5 Things I wish I knew about first year flower farming business
Update 8/20/20:
I had written this post months ago while the clouds in the sky were swollen with snowflakes and a cozy fire crackled in the living room. When everything felt “normal” and “safe.” It was during a time before all our world abruptly changed literally over night. A time when we were excited about all our upcoming summer weddings and looking forward to signing up for the ASCFG conference in Florida and to also be able to take our children to Disney World. It is insane to think that literally a couple weeks later everything changed. We were facing weddings rescheduling, the uncertainty of the marketplace and I never thought I would add a vegetable CSA- who has room for vegetables?!
I also didn’t know if there would be any relevance for this particular blog post. As cut flowers were being dumped by the thousands, seed shortages and barren grocery store shelves, who knew where it would go?
Though there is still a lot of change from where our world was only six months ago, we were able to pivot and are in the midst of our best year yet. I am not sure if it is because more people have been staying close to home and are looking for comfort through flowers, because it is our fifth season or a combination from all of it. I will say, we have never worked so hard as we have this year and it has paid off in many ways.
Now being on the other side, I see that this blog post is even more relevant. As more dreamers, gardeners and flowers lovers have found the joy and magic of growing and selling cut flowers. Since we had put much of these tactics into practice this year, I believe it helped our business thrive. An empire will not be built overnight but if you keep plucking along you will get there.
If you are new and are beginning to explore your passion of flower farming, welcome! To our other flower friends who have been hustling, I hope you find this helpful and relevant to yourself and your budding business!
Throughout the blog, the writing in italics are my added notes of some insight we have from this bizarre 2020 season.
Flowers bring comfort, joy and hope. Each of our customers have expressed this to us this past season more than we’ve ever heard! When the world was a little darker, flowers brought a little light in their time of need. Don’t ever question how powerful being a flower farmer can be and the positive impact you have on your clients, family and community.
Thank you for reading
Jessica
Sierra Flower Farm was born from a gut feeling. An overcoming peace that made it “feel right.” I had been seeking fulfillment and through that, found flower farming. Despite the tears and hustle: there is nothing else I would rather do. Sure, flower farming is not for the faint of heart but for the right person it is the best thing in the world!
In the beginning, I was running off the adrenaline of the passion. The infatuation of this new exciting endeavor. Much like a puppy love stage, this doesn’t last forever. However, this phase gives you enough time to figure out if this is a commitment for the long-run. Coming from a family of accountants and small business owners, there were some things we knew from the beginning to do.
I’m glad we did, such as building a website (before I had much to show!), snagging a professional looking email (ditch the @gmail and get one that reads @(insert your business name)), good bookkeeping and going through the proper hoops to be able to legally sell cut flowers.
Look legit before you feel legit. Let’s be honest, even once we arrive at the said level of legit: we most likely won’t ever feel that way. We will always know how many trays of seedlings we killed behind the scenes of the successful crops. We know the mistakes we make but we also know how we keep getting back up.
One question that Graham had asked me over and over again (to the point I wanted to start throwing throat punches):
“Do you want this to be a business or a hobby?
Ugh, that question would make me so angry.
You’ve got to understand, it often came up in the heat of a disagreement. Unfortunately, he had a good point.
At the time I was running with the dream but I did have to come to earth. I think in the beginning, I needed the dream. The pretty pictures of flowers floating in my head, the fantasy of beauty and ease. Battling postpartum depression, trying to find my place in the world with being a new stay-at-home-mommy: the reality would have been too much at the time.
That doesn’t make him wrong though.
Am I going to run Sierra Flower Farm as a business or as a hobby?
I’m sure you can take a wild guess and assume I opted to run Sierra Flower Farm as a business.
I now ask you the tough question:
Do you want to run your flower farm as a business or a hobby?
If you are still in the dreaming phase and aren’t quite sure, that is totally fine! Grow flowers, experiment, gift them to friends and family.
If you are going to sell these flowers, you are crossing over the threshold of hobbyist to business. Even if you are just looking to recoup some costs, once you exchange money for flowers you are now a business.
This comes with different responsibilities and commitments.
First, you need to sell at the appropriate prices and not undercut professionals. That is a quick way to undervalue, not only yourself and your flowers but professionals across the board. Also, it should be quality for the sake of your customers and the future of your business.
That is my little dose of hard truth.
With that said, here are the top five things related to flower farming business I wish I knew my first year.
