When life gives you lemons: Alen is starting up a fertilizer biz 10/23 update

Our business graduate, Alen, started working at a packaging plant in TJ last January. Then came Covid and then came the layoffs.

What to do?

Why not begin a start up?

Two buddies and he got inventive and started up a business they are going to call Organicos. They collect the leftover fish carcasses from the local La Bocana and Punta Abreojos fishing cooperatives, heat it up, squeeze out the excess liquid, put it out to dry, bag it up as plant fertilizer.

One month ago, they came to visit me and we had a pow wow at the Cabanas restaurant. I told them to go full steam ahead! I turned them on to our tax accountant in La Paz. She is savvy and inexpensive. They have a cousin who is a lawyer and going to help them legalize the company.

They conducted an in house experiment where an uncle put up two corn stalks with their product and two without. Visible difference between the plants!


Here is a photo of us at our first get together.






Here is some of the equipment they need - I am putting the photos up just in case someone has it sitting in their garage or warehouse.


An industrial scale - a little hazy, sorry.







They would like to use 3 and 5 kilo natural bags to hold the product so as to be ecological:






Industrial masks:








They need industrial presses:










More later, these are just some of the things they need.



Alen and 1 other partner came to visit me 2 days ago and we used some of the product on my sago palms - the two outside ones have product and the two inside ones do not...they grow so slowly, I am not sure this is a valid test but what fun if it does work out!


I suggested they get a silent financial partner and gave them a lead.


They are making lemonade! Graduating nowadays is really challenging.

















[Edited on 10-24-2020 by BajaBlanca]

UPDATE

Alen and his partner are growing at a mile a minute! Two of my high school friends have invested the $130 they needed to get some drying out beds and a huge water container (tinaco).
















Les had some extra mesh left over from his veggie garden as well as some lumber left over, so we have them that as well.


They wrote to say that they got their FIRST big order! The farm owner was impressed with how his crops reacted to the fish fertilizer.









They have even gotten an order from Chile. These guys are going FAR and so so so fast! Leave it to Covid to give Alen the opportunity of a lifetime.

Here is a photo of them, they downsized from 3 partners to 2.


Meet Alen and Martin








Here is the packaging they chose. It is really beautiful but best of all, it works on plants!









My friend Joe, who is looking to retire soon, asked them a million questions on their business plan....he is interested in investing in startups when he retires. As a friend, he jump started his dream and these two are his first portfolio account!


My other friend, Patricia, is the one who came to visit me in London last year. It was the 1st time we met up in 45 years.

Life is pretty grand. I am thrilled to see an idea come to fruition and so glad to be a part of it! i am the cheerleader and we all need 'em!

We all appreciate the positive impact you have on your community and the positive energy you bring to this board.

Life is really just about attitude. You got it, baby!

Thank you!