How to Start a Dried Flower Business

A dried flower business will sell dried flowers to hobbyists or craft stores. A flower preservation business will save important flowers, like wedding bouquets, for interested parties. Owners may do one or both of these services, but they are separate. Dried flowers do have a demand amongst a variety of people who use them to finish their craft projects. Flower preservation is perfect for those who want to scrapbook their memories, or fill boxes and chests with important mementos. Demand has increased for dried flowers over the past few years, as more people discover easy and fun DIY challenges.

You may also be interested in additional unique business ideas.

Learn how to start your own Dried Flower Business and whether it is the right fit for you.

Ready to form your LLC? Check out the Top LLC Formation Services.

Start a dried flower business by following these 10 steps:

  1. Plan your Dried Flower Business
  2. Form your Dried Flower Business into a Legal Entity
  3. Register your Dried Flower Business for Taxes
  4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
  5. Set up Accounting for your Dried Flower Business
  6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Dried Flower Business
  7. Get Dried Flower Business Insurance
  8. Define your Dried Flower Business Brand
  9. Create your Dried Flower Business Website
  10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your dried flower business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Dried Flower Business Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

  • Your state's business records
  • Federal and state trademark records
  • Social media platforms
  • Web domain availability.

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

Want some help naming your dried flower business?

Business Name Generator

What are the costs involved in opening a dried flower business?

Initial costs are typically wrapped up in gardening supplies. You may need to lease vacant land if you don’t have enough space in your own home to grow the crops you want. Community gardens can cut down severely on leasing costs if you don't currently have enough land, though you may be limited on space. Owners may also purchase flowers too, though this method can get very expensive.

Owners may also need a state permit to conduct their affairs, with each state having different requirements and regulations. If you choose to freeze-dry bouquets for flower preservation, you will need a good specimen chamber for the best results. This professional equipment may cost up to $1,600. You may want to start your own website, or invest in online advertising to attract customers. A basic website service will cost about $16 a month. Most people can start this business with less than $2,000 in their pocket total.

What are the ongoing expenses for a dried flower business?

Ongoing expenses can include the following, depending on whether or not you grow your own flowers or buy from a wholesaler.

  • Gardening supplies
  • Website maintenance
  • Equipment replacement
  • Staff salaries
  • Flower purchases
  • Land upkeep (e.g., leasing costs, tilling, etc.)

Who is the target market?

You’re looking for people who love to make their own decorations. Lampshades, bags, and candle holders are just a few decor items that would benefit from dried flowers, meaning there are a wide range of hobbyists available.

You may also want to market to those who want to keep their bouquets from different events intact, and store them in special keepsake places. For example, a child may want their dried flowers in a family chest from their First Communion or middle-school graduation.

How does a dried flower business make money?

Maintaining a garden and crops doesn't necessarily take very much money to do, and flowers are some of the most profitable plants to sell on the market. Those who run these businesses can base their prices based on demand in the area. The key is finding a steady group of hobbyists who come to rely solely on your flowers.

How much can you charge customers?

This is heavily dependent on the types of services you offer. Bouquet preservation can run a person up to $700. A full dried flower bouquet of a variety of different bulbs may run up to $20. One type of plant, like lavender, may be closer to $7 or $8.

How much profit can a dried flower business make?

Flower drying businesses can make hundreds of thousands of dollars with the right marketing and services, even if most people use it as a supplemental income. If you can charge even $200 to preserve bouquets from important events, it’s about $18,000 or more in profit you’ll make for every 100 orders you have. Dried flowers can also net you very high profit margins, especially if you grow and dry them yourself. If you sell 100 bouquets at $16, that’s potentially $1500 in pure profit.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Attend every trade and craft show to get more clients, and consider making your own specialty crafts using your dried flowers. Offer personalized services for people (e.g., spelling out someone's name in flowers). Expanding your business to preservation can also be a good way to maintain your profits if you start with dried flowers only. Market yourself heavily especially around formal dances (e.g., homecoming, winter formal, and prom), and during wedding season.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC's free Small Business Startup Guide - a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation.

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your dried flower business is sued.

Form Your LLC

Read our Guide to Form Your Own LLC

Have a Professional Service Form your LLC for You

Two such reliable services:

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

Recommended: You will need to elect a registered agent for your LLC. LLC formation packages usually include a free year of registered agent services. You can choose to hire a registered agent or act as your own.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

  • Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
  • Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

  • Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
  • Build your company's credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a dried flower business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.

Services Contract

In business where services are provided on an extended basis, a services contract is often put in place outlining terms and conditions of service.

Dried Flower  businesses should require clients to sign a services agreement before starting a new project.  This agreement should clarify client expectations and minimize risk of legal disputes by setting out payment terms and conditions, and service level expectations. An example of a service contract can be found here.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

FInd out what types of insurance your Dried Flower Business needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Dried Flower Business.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you aren't feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners, we'll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.

Recommended: Get a logo using Truic's free logo Generator no email or sign up required, or use a Premium Logo Maker.

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a dried flower business

The best way to promote your business is to offer the plants that people want to use the most in their crafts. You may want to take full-color photos of your best work to illustrate just how beautiful dried flowers can really be. Market your preservation tactics as the best in the business, and then continue to learn and experiment with the best ways to keep your flowers perfect.

How to keep customers coming back

Hobbyists love websites that teach them how to do what they do better, so you may want to start advertising there if you were hoping to sell directly. Specialty websites like Reddit are also a good spot to establish yourself for free, though you have to be careful about your reputation there. The retention will stem from offering quality goods that can be used in a variety of circumstances. When it comes to craft stores, show your enthusiasm for the art of drying flowers. Take samples, and grow plants that the different stores aren’t currently offering to distinguish yourself from others in your industry. The more research you do into the particular companies, the more likely it is you’ll make a business partner.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

  • All legitimate businesses have websites - full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
  • Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
  • Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.

Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2023 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it's fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

This business is excellent for someone who loves to spend time in their garden, and who understands how plants react to a variety of different circumstances. You don’t need to have formal education in botany, but you should be willing to experiment with different types of techniques and plants.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at a dried flower business?

This business is normally started as a part-time enterprise (at least at first). Here are some activities that may be included in the normal day of a dried flower business owner:

  • Finding craft shows/stores to partner with
  • Marketing services online and in-person to hobbyists.
  • Growing and maintaining a garden
  • Drying out plants
  • Freeze drying plants
  • Choosing new crops for your business
  • Harvesting flowers at the proper time

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful dried flower business?

The first thing you’ll need is in-depth knowledge of how flower drying works. From oven to glycerin drying, there are a variety of ways to reach your goal. Those who need dried flowers for centerpieces may want a different look/feel than those who will use them for their homemade sandals. New business owners will also need people skills to find either direct clients in their area, or to make relationships with larger retail craft stores.

What is the growth potential for a dried flower business?

Normally this business is done as a side venture to a person’s full-time job, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Flower drying can grow exponentially if you establish yourself in a community as the go-to for decorative plants or sentimental keepsakes.

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Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

  • Funding
  • Events
  • Guides
  • Support

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

What are some insider tips for jump starting a dried flower business?

All flower drying businesses should develop service contracts with the stores they supply. These contracts may be boilerplate, but they need to include provisions for payment failures, legal disputes, and ordering hiccups.

How and when to build a team

Normally you won’t need to build a team at the beginning. However, if you do start to find that your demand heavily outweighs the supply, you can hire other gardeners and teach them how to do what you do.

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