Plant shops are all the rage these days, whether online or on-site! So if you happen to have a green thumb why not turn that into a business? You can choose to sell an assortment of plants, may it be house plants, cactuses, outdoor plants, air plants and so on.

Starting up a business you’re good at can make such a huge impact on your business’s growth! Your passion will show through your products that’ll simply reel in customers day by day. Plus plant shops have been a hit ever since 2020 and it seems like it still is!

Plant shops are also pretty profitable and a great starting business. It has the potential to grow into something bigger in the future! So before opening up a plant show, here are some things you have to know!

What are the best plants to sell online?

As a starting business owner, it’s best to start out small, test the waters and see if selling plants is for you. And a great way to do so is by starting out online first. There are various plants you can sell online. Although you might get overwhelmed by all the technical stuff that comes with starting a business. Like dealing with accounting, inventory, advertising and so on.

So to make your ‘starting’ process less tedious and more manageable you can choose to sell succulents and air plants. These are common house plants that are in demand, require less care than others and are easy to pack and ship.

How do I start a plant nursery?

A plant nursery is also a great thing to add to your plant business. This will give you new sprouts of plants to sell every time! Plus various people choose to buy saplings over fully grown plants. This gives your customers more options to choose from.

So to start a plant nursery, you first have to get all the necessary supplies and materials. To help you out, here’s a checklist you can use:

• Watering equipment – You can choose to water your plants manually or automatically. For manual watering, choose to get quality watering cans. For automatic watering, try out sprinkler systems with timers.
• Pots – One of the things you can’t have enough of is pots. When you start a plant nursery, you’ll be surprised by the number of saplings you’ll get, especially when you’re growing succulents. Consider getting a nursery tray that contains various slots for your saplings!
• Tools – For tools, you’ll be needing a small shovel, shears, a spray, a hard fork, a weeder, a small hand cultivator, gardening gloves, gardening boots and a gardening hose.
• Shelter – Having a place to keep your plants is essential. This will protect them from rain, insects, birds and so on.
• Seeds – Once you have everything listed above, you can now get seeds! Make sure to get your seeds from reputable sellers. Low-quality seeds will give you fewer chances of getting a sprout. Plus some states require a receipt to know whether you’re buying from a legal or illegal seller.

How do I start a plant shop?

Starting a plant shop is actually pretty easy. All you have to do is follow the 4 main steps which are (1) Make a plan, (2) Set a budget, (3) Get registered and (4) Get protected. Afterwards, you’ll be able to open your business and start earning.

So here’s a breakdown of each step to help you out:

Make a plan

Every kind of business needs a plan. This will help you map out your business’s path from start to present. This step consists of market research and your business plan. These are essential things to consider since these will serve as your guide later on.

Market research

For your market research, this means knowing the kind of business you’re getting into. Knowing your competitors, what’s in and what’s not, knowing the standard rates, knowing supplies and so much more.

Familiarize yourself with the plant industry. This will help you out a lot when coming up with a business plan. This will help you make better decisions with your marketing and advertising.

Business plan

Next is creating a business plan. This is sort of like the prerequisite to market research. Within a business plan, there are certain sectors to get into such as:

• How to fund your business
• Get all necessary documents, permits and licenses
• Find a location
• Get suppliers for your seeds, materials and equipment
• Create a marketing plan
• Get your business insured

Set a budget

After coming up with a plan, it’s now time to set a budget. There are various sectors of your business that needs funding such as your:

• Greenhouse construction
• Permits and licenses
• Rent
• Material and equipment
• Source of plantation
• Advertising and marketing
• Employees
• Website
• Insurance

If you allocated a budget for each sector, you’re now good to go. Make sure to have money set aside for emergencies as well.

Get Registered

Getting your business registered is essential. This is what will make your business run legally. So to get registered, all you need to do is submit all necessary requirements and pay a certain fee. You can find the requirements online. After this step, you’ll be able to open legally.

Get Protected

Last but not the least is getting your business protected! This is an essential step all businesses should take. Plus in some states, getting business insurance is a requirement. Getting your business insured is a practical and efficient way to safeguard your business.

And having business insurance comes with various benefits such as (1) Making your business more credible, (2) Protecting your business from lawsuits, (3) Having a financial safety net when things go south and (4) protecting your business from damages caused by calamities and accidents.

And as a starting business, you can consider getting sme business insurance! This is perfect for small to medium-sized businesses.