Secrets to a Successful Greenhouse and Business : A Complete Guide to Starting and Operating A High-Profit Organic or Hydroponic Business That Benefits the Environment

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Summary: This book really helped me get going on my greenhouse.
Review: I found this to be the best book on the subject. The most complete information source on buyers and materials I could find. Its very obvious that the author has had a greenhouse business and gives ideas (secrets) that can save years of time. From the beginning it tells you that all info on every subject can not be given, and when you have dozens of types of poinsetta's that have dozens of growing conditions it is better to get a book on that subject. With all the great bits of info, how can anyone not love this book. My favorite area is how to get buyers. The process is so simple when you know the right way. I only found two typing errors and who cares! Each page is full of money saving and making projects. The way the author shows you how to decide what types of crops to grow is worth the price of the book alone. The buyer list is unbelievable... real buyers who want plants of all kinds, where else can you find that? I found the info on the size of pots to use, and prices to charge, very helpful... I have called and emailed Mr. Taylor many times and ask him all kinds of greenhouse growing questions and he has always been very helpful and inspiring. Have had been the largest spiderplant grower in the USA for many years and had dealt with over 1400 stores Mr. Taylor knows his business better that most. A couple of my friends have bought this book and are all excited about starting there greenhouse business growing tropical plants.

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Summary: not recomended
Review: I waited months for this book to have it arrive and be loaded with spelling errors, out dated information and horifically organized. There are sections where the headings have nothing to do with the info in the following paragraphs.

It offers a full refund from the publisher on the back cover and I have sent mine back to collect my refund.

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Summary: The Answer To A Lifetime Dream!,
Review: If you want to know everything from the "how come?", to the "how to?", to the "how much?" of the greenhouse business then you want to order, "Secrets To A Successful Greenhouse and Business" by Ted M. Taylor. I always wanted to own a nursery or be in the greenhouse business but had convinced my self I couldn't afford the investment or the risk. I discovered a link to this book one night while searching for information on Hibiscus. I ordered one copy and then ordered another copy for a friend before the first one arrived. I read the book and can tell you first hand that you will learn everthing from the importance of developing a plan, to how to build an affordable greenhouse, to what plants to grow, to how to grow them, to how to market them plus a long list of references, buyers, workshops and seminars.
In this day of technology, it is refreshing to find an author who writes with such understandable basics. It's obvious he has been a huge sucess in the greenhouse business. In a telephone conversation with Mr. Taylor, he assured me that the toughest part of the business is the decision to get started. That's the part I've had the biggest trouble with but will build my first greenhouse this year. The book showed me not only that the business is affordable but also can be profitable very early.


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Summary: Plan to Succeed
Review: Secrets to a Successful Greenhouse and Business is written for the beginner or serious home gardener who wants to start a profitable home-based business growing plants in a greenhouse, or for educators looking for specialized classroom projects. It is also valuable text for existing commercial growers, if only to revisit some of the basics from time to time. Divided into 11 sections, Secrets to a Successful Greenhouse and Business will tell you everything you want to know to get started in a greenhouse business. The book covers all major growing systems including hydroponics, organics, and good old-fashioned soil cultivation. It includes a basic plan to build a solar greenhouse, and information on soil and fertilizer mixes, insect and disease control, marketing, and guidelines to organize your greenhouse business. The section on 'Selling, Marketing, and Economics' is especially useful for new comers to greenhouse production. Gone are the days of growing plants on speculation and hoping to find a market before the crop is harvested. The first step in any successful horticulture business is to identify your market, and to grow what the market wants. This section offers some valuable insights into how to go about that. The text explores the marketing process and includes developing sales concepts and marketing strategies, as well as establishing a realistic budget. I can't think of another text that says it better. There are also special treatments for marketing hydroponic and organic products, as opposed to soil-grown products. The section on 'Greenhouses' is succinct. The author leaves no stone unturned in his endeavor to cover every aspect of greenhouse production. Topics include environmental control, choosing the right greenhouse covering, operating costs and cash flow, ideas to improve your greenhouse, and much, much more. This section also includes a basic solar greenhouse plan, including a detailed inventory of materials (imperial measurements). The section on 'Specialized Projects with Excellent Profit Potential' examines the major soil-less culture growing systems that are used in today's modern greenhouse, with a focus on greenhouse tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, tropical fruits, and ornamental plants. There is also a special treatment for school greenhouse programs. There are few greenhouse texts that go beyond the hardware of a greenhouse business. This text does. The section on 'Guidelines to Organizing Your Business' is about turning into actions. According to the author, people don't plan to fail they just fail to plan. In this section, apart from highlighting the need for good planning, the author explains the basic steps for organizing your greenhouse business. These include on sight considerations such as obtaining zoning ordinances and building permits, and types of financing, right down to Workers Compensation. Another section on 'Delivery, Collecting, & Using Computers', is a practical guide for those processes. The author covers everything including packing and labeling, box construction, and how to start with a small business computer. The author provides a practical explanation of the World Wide Web and its importance for communication, to quickly find or exchange technical and market information, or to develop new markets. The author also includes a lists of useful websites. This book is published in the Unites States, for a North American readership but its wealth of information gives it international appeal. If you are thinking of starting a greenhouse business, then this book is for you wherever you are. It is full of tips, ideas and resources, and generously illustrated.

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Summary: Get the 2005 version book
Review: This is an excelent book I have no doubt, but make sure you order the new version. The new revised 2005 book is out, this one is the old 2000 book.