Taking a leap from hobby to business is even more scary in current times more than before! By keeping it slim and allowing your business to grow organically and provide for itself, it is absolutely doable! You may find that the market is even more welcoming to a small, local grower as the global giant ag companies are having a hard time being able to produce what they once did which leaves more room for local to swoop in and save the day.
1- Budget
Okay, I am going to start with my least favorite task/concept. The one that Graham gets on me time and time again: budget.
Sure, you need to budget financially.
For us, we had very little finances to pour into my dream of becoming a flower farmer. You would think that would make me get lean from the start and really map out crops and budget. Heck no! I did not do this! I snagged every seed of pretty flower, I didn’t research more affordable seed suppliers for professionals. I wasn’t sure which crop I would be able to grow successfully versus ones that I’d fail. Broadcasting gave me what I saw as a safety net.
This was not the best approach.
I was a new grower. Learning how to grow flowers, harvest flowers, design with flowers and be a new business owner on top of it. I had zero experience in all these areas! So… I broadcasted my crop selection. Every swoon worthy picture of a dahlia had me buying one or two tubers at incredibly high retail prices. I didn’t approach my crop planning from a business standpoint. I approached it from a place of emotion.
We went “lean” in areas that we shouldn’t have that cost us and the truth is: if I just went a little less crazy wanting to take on everything at once we would have been better off. I went nuts buying seeds and put little thought into the soil they were to grow in.
Without good soil, there are no good flowers. Start at the base. Budget out what you need to invest in to be able to grow the flowers first. Then budget out the space. Then figure out your actual flower varieties. It is easy to get lost in the dream and flower farming is dreamy but if it’s a business: a budget and plan must be made. Snag that soil test to better determine which crops will grow awesome under your current conditions.
Outside of the growing operation, you have business necessities you need to account for: website, domain name, business cards, email address, business licenses, insurance, to name a few. If you are going to belong to organizations that cost, booth rentals, permit fees, business accounts, fictitious names, inspection fees, heating bills, electric bills, water bills, product supplies (bouquet sleeves, stickers, custom stamps, rubber bands, baggies).
Small things add up quick: clippers, fertilizers, buckets, trellising, soil amendments: it goes lightning speed!
Honestly, I can keep going. It gets a little intense.
Don’t spend your last dollar on a fancy variety of flower when you have so many other things to pay for. Make the dream work for you by taking it seriously and budgeting. Start with the growing and business operations then go from there.
Overall, really try not to go into massive debt. Flowers embark emotions, even for the flower farmer. We swoon over the latest and greatest flowers. Just know, you can make things work. Each investment you make, do with intention and have the business earn it first. An air-conditioned room or a fridge off craigslist are not perfect solutions but are more affordable than a whole walk-in cooler out the gate. You may find yourself harvesting and prepping orders more last minute for a bit. Don’t invest in a high tunnel before you even understand which crops to grow in them or how to even grow those crops or how to even sell those crops. Go lean, especially in this market climate.
2- Social media… the necessary evil
I know when I was first in the planning/dreaming phase of flower farming Instagram was a huge part of my research. Hunting down the bigger flower farmers and farmer-florists in the industry. Seeking out flower farmers in similar climates and hardiness zones. Stalking their social media to figure out what to grow, when to grow and to… simply get inspired. I have never sat on social media so much in my life!
A switch happened. All of sudden their drool worthy Instagram posts were no longer inspiring me but instead… discouraging. My flowers didn’t turn out as perfect. I didn’t get as many. What?! They already have sweet peas?! What?! They still have dahlias?!
I had unknowingly begun comparing myself, my flowers to theirs. If comparing myself and my product to them wasn’t enough then it became the amount of “followers.” So dumb but it can creep on you and before you realize what you’ve been doing, it can consume you.
We each are on our own journey.
We have different starting points, we have different challenges and different successes. It is not beneficial to compare yourself (your flowers) to others. That’s a bad head space to be. Focus on your growth. Celebrate your successes and learn from your mistakes.
If you are having a hard time focusing on your own operation and embracing where you are on the journey: STOP LOOKING AT SOCIAL MEDIA!
There is a fine line between being inspired or tearing yourself down. Once that line is crossed, you need to step away.
Now, this does not mean stop utilizing social media. It is an ugly but necessary tool. Stay consistent in posting, be engaging with comments within reason. Just don’t look every five minutes. You have better things to do than to sit on social media. Go sow some seeds or write a blog (the Google likes that). Focus on your flower farming journey.
