"Success will not come knocking on your door - you must go out and find it." This is the firm belief of Robert Stodel - a man of humble beginnings who went on to found one of the Cape's most successful garden stores. Robert arrived in South Africa from Holland at age 16, having to adjust to a new school, learning in languages that he did not understand. He struggled with the next two years, failing both, and realised that in order to succeed he must first become fluent in English and Afrikaans. He made the decision to leave school and follow his dream to become a farmer, but having no money or skills, he ended up working as a labourer on a farm near Port Elizabeth, moving down to work on a Cape wine farm a short time later. The work was both physical and uninspiring, so in order to stimulate his mind, he studied horticulture in the evenings - a good preparation for the future.

Robert used his contacts and horticultural knowledge and bought flower bulbs, selling them via mail-order to garden services he had found in the telephone directory. He soon expanded on this by going door-to-door, something he found very rewarding, as he was well received by elderly people who would offer him coffee and biscuits in exchange for a little company. Robert also sold his bulbs twice a week on Cape Town's Grand Parade.

Robert's business started to grow, and within three years, he had the biggest flower bulb mail-order company in South Africa, with nearly half a million catalogues posted bi-annually. He was soon asked by the Consumer's Council to team up with Reader's Digest to form a direct mail association, in order to regulate the industry. Robert soon extended his passion and fast-growing experience into expanding his business, and at age 23, the first branch of Stodels Nursery was opened in Kenilworth, followed shortly by another five branches.

It was at this point that Robert reached a crossroads in his career - to expand or not. He felt that he was not sufficiently trained to handle a much larger company at that stage, and he also enjoyed the hands-on approach of being with his staff and customers on the floor. In his mind, success was not shown by the amount of money you could throw around, but rather by the joy you get from your work - something he felt he would lose if he expanded too quickly. Instead he scaled the business down to three larger branches, in order to be able to work more closely with his branches and keep his systems in check, which in the long run he found to be more profitable. Robert firmly believes that bigger is not always better, and has since seen many similar companies come and go while trying to expand too quickly. He comments that: "It is crucial to regularly assess yourself, your company and your future objectives."

Robert has put much effort into marketing his business, starting at the beginning by sending his bulbs to radio announcers in the hope of a mention. He also sponsored bulbs for the city councils to beautify pavements and road-islands, and soon started selling bulbs at cost to schools, churches and other organisations as part of their fund-raising efforts, using these opportunities to push his brand. Robert believes in looking for opportunities to market his brand, and has organised for various dignitaries to plant his trees as part of environmental awareness, and has in fact seen the likes of Nelson Mandela, the Queen of England and Hilary Clinton planting trees on various occasions.

Robert has four very simple philosophies when it comes to managing his business: customer service; respect for the individual; development of all staff; and the search of excellence. His staff members take a very personalised approach with customers, having been taught: "If you are not happy with it yourself, how can you expect your customer to be?"

Robert is currently handing over the business in its entirety to his son, who is keen to expand in the future. Robert believes that he has been a success if he can hand over a well-managed business with complete closure, not having to continue consulting in his retirement. He plans to enjoy more time on his farm, and pursue his other interests such as hiking, diving and travelling.

He offers the following advice to aspiring entrepreneurs: "Success can come to anyone, but you must go out and look for it as it will not come knocking on the door. You cannot wait for opportunities - you must make them happen. The harder you work, the luckier you will become." A philosophy which has certainly seen this humble man achieve his dreams!

Visit the Stodels website at www.stodels.co.za.