How to Make Money with Your Very Own Garden
By Emma Croft
Gardening can be a fun hobby, allowing you to spend time outside while also getting some exercise. According to Healthline, outdoor gardening can also be good for your mental well-being and even reduce stress. If you want, you can even leverage your green thumb for financial gain. There are plenty of ways that you can make money with a garden. Read on to discover how you can use gardening as a side hustle.
Get the supplies and knowledge you need for a thriving garden
Before you can make money with it, your garden needs to be thriving. Start by getting the basic supplies and tools if you don’t have them already. Beginner essentials include gloves, a hand trowel and fork, a hose, a watering can, and a spade. Also, decide what you want to grow, considering details like climate. If you aren’t sure what’s suited to your geographic area, consult a professional. A local expert like the team at Frisella Nursery can advise on what flowers, trees, plants, and vegetables will do well in your area.
Research ways you can monetize your garden
The most obvious way to make money with a garden is by selling the produce. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a database of area farmer’s markets that you can consult to find options in your area. However, this is only one way to monetize a garden. Other ideas include hiring out your garden for parties or camping excursions, adding beekeeping to your garden, or selling ready-made products made from your garden, like jams, chutneys, and smoothies. If your garden is picturesque, you can even rent it out for painting classes.
Set up a formal business structure
Once you’ve decided how you’re going to use your garden to make money, formalize your business concept. Start by conducting market research and writing a business plan. Then, get the funding you need—for example, if you have to invest in more gardening tools to scale up. Finally, pick a business structure, like an LLC, and a name, and register your business with your state. You also want to get any necessary federal or state tax identification numbers and open a business bank account for your finances.
Keep your business organized with the right tools
Keep all your business-related paperwork, from your initial registration to your expense notes, organized. Maintaining orderly business and financial records will be especially helpful when tax season arrives. You can use internet-based tools to store and manage documents. Digitizing paper records cuts down on clutter. Plus, it’s easier to find things when they’re digitized. By using a PDF separator, you can split large PDFs into multiple smaller files. After you save the file, you can download it, save it under a new name, and share it.
Actively promote your gardening business
If you want your gardening business to grow, you have to attract customers. Marketing can help you boost your profile and get noticed. There are many ways you can promote a small business that don’t cost a lot. You can start by setting up a website using a DIY tool like Wix or Squarespace. HubSpot has additional pointers for small business marketing, such as trying blogging and using email marketing to nurture leads. If you have some money to spend, you can also try investing in paid ads.
Gardening is an enjoyable hobby that also has physical and mental health benefits. If you play your cards right, it can even be a means of making money. To make sure your gardening-related business thrives, invest in the proper business tools and market it appropriately. With some effort, you’ll see your business thrive.
Want to learn more about gardening? Check out resources like this podcast.
