The entrepreneur benefitting from planet-conscious Brits' love of gardening

William Tuer is the co-founder of Will and Al's Natural Plant Food Company, which sells "plant based natural fertiliser for homes and gardens".

As well as on his own website, the Cumbria-based entrepreneur has sold hundreds of products through Amazon's online store.

William shares his story and explains how the Amazon Small Business Accelerator e-learning programme has boosted his entrepreneurial skills.

The free Amazon Small Business Accelerator e-learning programme is advice from more than 30 business experts in over 200 bitesize videos.

If you're already an Enterprise Nation member, log in to your learning dashboard. If you're not an Enterprise Nation member, you can join the Amazon Small Business Accelerator for free here.

How did you come up with your business idea?

"Early in my career, I developed an interest in renewables and energy crops (crops grown to produce energy) after spending time in Germany working in agricultural engineering.

"Deciding that I wanted to investigate renewables further, I started working for a company selling anaerobic digesters to farms. This is where I met my business partner Alistair Wannop.

"The company I worked for wasn't particularly interested in creating bio products from anaerobic digestion, so I started to work with Alistair as he was investigating alternative markets for bio products using anaerobic digestion.

"We formed 1Up Natural Products to develop consumer products and enter the retail market as Will and Al's Natural Plant Food Company.

"We developed a brand, created packaging and distributed our prototype product to gardeners. The feedback was fantastic so we took the decision to launch with a sustainable plant-based plant food offering a real alternative to synthetic fertiliser-based products."

What start-up challenges have you faced?

"We've faced a host of challenges, especially understanding legislation around plant-based fertilisers. There is very little guidance for fertilisers that aren’t made from non-synthetic sources. Most traditional fertilisers are made from oil-based chemicals and non-renewable sources.

"Navigating these challenges and developing a product into something that works and is attractive to home gardeners has taken years and a lot of dedication!

"We have also faced the challenge of getting consumers to accept an organic plant-based fertiliser as the market is dominated by a few multi-national suppliers. However, with climate change now a major public concern, we have noticed a real change in consumer attitudes towards our products."

How has COVID-19 impacted on your business?

"Although we've faced challenges with our supply chain, the pandemic actually increased our sales as people were at home gardening!"

Why did you decide to start selling on Amazon’s online store and what’s your strategy for making sales that other Amazon sellers can learn from?

"As a micro brand in a sector dominated by a handful of multi-national corporations, we felt the Amazon online store would give us direct access to potential customers.

"Our strategy is careful marketing and growing positive reviews. It’s important to understand reviews and make changes where required. Product feedback and customer satisfaction will ultimately grow sales and build brand loyalty.

"It's important to understand all the tools available for helping you sell on Amazon’s online store and use analytics and data to understand consumer behaviour."

How has the Amazon Small Business Accelerator e-learning programme inspired you?

"Although I'm experienced in product development, launching and marketing, the e-learning videos provide a great refresh of topics and have helped to generate new ideas.

"Among the videos I found particularly useful was the advice on visual brand identity, designing a logo, how to get press coverage and Google Analytics.

"The barcode advice was also really helpful, as were the tips on setting up an Amazon store.

"The bitesize videos are easy to watch with lots of snippets of information on important topics. It’s much better than long training videos."

What are your top tips for business success?

"Expect the unexpected. Be prepared to change or alter your path. Listen to your customers and be willing to adapt your products according to their feedback.

"Be careful with paying for advertising on social media as the results can be disappointing. If consumers find a product they like, they will share their joy organically which is very powerful."

The free Amazon Small Business Accelerator e-learning programme is advice from more than 30 business experts in over 200 bitesize videos.

If you're already an Enterprise Nation member, log in to your learning dashboard. If you're not an Enterprise Nation member, you can join the Amazon Small Business Accelerator for free here.