Mickey Popat acted in finance, and his wife, Vicky Popat, was a teacher, when his weekend horticulture hobby gave more than 80 fruit trees planted in his Orlando, Florida, backyard and considered to turn the passion into a business.
Image Credit: Courtesy of the plantogram. Vicky Popat, left and Mickey Popat, Right.
Mickey, who migrated from South Africa to America in the early 1990s, says, “I grew up with all kinds of amazing tropical foods, guava and mangoes and litchi, which had come to America from South Africa in the early 1990s,” and I was surprised (because) a lot of families and friends came (and ask), Oh my God, ‘Oh my God,’ What is a living? “And then they would say that it was the best thing they had.”
Soon, the same families and friends asked Popats if they could help them plant their fruit trees. Mickey and Vicky both came from a long line of entrepreneurs, “and the commercial concept began to root. In 2007, couple decided to go to all-in PlantA luxury fruit tree gifting company.
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“To start this business, we had to give back all the luxury items that we had.”
Popats quit his day’s job to dedicate himself to the business. He planned to bootstrap the enterprise using his savings, so it was time to lean – and some strategic tricks.
“To start this business, we had to give back all the luxury items we have,” Vicky says. “We all turned into cars, lexus, jags, fancy clothes. Everything was known. We sold everything and bootted our idea.”
Mickey and Vicky put the money made towards a practical business purchase: a $ 1,500 Ford Ecoline Work van.
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On the morning of the early weekend, the couple scattered the farmers’ markets for the plants, who bought a variety to test the market. Popats loaded those plants in their vans and fired door-to-door to find customers. Sometimes they used to install more than 50 plants on someone’s drive to display all their options. Eventually, Vicky made a book of his offerings to streamlin the selection process.
The “self-centered” co-founders started their door-to-door strategy without marketing skills, but they learned anything, when necessary, they say while turning to the “YouTube University” for guidance.
The couple succeeded in printing business cards and leaving them at the doors of the people. Whenever the popats received an investigation about the business in those days, they recorded it by hand in a book – keeping an eye on the customer’s name, what kind of tree they wanted and how they heard about the business.
“We realized it quickly () for a lot of consumers, it was an experienced gift.”
One-one engagement with the customer base of the plantogram proved to be priceless, allowing the popats to know more about what people wanted.
“We realized it quickly () for a lot of consumers, it was an experienced gift,” says Mickey. “They were growing with their child, their children, with their grandchildren. They (they) were generational gifts because these plants have been here for decades.”
About a year in the launch of its business, the popats established a web appearance. That too, was executed with a lean mentality. Pops did not hire a developer; He himself created a website. Initially, the website was only a source of information. People could learn more about business, but they could not input the credit card or order.
A particularly determined customer will replace it. In Georgia, a woman wanted a specific tree that she could not find anywhere else, and she was “adigal” that popites used to send her to her. He sent them a check, and the couple tried to find out the best way to ship the tree, eventually landing at the bare root, where the roots of the plant are dug, soil cleaning and carried without any soil.
“It found there (and) probably lived for one and a half weeks,” Vicky misses. “And then he called me and said,” I am sending another check. I am sending a check until you find out it. “
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The couple consulted their father, who had to move forward, who had a little more mechanical experience. Those churning led to the standardized shipping approach that the plantogram still uses after about two decades. The company ships plants in its containers without bare roots and is 99.9% success rate, says Mickey.
“I always say that when our plants come and they close the box from it, as if you have someone (hidden) in a box (as A) surprised. It’s surprising how our plants come because the leaves come out and they just like,” We are here, “says Vicky.
“We preferred to be on the driver’s seat and were under that complete control.”
The plantogram enjoyed a steady growth until its website launch, but the new capacity of the ship additional boost the business of achieving customers across the country. These days, the company is particularly online, and in the last year and a half, the plantogram entered the international market, with a plan to continue shipping in Europe, Asia and Middle East.
The plantogram saw an $ 4.2 million annual revenue in 2024 according to the company.
Even when he successfully extended the business, the pops intentionally avoided investing out. The founder “wanted all decisions, all winning and full control over all failures.”
“I know that it’s not for all entrepreneurs,” Mickey says, “but for us, we preferred to stay on the driver’s seat and were under that complete control. With some businesses, when you bring to the outer capital, sometimes comes with a lot of wires and a (loss) power.”
Vicky agrees, saying that bootstrapping has allowed him to accelerate the skills of solving his problem-the importance of which he first learned from his entrepreneurial parents.
Vicky explains, “I saw that my mother and father () became a real problem-constant in the moment.” “You are able to think very clearly (and say), Okay, okay, we have received to do it. We have to go here from here. How will we do it? We have x zodiac dollar. How do we use it? And we stretch. ,
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The plantogram saw another increase in sales among the epidemic in 2020. People across the country wanted to know more about growing and bringing plants in their indoor and external places.
“We were going out like plants crazy, especially in New York,” Vicky recalls. “And those people of the epidemic time are still gardening. They are not closed. They are still more aware of their surroundings. They are more aware of their carbon footprint. They are now more aware of everything.”
These days, mango trees – who claim over 2,000 varieties to choose from – are growing in popularity, and avocado and olive trees are also a moment, Vicky notes. She says that the olive trees, with their symbolic representation of peace and prosperity, are hot, especially within the corporate gifting space, she says.
“If you are really serious about it, go and get a license.”
Popats have learned a lot about what to do to flourish a business over the years, and for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to convert their hobbies or passions into their own enterprises, offer two major pieces of advice.
First of all, don’t just talk about your business idea. Advertisement Nauseam: Take action.
During a recent conversation with his daughter, who asked how the plantogram actually took place, Vicky explained that once inspired, he ensured that he went down to obtain a business license – no hesitation.
“If you are really serious about it, go and get a license,” Vicky says. “Get an LLC, get an S Corp. Do something.
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Finally, whenever possible, do not consider the value of being lean – after all, this is the approach that has placed the foundation for today where there is a plantogram today.
“We used to see every money, (and) being lean, we are allowed to be profitable,” Mickey says.
