There are currently more than 164 million homeowners in the United States. Of this 164 million, almost half have gardened in the past 12 months.
Are you part of this group? Do you garden on a regular basis? Have you ever considered turning your passion for gardening into a thriving business?
If you answered “yes” to these questions, keep reading. Listed below are some great ideas you can try if you want to begin gardening for profit in your own backyard. You’ll also learn how to turn your garden into a business.
Sell Your Plants
First, you can sell your plants. Whether you grow vegetables, herbs, or flowers if your garden produces more than you can handle, why not sell the excess and turn a profit?
People love to buy these kinds of things locally whenever they can, and you’ll be able to earn some extra money doing what you love.
Sell Your Seeds
You can also sell seeds from your garden.
If you already save them, this is an easy way to get your business started. Just package them up, slap on some cute labels, and people will be eager to buy from you so they can grow a garden like yours one day.
You could also sell a garden starter kit that includes several types of seeds in one package.
Make Herbal Products
For those who have herb gardens, making and selling your own herbal products is a great way to make extra money and learn new skills.
From soaps and body products to herbal tinctures and blends for cooking, there are lots of different ways you can use your herbs to earn extra money. Folks will love the homemade, artisanal touch, too.
Make Tea Blends
This is technically another herbal product, but it’s too good of an idea not to have its place on the list. Depending on the types of herbs and plants you grow, you could dry them and combine them to make a delicious, one-of-a-kind tea blend.
Loose leaf tea is a fun alternative to traditional tea bags, and people will be excited to try the blends you create to help them wind down at the end of a long day.
Make and Sell Your Own Grain Products
If you have enough space to grow your own grains, you could also make and sell your own grain products. From flour to cornmeal, there are lots of different products you could sell to your local home chefs and bakers. You could even make baked goods, too, if you wanted to go the extra mile when it comes to profiting from your garden.
Run a “You-Pick” Garden
Maybe you don’t have the time to pick and arrange flower bouquets or baskets of vegetables for a local farmer’s market. That doesn’t mean you can’t still earn money from gardening, though. Consider running a “you-pick” garden instead.
As the name suggests, people will come and pay money to pick their own flowers or vegetables from your garden. It’s a fun, family-friendly activity that people will be excited to try.
Teach Classes
You could also use your gardening knowledge to each other people.
What if you ran classes out of your home or backyard where you taught people the basics of gardening? You could also teach classes on things like flower arranging or baking using fresh produce from your garden if you prefer.
Create a Blog
If in-person teaching doesn’t appeal to you, why not take your skills to the world wide web? Publish a blog and teach people gardening basics, tips, recipes, and more from the comfort of your own home on a schedule that best suits you.
Tips for Turning Your Garden into a Business
As you can see, there are tons of ways that you can use your garden to earn extra money. Are you unsure of which business option is right for you, though? Do you need help getting your business off the ground?
Here are some steps you can take to ensure your gardening business is a success:
Think About Your Strengths
Start by identifying your strengths.
Where do you really shine? Is it growing beautiful flowers or award-winning produce? Do you have a knack for teaching and helping others develop their own green thumbs?
Answering these questions will help you figure out which type of venture is most likely to be a success for you.
Know Your Goals
Next, think about what you accomplish. What kind of success do you want for your business? Is there a certain amount of money in sales you hope to earn?
This will help you decide on the scope of your business.
Create a Business Plan
After you know what kind of business you want to run and what you want to accomplish, your next job is to write up a business plan.
This gives you an outline to follow and helps you create a course for your company. You don’t have to follow it with perfect precision, but it’s still a good document to have.
Get Funding
Having a business plan can also make it easier for you to get funding. If you need money to start your business, reach out to banks and credit unions in your area to find out about small business loans for which you might qualify.
Build a Team
You can do a lot on your own when you’re first getting started. You might need help from some professionals, though.
For example, you may want to look into equipment for hire to ensure you can harvest from your garden or tend to it with ease. You may want to hire a business coach, a bookkeeper, an attorney, or other professionals to assist you as well.
Start Promoting
Now, it’s time to promote your business. Start getting the word out about what you’re doing and get people excited for when your company is ready to launch.
Start Gardening for Profit Today
Now that you know more about gardening for profit, are you ready to get started? Follow the steps laid out above and you’ll be well on your way to starting your own successful gardening business.
Do you want to learn more about running a business of any kind? If so, check out some of the other posts of our site today for helpful tips and tricks.