This goes hand-in-hand with my next point. Social media should not be your sole storefront. Algorithms have changed, it is not as small-business friendly as it was in the past. It should be used to drive interest. You need a legit website to funnel your customers to. It should be beautiful, professional and tell your story. Along with a website, utilize email campaigns to keep connected with customers.
There is no single tool that is the magic wand. It takes tackling from different facets. They all bounce off each other.
Our social media has been growing slowly, we are not IG famous like some other flower farmers but we put up what we love and feel like we are a hidden gem that is becoming more known. Our social media reminded our community that we are here for them and it did drive them to our website where they purchased products from us. We also get to be us! Instead of event clients linking Pinterest boards, they ask us to be freely creative- it is such a honor! Be you on social media and let that flow through your website and email campaigns. Email campaigns have been huge for us this year. With those years at farmer’s market and our other outlets, one thing we got were signups for our email list. This was incredibly powerful, especially with all the shutdowns, we were able to still communicate with our customers. We were at least one business (aside from Walmart and Home Depot) that was not shut down.
3- Dipping your toes in too many ponds
No, I’m not talking swimming in summer. You want to be a flower farmer, your swimming days will be limited, especially if you are chasing down every single presented opportunity.
Our first year we jumped into everything, said yes to almost every request. A bride who wanted me to order imported baby’s breath? Completely against my principles and brand but I did it! Want us to be vendors at your craft fair? Sure! You want a bridal bouquet for $80…okay…
I think I am still recovering from the burnout.
What is Burnout?
It’s where you are incredibly drained both emotionally and physically. It’s where you can’t even find a good enough reason to get out of bed or you become a shell of a person just going through the motions. It’s where all of a sudden, life is passing you by and you don’t have the energy to even care. It’s a dark scary place that can easily morph into depression. Burnout is what leads to such high suicide rates in the agriculture industry (on top of financial worries). Even in flower farming it is not all pretty flowers and smiles. It’s long exhausting days and typically with little monetary return, especially in the beginning. Burnout is terrible. Avoid it. Self care is essential.
I had loosely developed a voice for my brand but didn’t have the confidence to cement it in. We went off course and had tons of different product offerings. We worked the farmer’s market. We had bouquet subscriptions. We took on tiny event engagements. We were a vendor one weekend (actually four days) a month at a pop up shop, sometimes in between also being at the Saturday farmer’s market or fulfilling full service weddings that we super undercharged for. We sold plant starts, swags and dried flower wreaths.
If we saw and opportunity we took it. Last minute home delivery orders, last minute meetups with brides, or just having coffee with someone who was just curious about us. Not a customer just random people who wanted to meet up. Odd and a time suck. Joining various business groups and attending their meetings along with other events. Oh the meetings!
I was getting burnt out and chasing the scraps.
Sure, you are going to have to experiment with product offerings, business networking groups and sales outlets. Take notes. Take notes on the amount of time spent and your net profit: not just revenue. Also, take notes of how it effected you emotionally or your product quality. What did you love? What did you loathe? What was profitable? What wasn’t? Did you capture loyal customers by saying “yes”?
In the beginning you will just be excited to be invited or to snag that engagement but overtime you only have so many toes to dip in ponds.
Be wise with your time and your product.
Take notes, they will tell the story.
After the rush of making those sales, you will need to take a hard look to see what is sustainable and profitable.
While being weary of taking on too much at once, also don’t harden yourself to only sticking with those products. For years we had customers begging us to grow and sell vegetables. They trusted our growing practices and products. I never thought I would spare the room for vegetables- why do that?! There are plenty of vegetable growers! The look on Graham’s face when I told him I think we needed to offer a vegetable csa. Shock and disbelief. It really gave us a lot more to handle but it has been amazing! We have been able to provide products for people who haven’t traditionally boughten from us. Also, the vegetables brought peace to us knowing we had access to fresh vegetables and were able to also provide them for other families. Be flexible and always come back and assess your sells outlets and products. We took on smaller, last minute weddings where normally we would not. This is a time where everyone’s “plan” went out the window, so we found it in our hearts to just roll with it and have compassion. Another unexpected change, we are selling flowers to some local florists. Not something we ever really sought out but are happy that we have been able to do!
4- Learning the comfort of saying “no”
How does one of the first concepts we learn as toddlers become so difficult to put into practice once into adulthood?
Dipping your toes in too many ponds leads to this tough lesson: you will have to get comfortable saying “no.” Which is even trickier after you’ve been spending seasons saying “yes.”
