If you’re a creative person and you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, you may want to consider the idea of starting your own business growing and selling herbs and herbal products. If you weren’t born with a green thumb, don’t worry! Herbs are easy and inexpensive to grow yourself, and whether you choose to sell the plants themselves or make your own fun and innovative products from them, the marketing possibilities are truly endless. Here are some tips and ideas to get you started growing and selling herbs for profit.
Come Up With a Plan
Like any other business endeavor, the best place to start is with a well thought out plan. Since herbs are very cheap to grow, you can plant a lot of them.
If you are able to have an outdoor herb garden, you will need to pick a location in your yard where your plants will thrive and then prepare the area for planting. Keep in mind that outdoor plants are more susceptible to pests– so determine ahead of time a safe and effective means of eliminating them.
If outdoor space is limited or you live in an apartment, you can grow your herbs indoors–just make sure you have plenty of space set aside near windows or on a deck or patio so that they get the sunlight they need. If possible, plant your herbs both indoors and outdoors–that way you’ll have an abundance of plants year-round to keep your business going strong.
You’ll need to determine which method of growing will be the easiest and most cost effective for you. The cheapest way to grow herbs is with seeds. Although it makes for a slower start, a packet of seeds is cheap and it can produce a large number of plants. You can also grow herbs by planting cuttings. This method is a bit faster, but it’s more expensive because you’ll need to purchase stock plants to start you off. However, once you grow your own plants from the cuttings you’ll be able to use those as stock plants.
Even though herbs are easy to grow and maintain, take the time to do a little research on the herbs you intend on planting. This will help you formulate a solid plan about how to move forward. Follow directions on seed packets and get advice from the experts. If you plan on growing herbs to make money, you’ll want your plants to have the best chance at success.
Grow More, Spend Less
One of the great benefits of growing herbs for profit is that the investment to start is minimal–and there are several ways to cut corners.
Having your own compost pile will definitely save you money. Compost soil is rich with nutrients–and it’s much cheaper than buying potting soil at your local garden store.
If you’ve decided to plant seeds, don’t waste the ones you don’t use. Keep excess seeds in their labeled packets, reseal them, and refrigerate. Even though seeds are inexpensive, you’ll save money in the long run by not wasting any of your resources.
If you will be planting cuttings, buy your stock plants at places like farmer’s markets instead of garden centers. They’re usually much cheaper if you buy them directly from the grower instead of a middle-man. Better yet, ask friends and family for clippings from their plants if they have them.
Be creative with your potting containers. You can use potting soil bags or recycled containers, and don’t forget to look for old pots and containers at flea markets and garage sales.
Be resourceful when it comes to gathering up the supplies you will need; your profit will be much greater if you can keep your costs down.
Turning Your Herbs into Handcrafted Items and Products
Besides selling whole plants, you can make lots of crafts and products from your herbs to sell at art fairs, farmer’s markets, directly from your home or through online stores. If you are going to create items from your herbs in hopes of making money, it’s important to make things that interest you. Handcrafting products takes time, so choose products that you enjoy making as well as ones that you believe will be easy to sell.
Herbal Teas
Tea is an easy product to make. You can make your own tea bags or sell loose-leaf tea in a decorative jar or tin. Come up with your own custom tea blends and eye-catching packaging to appeal to new customers.
Herb Infused Oils and Vinegars
If you like to cook with herbs, herb infused oils and vinegars might be a good niche for you. Unique flavor combinations in pretty bottles will attract attention at your local farmer’s market–especially if you have samples for customers to try!
You can also take your herb infused oils and vinegars to small restaurants and cafes. They may be interested in buying locally made products or have an area for you to display and sell your goods to restaurant patrons.
Wreaths and Garlands
Dried herbs are beautiful to look at and usually have a lovely fragrance as well. If you have a good eye and a knack for floral arrangements, why not try your hand at making wreaths and garlands? They are especially popular during the holidays, but you can also market them for special occasions such as weddings and showers, too.
Bath and Beauty Products
Since the beginning of time, herbs have been used for relaxation and enhancement of physical beauty. Today, they are common ingredients in a multitude of bath and beauty products that appeal to a huge market.
You can use your home-grown herbs to make essential oils, soaps, lotions, creams, bath salts, hair products, salves, ointments and more! Develop your own one-of-a-kind blends for your bath and beauty products by infusing them with different herb combinations. Basic recipes to help you learn the fundamentals of creating your own products can be found either online or at your local library. Once you have a foundation to build upon and know what you want to make, you can develop your own unique twist on age-old recipes to set your products apart from the others.
Growing and selling your own herbs is a great way to make money right from your own home. With proper planning and organization, minimal investment, and some imagination you can turn a fun hobby into a very profitable small business.
Very interesting, how did you get started?
Ginger recently posted..Saving Money on Food
I haven’t tried this one, actually! But when I received a request to publish this guest post, I was more than happy to! The idea looks interesting, and definitely could be a viable option for some.
Anyone out there making money growing and selling herbs? I would love to profile your story in the “Inspiring Stories” section…. Just email me!
Some very good ideas.
I am actually in the beginning stages of starting my indoor herb garden. I have a 2 bedroom apt and I am now single. I want to utilize the extra space to begin my small herb growing business. Does anyone have any links to successful or unsuccessful indoor herb gardens.
Mark, Congratulations! I will look to see if I can find someone who has a story to share about an indoor herb garden and publish it in the “inspiring stories” section…. In the mean time, I have an open invitation for you – you are welcome to share your own story and experiences with the other readers any time! I can work with you in writing up the story if you wish! Hope to see you soon.
I just had a very quick question about legality, what (if any) are the restrictions on selling herbal teas and whole plant based products. what permits does someone have to have. Thank you for the article
On legality, food items need to be prepared in an approved kitchen, not a home kitchen shared by family members. Also, in CA, lotions and other cosmetics ( except soap) are supposed to be licensed. I read a lot about this in 2011. I had an idea to sell candied borage flower but the logistics and licenses required to do it “legally” were a non-starter for me. Regulators can’t inspect everyone and so there are a lot of entrepreneurs operating without proper coverage. The rules are too restrictive but people do need some kind of guidelines to prevent contamination and false claims.
If I could only give one piece of advice for those who are starting or thinking of starting an herb business: order this book. I don’t know if it’s still in print, but if it is, it will be a wise investment on your part.
I ordered this book five years ago, read it from cover to cover and followed her advice exactly.
Today, I have a thriving small herb business, loyal customers, and I did it on less than 200.00 start up money. It was tough, but it can be done. You’ll save a lot of money and headaches if you do some research ahead of time.
The Book is: Profits From Your Backyard Herb Garden, written by Lee Sturdivant
1-800-770-9070
Thanks for suggesting this book. I will check this out. I am very interested in growing my own herbs and making profit out of it.
Thanks for imparting your ideas on how to make money from herbs. Actually, natural and organic products are in demand these days because consumers are going back to the basics.
There’s nothing like growing your own food and making your own stuff. I just hope I have the time and materials to do it.