Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Roger Lewis, Jr., CEO of Lewis Bamboo, Inc., located in Oakman, AL, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We are one of the U.S.'s largest bamboo nurseries. We specialize in bringing this wonderful but frequently overlooked and misunderstood plants plant to domestic landscapes.

Tell us about yourself

My parents had a love for bamboo, so I have been exposed to it from a young age. They quickly realized that the bamboo industry in the U.S. was underserved. Fifty years ago, it was very difficult to even find bamboo outside of USDA quarantine centers. In 1996, we had our first website sale. It made going to the mailbox fun because back then, all the customers would mail the order slips and checks to us. It was not as easy as the click-to-order process we have these days. After I graduated college in 1999, I went to work for my parents because sales had become more than they wanted to handle. By 2002, we had incorporated, and I was able to let my parents retire a few years later.

I have been doing this well over 20 years and still look forward to working almost every day. Getting to be around this wonderful plant and working with great customers over the years is just great motivation to keep me engaged over the decades.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

To educate people about this commonly misunderstood plant. There are over 1400 different bamboo species worldwide, so there is almost bamboo for any application. From learning how bamboo grows to control "running" bamboo, we strive to provide education with every plant we sell. Over the years, a lot of myths have been told about bamboo, and it is our job to help dispel the incorrect ones.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Long hours and finding the correct people. These two elements go together. If you cannot find the correct people, your hours get longer.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Try to find a unique niche.
  2. Benchmark your business against a successful businesses model outside of your market/industry.
  3. Focus on acquiring and retaining key personnel. Nothing will make your business journey easier than having motivated employees that you can trust and depend upon.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

We have used to same business establishment and growth template to develop numerous other businesses. Here are our additional business and brands:
edgeright.com
bambooshield.com
sidewalkshield.com
grassbarrier.com
pierprotector.com

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://lewisbamboo.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lewisbamboo/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lewisbamboo/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LewisBamboo
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lewisbamboo/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.