We as flower farmers are big hearted folk. What are cut flowers for other than to bring joy in some form?
Flowers are incredibly personal and emotionally raw.
The people who nurture and tend these flowers seem to be similar. This rings true especially for small scale growers in the beginning of their journey.
I know I am naturally a people pleaser. I like making others happy, even at the sacrifice of my own well-being.
Being a 100% people pleaser is not sustainable and you will get burnt out.
If you have a family and children they too will pay the price of you trying to please everyone who asks something of you. If you feel unsettled in your gut at the idea of saying “yes” to a request… your answer should probably be a “no.” If you don’t feel bold enough to say “no” at the time, feed them a line that you will get back to them. Give yourself time to think about it, weigh it.
This space of not being comfortable to say “no” is what will leave you vulnerable to being taken advantage of and not treating your business as a business. Yes, we are not a coldhearted corporation but we are still in the business of growing and selling cut flowers.
This is not a charity, if you want to give your flowers away become a hobbyist or nonprofit.
If it is on your heart to give something: I am all for the “surprise and delight.” With that said it should be on your terms, you should never feel pressured! I always keep extra stems of flowers with me at the market booth. You never know when you just feel it on your heart that someone needs some a little extra sunshine in their day or if the cutest kid ever is going to come to your booth with ice cream smeared on their face that you just can’t resist giving them a flower!
But… if you give away the cow how will you reap the profit from its milk?
Overtime, saying “no” will get easier and you will actually find relief! Mapping out what you want your flowers, your brand, to say to the world will help guide you. If you are not interested in floral design, say no to floral design! If you don’t want to sell edible flowers, say no to edible flowers!
This doesn’t mean circumstances can’t change but if those avenues are not singing to your heart then you shouldn’t be saying yes.
Planning out your goals, your products and your sales outlets that interest you will help you to better stick to the plan. There are lessons to be learned in chasing every opportunity but in the long run: it will result in burnout and being mediocre across the board.
Find you niche, your passion. Yes, growing cut flowers is a passion but really that is just the beginning foundation to build upon.
Know that the world will not end by you saying “no” nor will your business. Sometimes, saying “no” is exactly what you and your business needs to be able to grow.
Seems counterintuitive but it’s true.
We have had to say some tough “no’s” this season. No to farmer’s market was our biggest. We were already leaning towards not doing it this season and with everything that happened, it just cemented it in for us. We decided to focus on sales through our website, team with other small business owners (in hopes to push traffic their way too) and bring the flowers to our customers that way. Going in public places right now, can be unsettling to many of our customers. Wearing masks, social distancing, the fear and inconvenience. We want to bring comfort and ease to our customers, so we chose small pickup locations or home deliveries this season. We did say “yes!” to edible flowers this season too, each week our vegetable share members need a little floral dose too and that’s been a really fun and different twist on our version of vegetable csa.
5- Flower Farming is not one size fits all
I know these days there’s tons of different courses that say different. Alluding to: if you follow what I have laid out for you, you will be like me. Enter fireworks and stars falling from the sky.
This can be true but for the most part… It won’t be.
When I first started Sierra Flower Farm I definitely got caught up in the idea of what it should be basing it off other flower farms. Instead of focusing on working within my means I was trying to push to work within what other flower farmers said I had to have to work with.
When someone touts a small scale is an acre or two, what did that make my 1,500 square feet?
Am I joke?
Following their seed sowing dates, spacing recommendations, not having their “essential infrastructure” to be successful was discouraging and confusing. I couldn’t afford a walk in cooler or a high tunnel. Heck, we are just now finally working towards those purchases! Some how we survived four seasons without those “essentials.” I wasted a lot of space planting crops further apart than necessary for our climate under our circumstances.
Ultimately, everything boils down to this: flower farming is not one size fits all.
What works for one operation and is their recipe for success does not mean it will automatically translate to your success or even your version of success! This stems true from, literally, the ground up. I’m sure many of our approaches would have more successful growers face palming but we’ve made it work this far!
There are tips, tricks, methods that can be applied across the board, sure. This doesn’t mean because you operate a little differently that you won’t be successful. We each have, not only our own unique growing operation and microclimates, but different markets as well.
Even flower farmers in the same general area have different markets!
