In business you have to confront reality especially if there is a lot of hype and noise

Looking forward to the future of business

Lately because of the Jessica Soho feature everybody was enamored with agri forestry.  Even this post.  That is why this post devoted a lot of time and research into this new "opportunity"   It is said to earn zillions in 5  years.  However it seemed to me that there are gaps in the business model

1.  Selling lumber for 5 years tree  There was a post on the White Lauan that was 5 years old and had only about 6 inches diameter although it is about 30 ft tall, not enough to have 500 board feet as computed

2.  Dense planting (1.5 x 1.5 meters) of widely spaced (3 x 3 meters)

3.  End of the value chain -  marketing

This post verified this (checking reality) with a business partner who is from the island province and is into agriventure. and told me that the difficulty really is with no. 3.  There are many who are into this in their province. That is why her business partner who who has a 4.5 hectare planted to mahogany cut his trees and converted into our type of business.   But the difficulty is in marketing.  After the trees are matured and there a all ready the fragrances, the buyers are hard to come by, just like the nata de coco fiasco  of yesteryears -- many went into this because this was so easy to do.  Only to end up with containerloads of nata de coco wihtout buyers.  I know of a feed dealer who lost his shirt in nata de coco.

That is why it pays if you make a plan or proposal to incorporate/use the GROW template:

       G  -oal

       R - eality

       O -ptions

       W-hat to do next.

The reality portion deands that you:

1.  Do a market competitor research

2.  Ask those who are in the know

3.  Ask the hard questions.  Question the assumption