So You Want to Become a Flower Farmer. Now What?
You've always loved growing flowers. You love the way they look, the way they smell, and the way they make people feel. And now, you're ready to take your love of flowers to the next level by starting your own flower business.
So you found the space to grow, amended and prepared the soil, and decided what to grow. But now what? Where do you find your customers? How do you keep your income consistent? And how do you maintain a work/life balance?
The truth is, becoming a flower farmer is much more than just knowing how to grow and cut flowers. It's also about being an entrepreneur. You need to know how to market your business, sell your flowers, and manage your finances—and your time.
These are the things that I love to help people with. These are the things that helped me create a flower farm that generates $250K a year.
Here are five tips I want to share with you to help you build a successful flower farming business.
1. Learn How to Grow Flowers
It goes without saying, and it has already been mentioned here, but of course you need to know how to grow flowers if you want to be a flower farmer. As part of this process you need to:
Determine where you’ll grow flowers
Choose which types of flowers you want to grow
Plant, nurture, and harvest your flowers
2. Find Your Ideal Customer
In business, if you don’t know your customer, you don’t know anything. Your customer is what makes your business go round. One of the first and best things you can do for your business is identify exactly who you’re selling to, where to find them, what their pain points are, and how your flowers fulfill their needs. From florists to busy moms, there are a wide variety of people who want to bring the beauty you grow into their lives.
3. Differentiate Yourself and Know Your Unique Offer
One of the biggest fears I see from aspiring and new flower farmers is not knowing how to compete with other growers in their areas. And let me tell you: There’s always a place for you and the flowers you grow. You just need to find your differentiator and your offer.
What makes you different from the flower farm down the road? Is it the types of flowers you grow? How your customer receives their flowers? What your business stands for? There are endless ways to make yourself different and connect with customers who want what you have and align with you as a business owner.
4. Communicate With Your Customers
Create a communication loop that lets potential and existing customers know what to expect from you and your flower farm. From promotions and pickups and pricing to questions and concerns, every touch point someone has with your business is a way to build trust, authority, and customer retention.
5. Optimize Your Marketing
Oh marketing. A part of the business that so many flower growers dread. Social media, websites, email, events—the list can feel constant and overwhelming. But once you know who your ideal customer is and how to talk to them, you can streamline your marketing to target them and give them exactly what they’re looking for.
A great place to start is to create a content calendar and batch your marketing so you only have to work on it once or twice a month. Planning your marketing ahead will save you a huge headache later.
Did you know that you can plan so far ahead that you can actually start marketing your business before you ever plant a single seed?
Want Step-by-Step Guidance on How to Start a Flower Farm?
Running a flower business can be a lot of work, but it's also a very rewarding experience. By following the tips above, you can increase your chances of success.
But if you’re looking for specific steps and tactics to build the flower farm of your dreams, I encourage you to check out Muddy Business, my online course that helps you make more money, have freedom and flexibility with your time, and feel fulfilled in your flower growing journey.