Our stories, our brands, our products: we all attract different types of customers. We each have our own lines in the sand that attract our ideal customers. By figuring out your story, how you want to tell it will help you figure out who your ideal client is. For example, my ideal bride is someone who is laid back and adventurous. A bride who trusts in my creativity and vision to custom create wedding florals for them. I’m not super into brides tied to the hip with their Pinterest boards or the current trends but there are plenty of other florists and farmer-florists who prefer that! There is plenty of room for everyone!
Aside from the market, much like on social media: don’t compare yourself to the other flower farmers. Yes, you may have checked all the boxes on their list of “this is how to be like me” but you are… you.
You are incredibly unique.
Take advice from seasoned growers, their wisdom then improve upon that information. Mold and manipulate that advice to your operation. Dig into the why’s behind it. Tailor it to your flower farming business. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to become a flower farmer.
You will have trial and error, you will say yes, then regret it. You will have times of self doubt. The only way you can fail at this is if you give up.
The tray of shriveled seedlings does not define your success: it defines your opportunity for growth because you now know what not to do. Your soil will need different amendments than a farm even thirty minutes away from you.
Your business is going to be different than all the other flower farms because it has something those other flower farms do not have: you.
You know what motivates you. You know your passion within the passion. You know your strengths and weaknesses. Stick to what you know about yourself and go from there. How boring would the flower farming world be if we were all exactly the same?
The same photos, the same crops, the same designs, the same ideas… yawn.
The unique challenges within your operation that keeps you on your toes: that’s interesting.
The why behind the farmer: that’s interesting.
Your creativity and insights: that is interesting.
Your unique take on floral designs: that’s interesting.
You are what makes the flowers interesting!
Don’t get stuck or caught up in the idea of what you and your operation should look like. Yes, get business cards. Yes, get a website. Yes, be the face of your business because your customers want to see the face behind those gorgeous blooms.
Do these basics to launch, grow and sustain your business but within those customize them to fit you and your flower farm.
It is not a copy and paste business, flower farming is not one size fits all.
Let me tell you, the process of growing your flower farming business will give you fresh insight into yourself. You will learn more about yourself than you will want to know! The things that light a fire in you or the things that run you down. It’s a powerful process.
This rings more true than even when I originally wrote this. This past season, depending on the state, county and town you are flower farming the restrictions/shutdowns, etc most likely looked different than another flower farmer’s even just a couple counties away. Being able to be flexible and creative while working within varying constraints (whether financial, space or local laws) will help you to be ultimately more successful. Celebrate your accomplishments, have goals to reach in the future and if you cannot afford to go big from the gate, walk in coolers, large fields of flowers, workload- know that is okay. Allow yourself and your business to grow in time. There is nothing wrong with growing your business steadily over time.
If I had this wisdom in my back pocket in the beginning stages of Sierra Flower Farm I think I would have been a little less harsh on myself, had time to better develop my growing/designing skills and make the business profitable sooner. A lot of time and money was poured into the business wastefully.
The insight I have now, I think I could have alleviated some of the waste. At the same time, mistakes were made and lessons learned. Some lessons I thought were going to push me over the edge ending with me throwing in the towel! Instead, I got back up and tried again. I learned that failure isn’t an option. That I love flower farming too much. That I will take the ugly with the beautiful.
I have grown a lot as a person. I have become more patient, more empathetic and I have learned my lines in the sand. Lines in the sand I have always happily allowed people to define for me! Through flower farming, I have learned a lot about myself: who I am, my passions, my strengths and my weaknesses. I have found humility in this field. You, too, will find these things out about yourself.
It is gritty yet freeing.
Flower farming is rather simple in theory but putting it all in action, it is the most humbling endeavor you will have ever taken on! When you have success, it just makes it that much more sweeter.
I hope this post inspires you to take a moment and figure out what you want out of this flower farming journey:
Do you want your flower farm to be a hobby or a business?
If you’re ready to run it as a business, I hope the five points mentioned help you get off to a great head start. Take the time to budget and goal plan. While you are in the beginning stages of your journey don’t compare yourself to others on social media. Yes, experiment with product offerings and outlets but don’t go overboard and dip your toes into too many ponds that can lead to burnout. Learn to take comfort in saying “no” when a request doesn’t fit with your business model. Lastly, remember flower farming is not a one size fits all.
There is no wrong or right way, there is your way.
Each season is one giant experiment for all of us! We simply get better at weighing the risks and knowing our limitations.
If you are having troubles reigning in your goals, be sure to check out our blog: Taking winter to dream with intent.
Happy Flower Farming
We are looking forward to helping you hand blooms soon!
- Jessica & Graham