How to Start a Small Online Plant Business

pots, plants, cactus

Whether you plan to make it your side hustle or full-time job, a small online plant business can be a profitable option. Getting started means ensuring you’re operating it legitimately. 

You must line up your ducks in a row—making sure your plants are packaged well and shipped quickly. You must also build your customer base by offering the best possible products and services. 

The beauty of starting your own plant business is the flexibility. You can pick your working hours and work from anywhere. You can also choose what kind of plants to sell and how to market them. 

Ready to start? Here’s how: 

Source Plants to Sell

The key to getting your name out is to showcase visually appealing plants. For starters, you need to source your plants from reputable sellers. You must ensure the plants are healthy with no pests and diseases. You can get your plants from a local nursery if you have limited space. They may be willing to sell their inventory in bulk.

But if you have ample space in your home, you can start planting and propagating your own plants. Not only will you ensure the plants are healthy, but it’s also more cost-effective to grow them on your own. 

Figure Out How and Where to Sell Your Plants

Before doing anything else, you need to make sure that you understand the legalities of selling live plants online. Depending on your state, you may need to get a license from your state’s Department of Food and Agriculture. If you live in California, you must apply for a permit to sell seeds and nursery stock.

After determining whether your state requires a license and obtaining one, decide which platform will be best for selling plants. There are some of your options:

  • Amazon Marketplace
  • eBay
  • Facebook Marketplace
  • Craigslist

Each option has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, eBay has an established customer base but doesn’t include shipping costs in the price. Craigslist has lower fees but also has less traffic than other platforms. Due to fraudsters hitting Craigslist, it’s best to look for safer alternatives. It’s essential to do some research before determining which platform will work best for your needs.

Showcase Your Products

You want to ensure that people know what they’re getting when they come to your site. In that case, having well-curated photos of your plants can help elevate your marketing. You can add short descriptions of plants and flowers. Through this, people can understand what they’re trying to buy.

A product gallery allows you to post pictures of each plant in a grid format. With this, customers can easily see what they’re getting.

If you want to make sure customers can easily find what they’re looking for, use tags. Tags are keywords that can help customers find specific plants seamlessly

For example, someone is looking for succulents and wants something that’s “sturdy” and “easy to care for.” Use these tags to highlight these qualities for each plant. This will make the item pop up when someone searches using those terms.

Peg a Fair Price Point for Your Plants 

As a seller, you must know how to set a fair and reasonable product price. If you price them too high, buyers will go for a store that sells the same item at a lower price. If you price them too low, you’re risking the sustainability of your business. The ideal price depends on the plant you’re selling and how much time it takes to grow them. 

For example, if you’re growing orchids, they will take a lot longer than other plants—and generally cost more. You can price easy-to-grow and low-maintenance plants much lower. 

The key is finding a balance between the cost of production and market demand.

Have the Guts to Start 

As they would put it, most things are difficult before they are easy. The same principle applies in starting a business, especially if you’re a first-time entrepreneur. Yes, it may be challenging, but it’s not impossible. 

If you research thoroughly and test the waters before taking a plunge, there’s a high chance that you’ll succeed. But none of these would be possible if you won’t give it a try. 

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