How To Start A Plant Nursery Business

A plant nursery is a profitable business for any individual having vacant space in the backyard. If you have the hobby of gardening, you can transfer your hobby into a profitable venture. Additionally, the low infrastructure cost makes the business revenue-wise more lucrative. Furthermore, you can start this business not only in the metro cities but also in small towns.

This article is not about how to grow different plants. Because growing plants depend on several localized factors. Here in this post, we put a detailed backyard plant nursery business plan for your ready reference.

If you have some space in your backyard, you can start this business with a small startup capital investment. Additionally, this is a lucrative income opportunity for housewives, moms, and students also.

There are numerous ways, you can start this business. However, you must craft the business model according to your investment capacity and skill. Generally, people prefer to buy their domestic plants from a small nursery rather than big corporates.

Here are the 7 Steps to Start a Plant Nursery

1. Create a Business Plan

Crafting the business plan is most important. Here you have to determine the business model, investment, and marketing strategies. A tiny and small business also demands a business plan for a smooth operation.

If you are starting small from your backyard or on a bigger scale,  some of the important topics that need to be addressed in your plan are the following:

  • Initial and running costs
  • Target customers
  • Pricing strategy
  • How and where to sell?

2. Make your Plant Nursery Business Legally-Compliant

This is the first step in your business. First of all, you have to register your business with the Govt. authority. It hugely depends on the location where you are starting the business, So, you have to check the local laws. As an example in the United States, you can start a plant nursery as a proprietorship or forming an LLC.

Plant nursery business demands licenses and permissions from the legal authority. However, a home-based backyard plant nursery business doesn’t attract many licensing issues as the commercial establishment.

3. Calculate the Cost of Starting a Plant Nursery

The cost and investment will depend on the size and scale of your nursery. Broadly the costs can be categorized into land cost, retail storefront. and supplies like plants, and soil.

Additional costs will come if you plan to make a greenhouse plant nursery. on average, the cost of opening a plant nursery is estimated to be in the range of $25,000 to $50,000 for setting a small-scale plant nursery business.

4. Plant Nursery Resources

In this business, resources play a big role. You have to arrange the resources properly to run the business properly. First of all, check the soil quality and irrigation facility. These are a must. Then you have to procure the seeds or seedlings. According to the market demand and agroclimatic condition, you have to select the plants.

Additionally, check what are the plants that offer more profits. Finally, you have to procure fertilizers, equipment, and medicines for plant protection.

Also, check what are the plants that offer more profits. Finally, you have to procure fertilizers, equipment, and medicines for plant protection. Additionally, you have to hire employees. On a larger scale, it will be difficult to run the business only with sole effort.

5. Setup Office

You must have an office space with your nursery. Because you have to prepare and bills and money receipts for customers when they buy your plants. In your office, you will need to have a computer and printer with a table and chairs.

6. Identify Products to Sell

Apart from the plants, you can sell several products from your backyard plant nursery. Additionally, it helps to enhance the overall profitability of your business. Some of the lucrative items are seeds, nutritious soil, plants with pot, plants without pot, decorative pots, micronutrients, and a wide range of gardening equipment.

Also Read: How To Start a Home-Based Floral Business

7. Promote Your Plant Nursery Business

Local fairs are the best places for promoting this business. Additionally, you can give local paper advertisements. Giving an advertisement in a lifestyle magazine is a great way of reaching target audiences. Also, you can talk to the local landscape experts. Establish a business tie-up with them.

As your business grows, you can start selling from a small retail space. Create your own website. Make your business available in Google My Business. Additionally, you can sell the plants from your own online store. Nowadays, it is not difficult to have your own online store. Additionally, you can contact the local florist. And sell the flower of your plant nursery to them.