Small orchid greenhouse selling wholesale and retail

Florists, garden centers, grocery stores, event planners and retail customers who visit or order from you.

Wholesale price per plant in volume to businesses, plus higher retail prices to direct customers. Some growers add repotting, plant care advice or rental plants for events.

• Greenhouse climate and pest management
• Planning production so plants bloom when you need them
• Building relationships with business buyers

• Check your state's nursery license and plant inspection requirements with the department of agriculture
• Check county zoning and building permits for greenhouses, including agricultural use rules
• Heating, cooling and electricity costs can be high, so price these in carefully
• Plant disease or a heating failure can wipe out a crop, so look into crop and property insurance
• Check sales tax and resale certificate rules in your state
• Get general liability insurance and workers' compensation once you hire help

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $20,000 to $80,000, depending on whether you rent or own the land, the size of the greenhouse and your heating and cooling setup. Treat this as a planning estimate, not a quote.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on how many plants you grow, your mix of wholesale and retail buyers and how well you time blooms. Heating and electricity costs come out of that revenue.

Check your state's nursery license and plant inspection requirements with the department of agriculture. Also check county zoning and building permits for greenhouses, sales tax and resale certificate rules, and look into liability and crop or property insurance.