So, you'd like to make some money from your garden?You can make money from your garden, it is one of many opportunities to get started in your own home-based business. Many multinational companies started in a home garage, including Ford and Cocacola!
There are many people in today’s world who run small, easy, fun businesses, who make $15 or $20Au odd thousand a year, sometimes more, and most of it in cash. They are very happy people. They live simply, and enjoy their business and their lifestyle. Cottage Industries and similar small business is now a way of life in most countries. Small business employs more people, and contributes more to the Worlds economy, that any other business sector!
We have written here about a number of ways that you can build a good business from scratch, and from your home and/or your garden. If you are already a keen gardener, you will know some of these ideas, you may already be making money from some of them. Just be aware that you will not become an instant millionaire from these ideas. Several of these ideas clumped together could bring in a decent living, and many people are doing just that! Don't forget that many of these home and garden business ideas we mention, fit in quite nicely with a partime Internet business. If you click on our Business Sector link on the lefthand side of this page, you will find many pages of infornmation about getting started in an Internet business.
After being involved in many different businesses for many years, I believe there are four key planks to being a success in any small business or cottage industry. They are, *opportunity, That means when the opportunity is there, and you are sure it’s the right time and circumstance for you, go for it! *originality, Be original in your thinking. Don’t rely entirely on the options we have mentioned here, use these ideas to think up something that is different and unique, something that no-one else has thought of yet, but which you can perhaps combine with some of these ideas. * ensuring you have the product to sell when the markets are there. It’s no good having the customers if you haven’t got enough product. *The last one is the most important for assured success. Don’t start with a monkey on your back! That means don’t blow out your credit card, or take out a large loan to get setting up finance. If you haven’t got all the money you need, just start smaller, test the markets, and then when you are quite sure you have a goer, perhaps look at some borrowing then.
If you would like to do a free marketing course, which is very, very good, and pretty important for success in any business, go to this site and have a look.
Click here! They have 5 free courses, and they are very, very, good, and quite free! The one relating to local business is particularly valuable. So, let’s go for it! *Herbs* You can sell bunches of fresh picked herbs to restaurants and fruit shops, markets, wherever. A herbal turf farm is another good business if you are on acreage and have the room.
Scented herb lawns are very nice, and in high demand for city dwellers who only have a small yard anyway. Most clients would only want a square yard or so. It’s not quick to grow, it needs to be watered, weeded and fertilised, but prices are good. In fact you can virtually name your own price. You dig up a section in strips, roll it up, and sell it.
If you love roses, click here to find out how to grow beautiful roses! *Unusual plants* Unusual plants include ginseng, orris root, specialty chilies such as red-hot, and ornamental varieties. Red hot chilies are commercially viable, and some backyard growers are making a good living just growing hot chilies for manufacturing use. *Specialty gardens* Specialised nurseries grow special plants, what else? Medicinal plants, gingers, edible plants, companion plants, rose nurseries, helconias, etc Specialty gardens can also include nurseries, theme gardens, mazes, pick –your –own fruit (berries etc) and specialist timbers. *Just a word about specialist timbers.* A planting of blackwood, cedar, or similar valuable timbers would take decades to be ready for sale. However, unlike the exotic pine plantations, each and every year, a good stand of specialist timber becomes more valuable. If you are looking to value add your acreage for a sale many years down the track, such a stand, even immature, could add many thousands of dollars to your selling price. Did you know that if you want to build a wooden boat in Australia, the only suitable timber commercially available is imported Canadian timber, or imported Indonesian meranti. *Water plants* Some nurseries specialise in water plants. I operated one for some years, as a sideline to a garden pond manufacturing business I was operating. Natives are always best, some exotics can become major pests in water catchment areas. Many home gardens have water features, and the demand for water plants is quite high. Some, like the Australian Utricularia, have underwater bladders which devour mosquito wrigglers. Unfortunately most aquarium shops sell the exotics, which is how these pest plants got into the waterways to start with.
