My child is often sick, so I cannot get a job. Who needs such an employee? You understand that a non-working mother cannot especially posh and buy everything she wants. I’m tired of constantly asking my husband and I can’t explain everything to him. Men, you know...
In general, I decided to somehow improve my financial situation and find a part-time job without leaving home.
This is a story from my subscriber Elizabeth. Indeed, money is everywhere.
Growing flowers in a greenhouse: business features
So, we talked to experienced players in the flower business.
And they formulated the pros and cons of the direction. Advantages of the flower business:
- Low barrier to entry.
- High profitability.
- Stable demand, regardless of the time of year. During holiday periods it also increases tenfold.
There are also a lot of difficulties in the flower business. So, when starting to organize a business for growing flowers at home or on a specially purchased plot, it is worth remembering: each type of plant has its own requirements for soil composition, light level, and watering.
If at first you are going to grow flowers yourself, get ready for hard physical labor and a lot of time. You will have to sow, dive, water, loosen, control a dozen important parameters, from the saturation of the soil with moisture to the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. Of course, over time, most processes can be automated. But for this you will have to go through a difficult period of business formation.
If the listed difficulties have not shaken your faith in success and you still find growing flowers an attractive business, let’s move on to the important details.
How profitable is it - reviews from flower businessmen
Vladimir:
“I began my path to a flower empire after several unsuccessful attempts to open and raise my own business from scratch. After failures with a car service and car wash, I decided to take out a loan to open a greenhouse for growing roses.
This idea was given to me by my wife, who always admired my talent for buying fresh flowers for bouquets and combining them in non-standard compositions.
We started with a greenhouse on our small plot, and after three years of active work and mistakes, we rented land five times larger than the original area. And then it started spinning.
The wife started advertising and searching for sales, they opened one flower pavilion near the station, then two more in different areas of the city. Now we have a network of 15 points throughout the region. We are thinking about franchising and selling the finished project in all regions.”
Alexandra:
The student life was busy - in classes during the day, and in the evening and at night I worked at a flower shop near the university.
My favorite day was March 8th, when everything was on sale - from potted varieties to annual flowers grown practically in the basement. The love for flowers decided my fate when I received a bachelor’s degree in the specialty of psychologist, which had become out of demand after 5 years of study.
But I knew how to sell, and I liked it. After trying to get a job and start my own practice, I turned 180 degrees and started a flower business. There was initial capital, my parents helped.
A warehouse right in the apartment, a small greenhouse, then your own shop. And who would have thought - now there is a network of boutiques with rare breeding varieties of roses, which, thanks to my student experience, I knew where to buy and how to sell them profitably.
Some useful tips in this video:
What flowers are profitable to grow?
If you have never worked on the land, there is a good option - to start a business by growing flowers at home: on the balcony or terrace of a private house. Most indoor plants in pots easily forgive mistakes in care, and the demand for them remains consistently high all year round. The easiest way to grow different varieties of geraniums, begonias, cacti, and succulents. Orchids, ficus and citrus fruits easily find their buyers.
For those who dream of a larger scale, it makes sense to immediately think about building a greenhouse. The fact is that it is most profitable to sell flower products in winter. Do not limit yourself to one type of plant, it is not economically feasible. Think about which families can easily get along with each other. There are many options:
- Violets.
The genus contains a huge number of different species. Moreover, all varieties are easily propagated using seeds and cuttings. Plants need regular watering, loosening the soil, applying fertilizers - filling with nitrate and superphosphate. Thanks to the wide color palette of flowers, violets are very popular among gardeners and casual buyers.
- Aster.
There are annual and perennial varieties, with inflorescence baskets of different colors and sizes. Growing these flowers as a business is also possible in open areas: Italian and Alpine aster readily bloom in the open air all spring, summer and part of autumn.
- Peonies.
They have become especially popular in recent years. Their lush buds look presentable both on their own and in combination with other flowers. In addition, peonies are stored for a long time in a cut state, which reduces the entrepreneur’s losses. At the same time, growing flowers is not easy: peonies require abundant watering, regular fertilizing, loosening the soil, and protection from weeds.
