How To Start Dried Flower Business With Low Investment
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Do you want to start a profitable dried flower business with low capital investment? Find here a detailed sample dried flower business plan checklist for your ready reference.
The demand for good quality dried flowers is increasing rapidly. Generally, flowers are the most profitable plant. And flowers fetch maximum profit to the growers. Generally, gifting and decorating industries are the major consumers of this type of flower. This type of flower is popular as “everlastings” because they last so long when dried.
If you have a gardening hobby and you want to turn your hobby into a profitable business, then you can consider this business. Basically, you can start this business in two ways. In the first option, you grow and dry the flower for sale. Another option is you only buy the flowers from the growers and after drying sell them. According to your knowledge, skill, available space, and startup capital, you must select the right business model.
Table of Contents
Why Dried Flower Business?
First of all, this business allows home-based operation. Therefore, the business is highly lucrative for housewives and moms also.
Additionally, you can start the business on a part-time basis when maintaining your current job or business as well.
The business requires a very small capital investment initially. Furthermore, this type of flower has great export potential also. In addition, there are numerous avenues including B2B for selling flowers.
If you have a small backyard, you can start flower growing of your own. Some of the flower species fetch huge per-unit margins.
Broadly, there are two types of drying processes available for flowers. Either you can go for sun drying or you can go for machine drying. However, according to your investment capacity, choose the right one.
7 Steps to Start a Dried Flower Business
1. Research the Market and Identify Your Niche
Before diving into any business, it is essential to conduct detailed market research. Try to understand the demand for dried flowers in different regions of India. In addition, identify your target audience, and explore potential niches. There are several specialized dried flower requirements. It can be arrangements for weddings, events, or home decor to differentiate yourself from competitors.
2. Create a Business Plan
Regardless of the size of your business, craft a business plan. It is most important. A comprehensive business plan helps in several ways. It helps to arrange startup capital and also keeps you in the right direction. Generally, a small business plan includes an executive summary, objective, mission & vision statement, management pattern, marketing planning, and investment.
3. Business Compliance
First of all, decide the form of your business. If you are starting the business with your own capital, then it is better to start as a proprietorship. Additionally, check other licensing issues. Also, check the upcoming tax liabilities. It all hugely depends on your business location.
GST registration is a must for new business owners to run a company in India presently.
4. Choose the Right Variety of Flowers
You must choose the right variety of flowers to grow. And there are several important aspects you must consider in selecting the flower variety. The most important is market demand. Check the specifications of your target demographic. Generally, unique and hard-to-grow flowers ensure better profitability than common varieties. Additionally, consider your agroclimatic condition for growing flowers.
5. Source Quality Flowers
If you don’t have enough space for growing flowers, then you can procure flowers from local growers and vendors. However, you must pay special attention to selecting quality flowers. You can’t produce good quality dried flowers from damaged or fully developed flowers.
6. Learn the Drying Methods of Drying Flowers
Generally, the drying method greatly influences the quality and appearance of dried flowers and other ornamental plant parts. There are several different drying techniques are available currently. The NBRI, Lucknow is a pioneer institute in India that works on the dehydration of flowers, foliage, and floral crafts.
Some of the popular flower-drying methods are the following:
a) Air Drying
Air drying is a very common method of drying. In this method, you can attach the plant materials to rope/wire. And keep them in a hanging position either in the dark or in the sun for quick drying. Air drying requires a warm clean dark and well-ventilated area with low humidity.
b) Press Drying
In press drying, you will need to place the flowers and foliage between the folds of newspaper sheets or blotting papers giving some space among the flowers. Then keep the sheets one above the other and place the same size corrugated boards in between the folded sheets so as to allow the water vapor to escape.
c) Embedded Drying
You can use sand, borax, silica gel, sawdust, perlite, and a combination of these as media for embedding. Among these, sand and borax are cheaper but they take more time for drying. For delicate flowers like roses, dahlia, carnations, etc, silica gel is the ideal drying agent.
d) Oven Drying
This is the modern process of drying. Generally, you can use hot air and microwave ovens for faster drying and improve the quality of dry flowers. In these methods, you must keep the flowers at a controlled temperature for a specific duration of time. Temperature plays an important role in the drying of flowers and other ornamental plant parts by influencing both qualitative and quantitative parameters.
e) Glycerine Drying
Generally, you can opt for glycerine drying especially to preserve foliage. It is comparatively less expensive and has a high water-attracting capacity. You can preserve different types of foliage successfully by either immersing leaves or placing crushed stems in a 33% glycerol solution.
f) Freeze Drying
Generally, freeze-drying is the most effective method of flower preservation in the dried flower business. Freeze drying relies on the principle of sublimation. Hence, color and even fragrance are retained in the dried flowers.
7. Packaging
Dried flowers are delicate in nature. Therefore, you must provide special care in packaging and storage. Moreover, you must protect the flowers from all possible damage like physical damage and insect damage.
You can apply fungicides, insecticides, or sulfur fumigation prior to packaging to control microbial and insect damage. Generally, you can use polythene bags for primary packaging. However, you must provide outer packaging for easy handling and transportation.
8. Promote the Dried Flower Business
You must promote your products both offline and online. You can establish proper distribution channels. Additionally, you can sell the flowers from your own retail store. Institutional selling is another great option for this type of product.
Don’t ignore online consumers. Regardless you are from a developing or developed country, you must sell the items online. And online marketplaces are the best options for small business owners. Additionally, you can also create a small online store of your own.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of starting a dried flower business?
Starting a dried flower business in India can be a lucrative opportunity, as the demand for dried flowers is growing. India’s diverse floral biodiversity provides a wide range of flowers to work with, and the market is relatively untapped.
What are the essential skills required to start a dried flower business?
Making a dried flower business successful requires a combination of creative, entrepreneurial, and marketing skills. It is essential to have a good eye for design and knowledge of flower-drying techniques. In addition, you need to have the ability to market and sell your products effectively.
What types of dried flowers are popular in India?
Popular dried flowers in India include roses, marigolds, dahlias, lavender, and jasmine. These flowers are used in various forms, such as potpourri, wreaths, and bouquets.
How can I source high-quality flowers for my dried flower business?
You can source high-quality flowers for your dried flower business from with local flower farmers, nurseries, or wholesalers. It is important to ensure that the flowers are fresh and of good quality before drying them.
What is the cost to start a dried flower business?
The amount of investment required to start a dried flower business in India varies depending on various factors such as the scale of the business, the location, and the marketing strategy. However, you can start a small-scale dried flower business with an investment of around INR 50,000 to INR 1 lakh.
Starting a dried flower business demands adequate drying skills. Additionally, you must have a clear conception of different types of cut flowers. Therefore, you must gather sufficient knowledge before commencing the dried flower business of your own.