*Herb Nursery* There are many moneymaking options with herbs. You can start a Home Herb Nursery, and sell herbs in pots. I’ve done it, (twice) and our business partner has done it, sold her nursery, has relocated, and is now building one again! I’ve written a very useful eBook about how to do this, and you can now purchase it online on our Product page. Click below for more info!
Click here for more Herb Nursery Information!
*Animals* Be cautious about trying to breed animals especially cats and dogs. In Australia alone, we kill 3 million unwanted dogs every year, and goodness knows how many cats. Why breed a companion animal that may have to killed if the owner is unexpectedly unable to care for it? Many people now source their pet dogs from animal pounds. You can save an animals life by doing this instead of buying a puppy. If you love dogs and cats, have enough room, and local Council regulations permit, a dog and cat Holiday Home may be a suitable business for you. *Poultry* Special breed poultry are popular, such as Barnevelders, Rhode Island Reds and similar, on small acreage’s. You can sell the eggs, breed day old chickens, or grow them on the laying stage and sell as a trio, one rooster and two hens. Markets are usually people on small acreage’s, who want the traditional breeds of poultry, rather than the hybrids. *Tropical fish* I know someone who breeds tropical and aquarium fish in his backyard. He does quite well, but the aquarium market is being taken over by large franchised operations, which have their own breeding facilities. Small owner operated pet shops would be the best markets. Again native fish are best to grow, and many of them are very pretty fish. Some of the native fish both in Australia and in the US, are much more hardy, better at mosquito control than exotics, and don’t pose the environmental risks if they escape. In Australia, exotic carp and tilapia have caused major environmental damage. Both species were introduced for the aquarium trade, and have subsequently escaped or been released into the wild.
*Worms* Worms are an essential part of any garden. I’ve seen opportunities to buy into large worm farm franchise-type operations for large sums of money. Again, be careful before laying out large amounts of money. You can start a commercial worm farm yourself in your own backyard for very little cash outlay. The night crawlers pictured below can grow up to 7 inches long!
*Bees*
If you know what you are doing, bees are great. You have to be experienced though. Even a couple of hive will polinate flower and vegetable plants in your garden, and provide enough honey for you and your family, with some left over to sell. If you are growing plants like cucurbits commercially, hives are an essential part of your business.
*Crafts* Crafts are popular, and a particularly good business to operate from home. You can also market other peoples’ craft on commission, at markets or craft parties, to craft shops, and in tourist areas. *House/shop* Close to the cities, craft and tourist shops can thrive. North of Adelaide for instance, there are many very pretty small towns, which are in decline. Many are weekend bonanzas for cottage industries, as city dwellers head out for a weekend in the country. It’s possible to buy or rent a shop in one of these towns, with living accommodation attached, for peanuts. These little shops make ideal craft and tourism related shops. Most have gardens out the back to grow herbs and other plants. If you can get into an inexpensive house/shop like this, in a ‘high traffic’ tourism area, and you provide a popular craft product, you have it made!
*Consultant*
If you are a good knowledgeable gardener, you should be able to find some consultancy work. This could include theme gardens, landscape design, growing bush plants advisor, holding gardening workshops (in your garden). Places to approach would be local Councils, builders, developers, garden clubs ect. **************************************************************** Dont have a garden to make money from? Dont worry! Be Happy! You can still make money here! Get your own on-line business in natural health products for only a couple of dollars! **************************************************************** *Working with wood* I love this one! I’m not a good carpenter, I’m too impatient, but I love wood, and I love woodwork. In one of my activities, I talk to many school children about environmental issues. When I’m asked what jobs are permanent and sustainable, what careers would I recommend, woodwork is first on the list. Quality wood products can be made from sawmill off-cuts, recycled timber, plantation timber, scrap timber, salvaged timber from demolition jobs, and so on. There is a huge and growing market for reasonably priced quality wood furniture. A very good friend of mine in South Australia went to night school to learn carpentry. She set up a small woodworking factory in her garage. She makes beautiful polished wooden furniture, and only sells enough to cover her costs, mostly she gives it away to family and friends as gifts for Christmas and birthdays. Almost anyone can work with wood, it just needs patience, and the ability to persevere