where do I start?

The question has been asked of me a lot as of late. What system to get, which way should I go? There are few things to cover before deciding which system you want to start. There is always some amount of work to any system regardless of soil or not. The question is just how much work do you want to do? How in depth do you want to go? How much control do you want over what is going on? how much flexibility or forgiveness does the system require for your knowledge and or education of growing in general? What is your main goal for the grow? Where do you intend to be in a few years in regards to the grow? What results are you looking for? How much space do you have to work with? What is your budget? How much time do you really consistently want to put into the grow? What is your time worth? There is a lot to think about when deciding on a system and these questions presented as simple as they seem can go even farther in depth. No matter what system you choose you will have over head, i.e. water, electricity, nutrients, growing mediums, supplies of any sort, your time among other things. These things are not one time payments only. If you bring in a consultant they deserve payment for any time or knowledge given as they are not only taking time from their grow but they are saving you hours of research and many harvests of experimentation, not to mention thousands of dollars on bad rounds. One suggestion from a consultant can bring in thousands of dollars for you if executed. These are things to keep in mind when asking others for consult. Budget is a big part of system choice. Can you afford the initial set up of the system you want to do? If you are working with an investor, a contract is highly suggested if only for peace of mind for you both. There is no shame in starting small and working your way up to your desired system once you have raised the capital you need. If you can find a grower to apprentice with and earn it that way it is one way to go if you lack the funds needed to start up. Be sure you bring something to the table even if it is just eagerness and honest work ethic, discipline is extremely important when working certain systems. Once you have figured out where you are knowledge, budget, and situation wise then choosing a system may be quite easy. Having a plan is the best way to start anything. Following through is the hard part.