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My partner and I created a very successful business in the UK out of selling mushroom grow kits and microscopy spores. We didn’t think there would be any marke
by Mushhh 4y ago
My partner and I created a very successful business in the UK out of selling mushroom grow kits and microscopy spores.
We didn’t think there would be any market here because there weren’t any UK shops doing it. Then a couple of years later it took off and growing mushrooms became cool.
In this time we learned how to run a webshop and navigate an industry where every payment processor dropped us - to the point where we only accept cash, bank transfer and crypto.
Our Woocommerce shop was built on pure passion for mushrooms and a crazy late night idea. The kinds you usually just leave as an idea. Now it has consumed our lives and we have multiple employees.
Our business continues to grow with recent months bringing in around £60K/month in revenue.
I had never known what it was like going to a supermarket and not having to add the cost of everything in my head. But with the money, I learned the most valuable lesson - it could all go tomorrow and I would be totally fine with it.
- mikeodds 4y agowhat’s the site?
- 10000truths 4y agoI’m curious, why did every payment processor drop you? Did they see “mushroom” and assume you were selling psilocybin mushrooms or something?
- OJFord 4y agoThey make £60k pcm in cash, bank transfer, and crypto from it - they must be?
- Mushhh 4y agoNo. Absolutely not.
- MagicMoonlight 4y agoBut you literally are, you just said you sell them. You sell magic mushroom spores and kits for growing them
- Mushhh 4y agoWe sell products which are related to all things mushrooms. There’s equipment, supplies you name it. Our grow kits are for growing shiitake, lion’s mane, king oyster or just about any gourmet mushroom which is legal to grow. Our microscopy spores are a product which are strictly sold for microscopy use. We love mushrooms and all things about them. But illegality is a red line, whether immoral or not.
- jldugger 4y agoI think we can see why the payment processors stepped back now.
- mg794613 4y agoI don't however, it's not my cup of tea, but since when are payment processors, which are into money, into applying cultural norms?
- acjacobson 4y agoSince forever. There are a few reasons why - one is cultural the other is risk. On the cultural side industries that are "controversial" tend to be avoided. Payment processors don't like to be associated with porn, gambling, drugs etc. because of potential negative PR. If you're a payment processor and trying to land big conservative clients, having press about how you support the porn industry doesn't do you any favors. The other side is risk, meaning industries that have an above average chargeback (fraud) rate. Many times these industries overlap - porn for instance. Lots of stolen credit card numbers are used to by porn, but also legitimate purchases can easily end up as a chargeback. The classic example is that someone buys porn on their credit card and then their partner finds out. Instead of admitting they bought porn, they claim someone must have stolen their credit card to save face.
- Mushhh 4y agoMaybe. When Shopify blocked us, the representative kept insinuating that the microscopy spore syringes we sell could be injected into the arm. This was in 2019. It’s absolutely absurd but that was what we were up against. It’s a high risk industry, no doubt there have been plenty of scammers out there but the fact we sell magic mushroom spores for the microscope is enough to be alienated by every card processor and their insurers. It’s fine though, we make it work - it hasn’t stopped our growth and we’ve amassed enough trust from customers to pay via the other methods! *Edid: Shopify, not PayPal said that about spores into the arm, not Stripe!
- aussieshibe 4y agoFor "microscopy". Sure, sure. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more.
- nly 4y agoThat's absolutely mad
- NoboruWataya 4y agoI'm sure this is a very naive question but... are we talking hallucinogenic mushrooms or the "normal", tasty kind? I'm guessing the former since payment processors kept dropping you?
- Mushhh 4y agoGourmet tasty ones. If you are into looking at magic spores under a microscope, we also do those too. The microscopy scene in the UK is huge.
- Aromasin 4y agoThis is one of those business ideas that I must have had around the same time, but never pursued because I was studying; figured engineering would make me more more than selling mushroom growing kits and spores ever would. I had a large setup in my shed for a few years. Lots of labor getting the substrate boiled and bagged, but once that was done it was easy. Figured that surely there was legs to selling the means of production directly to consumers instead. Who could have guessed it would take off like it has. Now you can even find the grow kits in TK Max and the like as Christmas presents. The market seems pretty saturated now so I'm sure the boat has long sail for me. I'm glad it's worked out for you, if not a little envious.
- Mushhh 4y agoI dare you to try it and see. You might be surprised! Competition is healthy and we don’t personally feel like we have enough of it yet :)
- sph 4y agoAh, for a second there I thought psilocybin mushrooms were legal in UK (as they are/were in NL) and I would have really wanted to buy one of your kits. Maybe if the laws change feel free to let us know ;)
- Mushhh 4y agoIf the laws change, feel free to let us know too - we would love making ten-fold the sales by producing and selling magic mushroom grow kits! ;) But in all seriousness, psilocybin was banned in 2005 in the UK. We have only sold products which were to be used to help cultivate psilocybin mushrooms to one single customer - an organisation with a special license to do so provided by the Home Office in the UK.
- dvko 4y agoAre you GroCycle by any chance? Huge fan of our YT channel here. Mushrooms are amazing.
- Mushhh 4y agoNo, that’s not us. We teach customers from the ground up how to cultivate using sterile spawn, whereas they sell pre-colonised substrate where much of the process has already been done :)