It may be the season of giving now, but soon enough it will be time to celebrate the day of love. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, people are already thinking of a special gift to give to their significant other. While it’s likely that you are in the same boat, wouldn’t it be nice to give a gift to your special someone and to customers?
Now is the perfect time to start thinking about turning your garden into a floral business. With a few months to plan and prepare, now is the time to turn your garden into a profit-making floral oasis. Be aware, there’s a lot to do, including creating a business plan, getting a wholesale license, and marketing your brand.
Keep reading to learn the steps to take to turn your garden into a floral business just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Create a Business Plan
The very first thing you’ll want to do when starting a new business is to create a business plan. This serves as your foundation and blueprint for how your business will operate, as well as to provide direction.
When creating a business plan, there are a few main topics that you’ll want to make sure you cover, including:
- Executive summary – A business snapshot
- Description of your company – Details what your company does
- Market analysis – Research on your market, industry, and competitors
- Organization structure – Describes management as well as whether the business will operate as an LLC, wholesaler, corporation, etc.
- Product information – Details the products and/or services you will offer
- Marketing and sales – Outlines the strategies you’ll use to drive sales as well as brand recognition and visibility among your target audience
With a well-thought-out business plan, you have all of the information you need in order to skyrocket your floral business into the realm of success.
Purchase Necessary Supplies & Tools
Once you know how your business will operate, the next step is to gather all of the supplies and tools you need in order to create the products you plan to sell.
First, start in your garden. Look at the types of flowers and greenery that you have available to you. Write down the types as well as the quantity. The type and number of flowers you have will drive the number of products that you can sell.
Next, consider all of the tools you need to get the job done, including florist wire, floral foam, floral tape, ribbon, baskets, and vases. Since you’ll be selling for Valentine’s Day, you may also want to stock up on balloons, teddy bears, and chocolates.
Tackle the Legalities
Before your amazing floral creations can be sold legally, you’ll need to first apply for a wholesale license in CA. As a wholesaler, you can buy items and bulk and then sell items to resellers. This means that you can choose to sell your flowers to local florists and, in turn, make a profit.
By having a wholesale license in California, you’re able to cut costs by saving on sales tax. Because sales tax only has to be paid once, as a wholesaler you can avoid paying because you’ll buy items directly from manufacturers. This means that end-consumers will ultimately pay sales tax.
Wondering how to get a wholesale license in California? The traditional process requires filling out paperwork and submitting it to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, but there are other options, including an automated process from FastFilings.
Devise a Marketing Plan
While you already mapped out some of your marketing strategies in your business plan, it pays to get started early on marketing your brand. As other pieces begin to fall into place, you’ll want to get a head start on marketing your new company.
One of the best ways to do this is by having a business website and social media accounts. Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are all great platforms to use to draw interest to your brand. Use these websites to post pictures, videos, and updates. For example, you can use Instagram to show off your floral creations while using Facebook to post availability and pricing updates.
Other must-haves that you’ll want to include in your marketing plan include:
- Business cards
- Mobile marketing
- Email marketing
At the end of the day, successful marketing comes down to highlighting what makes your brand unique. Figure out what makes your company different from competitors and really shine a spotlight on those differences.
Get Started on Your Business with FastFilings
There’s a lot to do in getting your business ready for prime time. With so much time and effort to dedicate to your startup, it helps to know how you can make processes a little less cumbersome. When it comes to getting your wholesale license in CA, don’t waste time with the traditional process. Instead, choose to apply through FastFilings.
With FastFilings, getting a wholesale license is quick, easy, and entirely automated. All you have to do is provide basic information about your business and, within a few clicks, your information will be submitted to be processed and sent to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.
For just $99, you can tackle the biggest legal hurdle you’ll face as a new business owner. Get started with your wholesale license today at FastFilings.com.