale of truffles from our plantations. We use the website as a means through which people can learn about investing in our technique.

Have you always wanted to run your own business? What were some of your previous jobs / companies?

I have always wanted to run my own business and be my own boss. The design and start-up phases of business fascinate me and I am always looking for other projects. Most of these projects revolve around applying our technology to other economically important species.

Have you got any qualifications? Please tell us about yourself academically?

I have a degree (Bsc Hons.) in Natural environmental science and a PhD in plant biology from the University of Sheffield.

How / when did the idea of your website / company come about?

I have always been fascinated by biology and passionate about food. I decided to try and produce truffles on a small scale because of the difficulty in sourcing good truffles at reasonable prices. Using my training in biology I looked at the production process in great depth. It was from this that I discovered the potential problems and began to develop our technique. After several years the technique was perfected and I then decided to establish a large plantation, it is from this that the business has grown.

If you could give readers of this book one piece of advice when starting up a business, what would it be?

Do it! If you have a dream or business idea that you think can work, the most important thing is to try it out.

Who are your role models / mentors and why?

There are a huge number of people I really admire for differing reasons. There is no particular person I am aiming to be, but I have learnt a huge amount from many people along the way and I hope I will continue to do so. In terms of mentors, the number of people I have taken advice off are too many to mention here. I prefer to talk ideas though with several different people rather than relying on a specific mentor as I find a range of insights highly beneficial.

Excluding yours, what company / website do you like / admire the most?

There is a food for the future website run from academic institutions in the USA. They provide huge amounts of information on plants and their medicinal and edible uses. The database is fully referenced and is a great source of information. As a company I really admire Wild-Expeditions (www.Wild-Expeditions.co.uk). They provide real research and conservation experiences. I’m starting to get involved in some of their projects and I find their moral approach very admirable.

What do you look for in an employee?

Intelligence, determination and honesty.

What kind of culture exists at your company? How did you establish this tone and why did you institute this particular type of culture?

We are currently a very small company (in terms of employees) but rely heavily on technology, innovation and science. Without these three key elements the business could not survive.

Where did your funding come from and how did you go about getting it?

We started out with a small grant from the White Rose Centre for Enterprise. We are now largely self-financed, although we have just opened up several channels for investors.

Tell us about what your business does off line.

We are currently producing 2,500 incredibly well cultivated truffle-trees to begin our first large-scale truffle plantation. We are also investigating ways of applying our technology in environmental restoration programmes.

How has you business grown / expanded since you launched.

When we first launched we envisaged producing a plantation solely in our name. It has now become clear that we will need outside investment. This was the driving force for the establishment of the investment programme detailed on our website.

How many hours do you work a day on average?

10-11 hours

Are you a member of any clubs / institutions?

I am a member of several academic societies including the Society for Experimental Biology and the Biochemical Society.

What was the last book you read?

Slaughter House-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut. A truly excellent book.

Describe / outline your typical day?

I generally have breakfast whilst checking and replying to e-mails. I then check our supplies and talk to suppliers. Then I usually head out to one of our nursery sites and spend most of the day there sorting sterilization issues etc.

When I return home its back to sorting e-mails and general paperwork.

What are your hobbies, what do you do on weekends?

Rock climbing, guitar, gardening.

Number of years your company has been in business?

One

Size of premises?

We have several facilities. Our controlled-growth facility alone measures 60ft x 20ft although we are aiming to expand this considerably.

Number of staff?

We have no permanent directly employed staff.

Visitors per month?

Varies. February views were in excess of 9,000.

Revenue (approx.) per year? Is your company profitable or what is your profit for last year?

We are still in our first year. Our primary goal for the first 3-5 years is not to make a profit, but to establish several plantations. However, after year 5 our revenue from plantations is forecast to be substantial.

Where / how you advertise? (i.e. newspapers, magazines, search engines etc.)

We are fortunate in that advertising is not something we really need to pursue. We have had national TV, radio and newspaper coverage primarily through an appearance on the BBC2 programme ‘Dragons Den’. We are also registered with search engines.

What are your five key elements for starting and running a successful business?

1) Know the market

2) Find or define a niche

3) Assess the competition

4) Allow plenty of room in your budget for unexpected events

5) Be prepared to work hard and be persistent!

What country do most of your buyers come from? What countries have you shipped to in the past?

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