- Dahlias.
They love areas with good fertile soil. They reproduce by root tubers, seeds, and cuttings. They do not tolerate bright daylight well, so immediately after noon they need to be covered with special caps, removing the covers only early in the morning. Large bright inflorescences look good in prefabricated bouquets, setting the mood of the entire composition.
- Tulips.
Very popular and beautiful plants. The main secret to successfully growing these flowers in a greenhouse as a business is choosing the right bulbs. They should be large, dense, uniform in color. The bulbs are planted in the ground in December, after preheating the air in the greenhouse to +5 °C. After flowering, at the end of August, they are dug up and stored in the basement until winter.
- Daffodils.
The early spring flower is represented at our latitudes in 25 species. It is mainly white and yellow in color, but recently multi-colored varieties have been artificially bred. Daffodils cannot be planted in every area. The main requirement is soil that easily allows moisture and air to pass through. Loam with the addition of compost or humus is best suited.
- Roses.
Still out of competition. They symbolize luxury and wealth, and a bouquet of 101 flowers has long become an enduring trend. Roses are bred for sale mainly in greenhouse conditions. The fact is that plants in cultivation are very capricious and require increased attention. But after several years of practice, you can learn how to properly breed this species and make a good profit.
Growing flowers in a greenhouse, like every business, requires experience. Therefore, if you did not meet your expectations in the first year, this is not a reason to give up. Over time, you will learn to sense the needs of plants and optimize the process of sales and transportation. And you can earn great money.
How to make money from home gardening
Growing plants as a business is a great idea to make money from your hobby.
Selling plants
There are two options for making money: selling to collectors and third-party buyers. In the first case, it is best to use specialized forums, groups on social networks, and amateur meetings. This is relevant for those who breed a specific species or type. Unusual specimens are interesting.
So, cacti and succulents are sold in the group of the St. Petersburg cactus club. Discussions in the School of Floriculture can also suggest popular indoor plants for sale. It is best to choose regional groups: forwarding is not always possible.
Avito and Yula are excellent as a launching pad for sales. However, you need to be prepared to pay for the ads. Avito offers only 10 free ads in one category, Yula - 5. The cost of ads is individual and depends on the region.
A major marketing platform is Instagram. Creating a beautiful account and promoting it with targeted advertising will help monetize your hobby.
Turnkey plants
A convenient option for the buyer is plants that do not require replanting, planted in the right soil and a pot that has a modern design. The buyer is offered several types of containers to choose from: these can be expensive but functional Lechuza pots with automatic watering and their analogues, concrete flowerpots, florariums, mini-gardens in long pots. The substrate can also be made optional: Lechuza or Seramis as expensive options, ordinary soil with baking powder and drainage, or a homemade mixture. Depending on the type of soil, fertilizer and care instructions are included.
Rare plants
The main audience for rare and unusual plants are collectors. Pots are not important to them. Regular plastic options are suitable for breeding.
Growing rare indoor plants is not an option for beginners. Here it is worth focusing on one thing, collecting a collection, and then selling your growing “pets”.
The cost of rare plants is often high (from 2000 rubles). Therefore, buyers are ready to purchase unrooted cuttings. They remain after pruning and shaping the plants. For the seller, this is a profitable and convenient option: cuttings are a by-product and do not require additional care. Cuttings from many succulents, for example, do not even need water and germinate dry.
Surplus Collection
The simplest option, requiring minimal effort from the seller. Surplus is unnecessary or boring plants, cuttings left after pruning, rooted children. This method is suitable for lovers of a varied home garden who want to make at least some profit from their hobby.
Rent out plants
Flowers and large plants are rented for events and photo shoots. They mainly prefer large ones with a height of 60 cm to 1.5 meters. These are ficus elastica, zamioculcas, howea, yucca, monstera. The price of renting plants depends on their size and rarity. The average range for one day is from 250 to 1000 rubles per flower.
