Growing for a living....dream?

[RoadRash]

if you got skills and customers its easy...did it for quite a few years illegally and legally...

skills ...
Attention to Detail
Obsession with Perfection - and ability to deliver
issues relating to the legal status
marketing & sales skills
ability to recruit & delegate good help, e.g. with manicuring


But ... the economy being the way it is, there is a LOT of competition in the cannabis industry.

Cozying up to someone who owns a dispensary - up to and including marrying them - can be helpful.

 

[420somewhere]

I think people underestimate ...

I think people underestimate ...

The time and effort required for Top Shelf Buds.

You need to take it seriously and focus.

Not just in growing, but the harvest and cure.

For now I'll just keep my small grow.

Peace
.
I'll dream for when I retire.

 

[stoned-trout]

the deal is great weed will always sell..end of story...up your game

 

[RoadRash]

To help sell the weed, computer skills helps, a lot. So, developing those skills yourself, or getting close & tight with someone who has them, that would be good.

e.g. so that you can have a professional looking shopping cart, navigate through the world of online payments, etc.

 

[SpasticGramps]

Bottom line is you are going to need legit business skills to compete. Legit pockets and real leadership in managing people, process, and product.

A lot of the underground is going to hate it and yes it's going to get commercialized, but going legal is going to separate the men from the boys. How are you going to deal with squeezed margins? How are you going to innovate not only the product, but the supply chain management and marketing?

Deliver the best product at the best price and you can win. It's all about service and product in the "real" world. If you want to compete you'll have to have your shit dialed in all aspects or you'll lose to the person that does. And that's what will take cannabis to not just the next level, but multitudes beyond what it is.

Will a lot of the underground get lost in the wash? Yes. But that's the cost of legalization and if it keeps people from getting thrown into cages for enjoying the fruits of a plant then so be it. It's Darwinism. If you lack the skills to adapt you die. The way universe goes round and round. Net net it's a plus for humanity.

 

[HempKat]

Or instead of producing a quality product at a fair price, you could open up a superstore and price out all the local small businesses.

The $$ involved as well as the previous legal status of cannabis is what makes it inaccessible to local entrepreneurs.

Who do you think will come out on top?

A guy who has $10,000 and no "lawful" experience. (Would you cite your past experience growing? )

or

A business with millions of dollars of capital at the ready, experience in the industry, operational systems in place, insurance, lawyers, employees, etc.

The larger the company, the more leverage they have over suppliers. They buy product at cost, in bulk. The grower has no choice but to bust their ass to sell it for nothing or get out of the business.

At least that is the trend in new med states. Investors, speculators and existing corporations have inside information as to when & where legislation will be passed, what the regulations will be and who is involved in any relevant committees/political parties.

By the time the news breaks that X state passed a med mj law, the permits have been issued, spaces leased and donations made.

And you're not invited.

That was the point I was making earlier when I said you would need quite a bit of start up capital. But even if you had say 10 million to get started with, there are still corporations with 10 times that and more, that could just come in and wipe you out just like Wal-Mart did and is still doing to smaller businesses. To survive that you need something more then money, you need a reputation for being the best and a large dedicated customer base that believes what you have is the best of the best.

It's definitely not going to be a situation where someone who just has good growing skills can move to a legal state and turn growing into a solid business. I was just watching a documentary last night from 2010 called Marijuana in the US or something like that and in one part it showed two people who are trying to run a legit business and just to apply to be considered for a permit, involved 100's of pages of paperwork and around $27,000 worth of non refundable application fees.