During October, Dave and I spend a few days visiting numerous nurseries/soil producers around Cape Town. We are looking for the ideal soil mix – or crafted soil.
Finding The Right Mix
Whilst finding soil mixing farms that can supply at reasonable prices isn’t difficult, getting the correct mix is a challenge.
During one of these trips, Dr Long has an encounter with a rabid bee (will need to research if it was a wasp) on one of the farms. For some odd reason, it won’t stop stinging.
Being a gentleman, I leave them to sort themselves out as I calmly run to the merriment of the local staff. To clarify, no one is laughing, it was never funny, like ever.
Craft Soil Is Expensive
Eventually, we have the composition of various competitive soils analysed. The Zootly team comes up with the perfect mix and we now have to find a producer.
The small family business/producer can deliver, is close by, and is able to give us the ideal mix. The mix includes:
- Perlites;
- Nitrogen;
- potassium;
- Cocacor;
- And more.
However, upon concluding the negotiations our requirements mean that the price more than doubles from the original mix.
In short, good cannabis soil is expensive folks.
The Zootly crew go to great length to find the best soil, and the search will never end.
After weeks of research, Dave formulates the ideal mix of soil. In addition, the knowledge gained is put into practice with our new Zootly nest. An all-in-one grow solution for dummies.
Digital Expert
Sune is putting in the work in the digital marketing department. As a result, on 15 October, 2020, our website is officially open for business.
As a team, we’re extremely happy with the results. The site is great but we still have loads of room for improvement, as well as new lessons to learn.
We blended the existing blog and the shop together and learned about UX, (user experience) along with non paid media, basically the social media jargon.
Official Zootly Launch!
Two days after the website is live, we host our official launch party at the store in Woodstock.
Firstly it is our one-year celebration of Zootly, and secondly, it’s also a year since the Canadian legalization of recreational weed.
We invite the media to come over. Also, we extend an invitation to some of the people we have been working with.
The event is fun. As a result, we gain a lot of social media and online interest. Chris and I say a small welcome speech.
This is an accomplishment as we’re not public speakers in the best environment. The experience leaves us both sweating.
But, we live through it.
Sandton Expo
After all the celebrations, it’s time for the Sandton Cannabis Expo. All hands are needed to get the Zootly team and stock to Johannesburg.
We have a small stand showcasing our goods, which includes our CBD range, our grow tents, the California Lightworks, Zootly Nest and most of our Zootly Smoke range.
It should go without saying, our stand is the best at the show.
However, the show is on the Black Friday before Christmas, and due to the expo’s position, the foot traffic is really slow.
As a result, we don’t come close to breaking even and we exit a little poorer. That being said, the good news from the show is we have made good contacts in the industry.
And it’s with a heavy heart we say goodbye to Sune after the show.