Organization of tropical space
Another interesting option is to create your own space with plants. This requires renting a place and business skills. The space can be used as a store, as well as a venue for photo shoots and events.
An option for additional income is holding master classes on creating florariums and growing interesting and unusual plants.
What you need to open a business
If you plan to engage in floriculture in a winter greenhouse, focus on a minimum amount of 450 thousand rubles. This money will be enough to build and equip a greenhouse on a plot of 120 square meters, purchase the most necessary equipment and seeding material.
The open cultivation method is less attractive. This way you can grow flowers exclusively in the warm season. In the absence of even that amount, you can organize a micro-business of growing flowers for sale in your own apartment. You will be surprised how many varieties of violets and types of succulents can be placed on one balcony or insulated loggia.
How I came up with the idea of making money from indoor plants
I have always loved flowers and have been growing them since school age. Previously, I simply exchanged shoots of interesting specimens with other gardeners, and gave some as gifts.
Until I came across a fern bush for sale in a garden store for 400 rubles! This flower multiplied like crazy for me; at the next transplant, I simply threw out the extra shoots.
And I thought - if the store sells flowers, and they are probably in demand, then why not try it?
Initially, my goal was to earn money for consumables (soil, fertilizers, pots) for indoor floriculture, so as not to spend money from the family budget on the hobby. In other words, “reach self-sufficiency.”
How can you sell products?
One of the main difficulties of a home flower growing business is the need for quick sales, especially if we are not talking about potted plants, but about cut flowers. For this reason, the implementation channel must be taken care of first.
Contact wholesale centers that play the role of intermediaries in the market. Of course, they buy the product much cheaper than end consumers. Therefore, if you are able to produce large volumes of products, sooner or later you will decide to open your own retail outlet or rent a stall at the market.
What equipment is needed to grow flowers?
The business of growing flower seedlings always starts with a greenhouse. You can buy it ready-made or make it yourself from metal profiles and polycarbonate sheets.
You will also need:
- Heaters.
A good option is infrared emitters.
- Lighting.
Almost all flowers need a sufficient level of illumination. It is better to use halogen and fluorescent fluorescent lamps.
- Irrigation.
An automated drip irrigation system will greatly simplify your life.
- Ventilation.
Here you can do without expensive equipment; in most cases, ordinary windows for ventilation will be enough.
A set of gardening tools for a beginner should include a shovel, flowerpots and boxes, and watering cans. Some crops require special installations to saturate the air with carbon dioxide.
How much money do you need to start a flower business?
On the pages of our website you will find many business plans for growing flowers. They take many factors into account. We have already talked about the minimum amount - it is 450,000 rubles. But if you are ready to immediately invest in the construction of a spacious greenhouse with modern equipment, get ready to spend about 700,000 rubles. This amount already includes the costs of purchasing seedlings, seedling material, gardening tools and other necessary things.
Every month you will have to pay for utilities, which will take about another 55,000 rubles. Growing flowers on such a scale can bring you about 3.5 million rubles annually.
Possible risks
As much as the flower segment is profitable, it is also risky. Let us repeat that growing and propagating flowers requires absolute hard work and knowledge in the field of gardening.
Due to a lack of resources and experience, there is a risk of losing part or all of the harvest, not selling flowers on time, incorrectly calculating the final cost of the goods and going into the red.
To minimize the risks and complete failure of the flower venture, we recommend growing one type of plant. First, test the greenhouse and soil to see the fertility of the crop and the minimum demand for the finished product.
After the first successful season, introduce several more species or varieties to expand your business, and reduce the planting of unprofitable varieties to nothing.
So, in order not to be left with nothing, let’s summarize what has been said:
- Increase your level of competence and hire experienced staff.
- Do not skimp on planting material and fertilize the soil.
- Don't skimp on your advertising and marketing program in every possible means of disseminating information.
- Do not overprice and focus on average market prices.
- Keep records, analyze yields and learn from your own mistakes.
