Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Emma Walden. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Emma, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s easy to look at a business or industry as an outsider and assume it’s super profitable – but we’ve seen over and over again in our conversation with folks that most industries have factors that make profitability a challenge. What’s biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

There are several challenges when it comes to the rare plant industry. Our product is a living plant, so the first issue we encounter is simply making sure we can keep it alive. From there, we face the challenge of not only keeping it alive, but sustaining and maintaining the controlled environment it requires to thrive. We cannot print or build plants; instead, we have to patiently wait for them to grow on their own time, so I t can take up to a year or more before a new variety is ready to sell.
Another problem we face is the volatility of prices. Plants that once sold for thousands of dollars can now be bought for less than a hundred. This makes it risky for sellers that are looking to add new rare varieties to their stock. For example, I could buy a new hybrid Hoya for $200 each and propagate them for one year. In one year that same variety may only be valued at $20 per plant. Because of this, every investment comes with risk.

Emma, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My dad and I are the two person team that is Swan Tropicals; a small scale, online plant shop specializing in Hoyas. We currently carry over 100 varieties of Hoya as well as several other rare species of collector houseplants. My dad is in charge of maintaining and growing our inventory. He stays behind the scenes and focuses on the propagation and quality control to ensure all of our plants are healthy and well established. These are not your average, fast growing, easy to care for plants you’ll find at a big box store; these exotic species often grow much slower and tend to be more sensitive to cultivate. We do not import or wholesale any of our stock: Each variety has been sourced from other small hobby sellers here in the United States and are propagated by my dad from start to finish in his climate controlled grow room.
I am in charge of customer service as well as shipping. I run our online shop on Blossm, update our Facebook and Instagram page, and focus on marketing through our various social media platforms. I talk with customers, manage payments, and carefully pack our plants to ensure they arrive safely to their new homes.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Reputation is extremely important in the online plant industry. In recent years, scammers have flooded our market, causing many collectors to be hesitant to purchase plants online. There are multiple ways we have learned to build a solid reputation in the community. We start with our signature color orange. We use this distinguishing color in our backgrounds to prevent theft of our photos and to show legitimacy of our inventory. Many scammers online steal reputable seller images to trick customers and steal their money. Having a bold orange color in our backgrounds helps deter these situations and gives comfort to new customers that we are an authentic shop.
Good communication, prompt shipping, and buyer protected payment options are three other key ways we have built a strong relationship with our customers.
Another factor that separates us from many other plant shops is our how we handle shipment issues that may arise. Many online sellers do not offer resolutions if a plant is lost or arrives dead or damaged, and a collector risks losing their investment due to poor packaging or delayed deliveries. We value the trust our customers put into us by supporting our small business, therefore we will always offer replacement solutions if a shipment gets lost or a plant is deceased upon arrival.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Our journey into the rare plant industry started around 2019 as a hobby, but New Years of 2020 was when everything changed for us. In 2020, my dad and I had come to a harsh realization; we were both alcoholics. After some deep conversations, we both knew we were ready for change. We decided 2021 would be our year, so as the apple dropped and the New Years countdown began, we finished our very last drinks and prepared to enter our first year of sobriety.
We shifted to focus towards our other hobbies we shared together, and Hoyas became our staple. After a few months, we decided it was time push our hobby further and began to pursue our dreams of a commercial greenhouse. That’s when Swan Tropicals was born. We have recently celebrated two and a half years alcohol free and our dream business is becoming a reality.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/swantropicals?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swantropicals?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Other: Blossm-https://blossm.garden/links/share/FDEk