A young entrepreneur has expanded his exotic and rare plant retailing business just months after launching.
Jacob James, 27, opened Grow Tropicals nine months ago in lockdown and has generated turnover of more than £190,000 in the intervening time.
Now the business - which also sells indoor gardening accessories - has grown into a 2,500 sq ft unit next to its existing 3,500 sq. ft. store and tropical hydroponics and terrarium plant nursery.
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What started as a side project for Jacob has now become a full-time occupation.
The new space will allow him to invest further in new machinery and greenhouses to increase the business’s on-site propagation and reduce reliance on imports.
Grow Tropicals also said it had seen demand for its peat-free houseplant substrates, with sales of more than 5,000 units per month.
Mr James said: “Throughout this journey we have seen incredible results for the business, with over 5,000 units of our peat-free substrates being sold monthly, which has help contribute towards the six-figure turnover in our first nine months of trading full-time.
"The value of the business has jumped fivefold in this time, which has helped us secure further investment to grow.
“We have ambitious plans for 2022 and our team is excited to continue the good work we’ve become known for, and the new unit will certainly allow us to focus on further growth and increasing our sustainability to 70% moving forward.”
Grow Tropicals customers can choose from more than 600 species that can be ordered online then collected or delivered to their doors across the 海角视频 and EU.