(Shrubscriber) ENTR 4433 Business Plan Development

Project Description: Shrubscriber brings together people who believe in partnering with nature and aspiring urban farmers to create a network of urban tree farms so that we can grow a biodiverse, food-secure, and climate-resilient future. Shrubscriber is a tree subscription service and tree-growing community in Edmonton. We run an online community at Shrubscriber.com and host in-person and online events and workshops. We have been operating for three years, but much has changed since our inception, and there is a need to revisit and update Shrubscriber's business model. Current Business Model Tree Subscription Service Paying members support tree production with an annual subscription and can choose to receive their trees or have us donate their trees on their behalf. Tree donations support community groups in parts of the city more prone to climate change impacts: community leagues, gardens, schools, and not-for-profits. Presently, members fund three, six, or twelve trees per year at $30/tree. Tree Propagation Course I have created an online tree propagation course for members interested in growing trees from seeds and cuttings. When members fund more than three trees per year, they receive seeds and step-by-step propagation instructions. My goal is to create more tree growers for the network and to increase Shrubscriber's capacity for plant production and, thus, tree subscriptions. Eventually, I would like to compensate members for growing trees, though I still need to determine the economics of this. This project will be flexible, but I suspect it makes sense for a new business plan to start by focusing on the Tree Subscription Model. Some additional consider and a few things to consider: Tree Propagation Goals Grow a distributed tree nursery network by offering online propagation courses with seeds, step-by-step instructions, and resources. In Progress. Standardize and coordinate the production of woody plants for small urban spaces: backyards, balconies, vacant lots, etc. In Progress. Develop backend tools to coordinate and, when possible, automate community plant inventory management and distribution. In Progress. Create a real-time inventory of plants available for purchase and integrate a payment gateway. Determine a strategy for compensating propagators when their plants are sold via the network. Explore ways to expand the nursery network beyond the Greater Edmonton Area. Tree Subscription Goals: Define the ideal client/member and explore avenues for reaching them. In Progress Offer a woody plant (trees and shrubs) subscription services for businesses, landscapers, homeowners, and climate-conscious citizens. In Progress. Create mechanisms for subscribers to gift their plants to schools, community groups, and others who need trees. Create a strategy to celebrate tree donations. In Progress. Streamline the ordering and distribution of plants. Create a map of Shrubscriber planted trees and find mechanisms to quantify their social and environmental benefits. Climate & Community Goals: Foster a community around the propagation, distribution and planting of trees. In Progress. Identify and propagate rare and historical local trees. In Progress. Leverage donations from the subscription model to provide free trees for community projects. In Progress. Increasing the forest canopy of the local community and creating climate resilience. Provide an optimistic view of the future and a tangible way to combat climate grief.