Growing flowers for profit is one way to make extra money while doing something you love. If you own enough land, you might even make enough money for all your living expenses. When you grow flowers for profit, you work very hard during the summer months and have downtime during the winter. It takes dedication and quite a bit of knowledge about plants and their needs, but your results make it worth while.
Instructions
1. Select the type of flowers that you want to grow and the market where you'll sell them. The two selections go hand in hand. If you love to grow flowers that make great floral displays but don't have a market for them, you probably should consider growing potted flowers to sell to other avid gardeners. Your soil, sunshine, space and talent also determine the type of flowers that you'll select to grow and sell.
2. Find the buyers. While you may know that you have many potential purchasers of cut flowers, like local florists, you need to focus on finding those willing to purchase flowers from you. If you're selling to florists, make a few calls and find out if they ever buy from local vendors. If you decide that you want to sell the flowers as plants, find local farmers markets, florists and outlets to sell the plants. See if you need a business license.
3. Purchase the seeds or bulbs for the flowers, or get starts. While the most inexpensive method of growing flowers is from seed, some require cuttings or alternative methods to get the variety you want. Check the soil for the proper pH level and nutrients. You need to till the soil and plant the flowers. If you grow plants organically, till under compost and find companion plants for your flowers. Plant the flowers or starts.
4. Grow the flowers and select a few to take to florists that showed an interest in purchasing locally. If you're selling the flowers as plants at a farmers market, create a flier to explain care for the flowers. When you start selling flowers for profit, you'll compete against established businesses. You need to either produce unique flowers or provide more service, like expert advice on caring for the plants.
5. Calculate the cost to produce the plants. You may need to start small and expand your process each year. The first year you'll get a good idea on what the flowers cost to grow and price them. Check the price for that type of flower in your area to see if you are re competitive. See if there are ways to cut the cost of production or marketing.
6. Keep organized records of profits and expenditures. While you need to know how much it cost to produce the plants so you can price them accordingly, you also need it for your tax records. Keep all the receipts from purchases and a list of all income from selling the flowers.
7. Add labor-saving devices to your tools as you grow. Eventually you'll grow large enough that you'll want a little mechanical help without breaking the bank. Create a list of any machinery, buildings or high-cost items to help you in your efforts, and create a sinking fund to purchase them. The sinking fund is nothing more than keeping a tally on money you tuck away for the purchase.