to get a professional finish. Working with wood includes making native animal and bird boxes, strong dog kennels, play houses, mobile poultry pens, planter boxes, tool rails, turned wood products, quality and ornamental household gates. There are wooden arches, redo old furniture, make new furniture, small wooden boats, big wooden boats, model boats, quality wooden toys, breadboxes, bookshelves, beds, painting frames, spice racks, canoes, made to order yacht fittings, and many more. If I had my time over again, (and I was a good carpenter!) Id set up a small woodworking factory in an industrial shed, making some or most of the above items, and selling direct to the public. *Painting* If you can paint or draw there are many opportunities. Apart from local landscapes, there are hand painted objects such as crockery, seashells, wooden toys, murals, business signs, and sign writing. *Sewing* Sewing skills can create many niche markets for animal costumes, quilts, cushions rugs, stuffed animals, koalas, teddy bears, Steve Irwin has made crocodiles all the rage now, nets, curtain making, hats, country and western or frontier type shirts and jackets. A dressmaking business, to repair zips, uniforms, clothing adjustments, shortening trousers, button holes etc *Guided tours* Guided tours around your local interest areas is another possibility. *Make and sell* Cosmetics, handcreams, talcs, jewelry, perfumes, potpourris, essential oils, soaps, candles, massage oils, bath oils, beads from nuts and seeds, handmade buttons, boat stuff, baskets, traditional witches brooms, (popular now after Harry Potter) paper mache objects, etc. You can get many herbal home and medicinal recipes from the link further down the page. ************************************************************
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Last week there was a letter in our local paper from someone who needed his lawn mowed. He had contacted all the 4 or 5 franchised lawn mowers in the area, with no luck at all. His place was too far, they couldn’t do it for 2 weeks, or he left messages and no-one got back to him. Even though there are several lawn mowing contractors in this area, no-one was really interested. He was actually asking in his letter, for someone to come and cut his lawn! This is a good example of how NOT to run a business. If someone rings with work right on lunchtime, you go and do it, eat a sandwich on the road if you have too, but go now! Don’t forget, you’ll get that customer again too, even if someone approaches him with a cheaper quote! *Seed Saving* If you have the room, you can sell seeds. Eden Seeds are always looking for the traditional plant seeds. Growing seed for commercial sale is not easy, because you have to be very careful not to accidentally cross-pollinate, but there is good money in seeds if you can deal with that problem. Okay, we have covered here just a few ways that you can make money from your garden. You may need to combine three or four options, and you may think of some more that we haven’t mentioned. We also should say that if you are making money from your garden, every little space should be growing something! If you have an empty space, plant something there! Put wire netting on your back fence and grow beans, use tripod poles to grow a climbing plant that you can harvest and sell. Small fancy pumpkins, or climbing gherkins, anything, but don’t waste space, especially in a small yard! Just one more thing we should say, please always remember you are a professional. Conduct yourself and your business with honesty and integrity. When going to sell, or to canvass markets, or do any business, always dress well, and be super polite. Especially blokes! Not being sexist or anything, but being a bloke myself, I know a bit about what blokes are like. Clothes don’t mean much to me or to most blokes. As far as many of us are concerned, clothes are only worn to stop us from getting sun burnt! But in business it’s important. If you front up to a business trying to sell something, wearing your old garden clothes is the best way to kill a sale. Clean casual dress is fine, daggy old gardening gear is not! Now, go forth, buy some seeds, and conquer! Good luck, Patrick!
Okay, okay, Im a bit of a sucker for Marketing Courses! I just love them, and every time I see a new Course, I sign up for it straight away! I work through the Courses, then file them away for future reference. I have folders and folders full of Marketing Courses! I collect Marketing Courses like some people collect stamps or footy cards! I guess it could be said that if I was an expert on anything, it would be Marketing Courses! So I have to tell you about this! The best information I have seen yet is the one below. It is a Marketing Business Course/eBook that walks you through all the steps that are required to make money on the Internet. How to get a product to sell, how to sell it, and lots more. If you do nothing else, have look at this, and work through it. It's easy to understand, makes a lot of sense, and will give you a good understanding of how to use your own knowledge to get a product to sell on the Internet.
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