You're known in your town as the happy gardener who has an extraordinary green thumb. You grow beautiful flowers on your small farm and share them with family and friends. Now you've decided to turn your passion into a fresh-cut flower business. Before you load the car with flowers and scurry around town to find buyers, step back and analyze your idea from a business perspective.
Instructions
1. Become a "fresh flower" economist. Analyze the fresh flower market in terms of demand and supply. For example, fresh flowers are needed by florists, grocery stores, and wedding planners. Edible flowers might be used by chefs, restaurants, and specialty florists. To identify best-selling flowers and their sources, talk to florists, wholesalers, and farmers' market vendors.
2. Examine your resources and skills. Evaluate your horticultural skills and physical resources. Are you an expert grower of a highly-prized or rare blossom? Is there unfulfilled demand for a popular flower? Do you have a large greenhouse that would allow you to produce a profitable selection of flowers all year? Could the flowers be an add-on to current marketing of other fruits or vegetables? Taken together, this information will help you pinpoint a niche for your business.
3. Develop a business plan. Craft a business plan that includes: (1) market analysis; (2) overall business goals; (3) short-term and long-term income projections; and (4) logistical issues such as permits and regulations. Within this framework, include a complete marketing plan that identifies your markets and how you plan to reach them. The United States Small Business Administration provides complete information on constructing a business plan.
4. Grow your flowers. Using information from your business plan, select the best flower mix for your market and time of year. For example, winter-weary customers might respond well to fresh arrangements made with tulips and irises. In addition, you can plan crops around special occasions and local festivals.
5. Cultivate your customers. Once you've identified your target markets, work hard to service those customers as creatively as possible. Examples include: (1) Reward customers who consistently purchase special occasion flowers; (2) Give recipes away with a purchase of edible flowers ; (3) Offer "Pick Your Own Bouquet" Days at your farm; and (4) Keep interest high with weekly Farmers' Market Specials.
