Small commercial orchid greenhouse

Florists, garden centres, grocery and gift retailers, event and décor companies, and retail customers through an on-site shop or online.

Wholesale price per plant in batches, plus higher retail prices for direct sales. Repeat orders from a few reliable buyers give steady income.

• Greenhouse growing and pest control
• Production planning
• Pricing and dealing with trade buyers

• Heating costs in winter can be very high, so check utility rates before committing to a site
• Check zoning, building permits and any farm status rules with your municipality and province
• All orchids are covered by CITES, and plant imports may need CFIA permits or phytosanitary documents, so check before buying from abroad
• Disease or a heating failure can wipe out a batch, so consider crop and property insurance
• Check commercial general liability insurance and WCB/WSIB rules once you hire help
• Register for GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold

Estimates are typically around $20,000 to $100,000 to start, depending on whether you rent or own the site and how much equipment you need. Winter heating can be very high, so check utility rates before committing to a site.

Estimated monthly revenue is typically around $2,500 to $12,000, depending on batch size, who you sell to and your production schedule. Estimates assume at least about 25 hours a week. A disease outbreak or heating failure could wipe out a batch.

Things to check: zoning, building permits and any farm status rules with your municipality and province; CITES and CFIA permits or phytosanitary documents before importing plants; commercial liability and crop or property insurance; WCB/WSIB rules when hiring; and GST/HST registration.