6 Ways to Cover Your Fall Bulb Bills
When I first really dove into flower farming— and let me tell you— it was a very quick, deep dive— I was determined to be able to order and grow full crates of bulbs purchased at the lower wholesale costs. I’d seen what they looked like at flower farming workshop out west and I knew a nice wide trench of tulips was in my future!
I’d heard of a few industry suppliers and after opening account with them, I placed an order with one company for bulbs in a quantity that felt manageable. For me, field growing about 3,000 tulips (6 crates) at a cost of about $1000 was manageable.
The 6 varieties would bloom at slightly different times, and likely provide me with some flowers for Mother’s Day sales.
I saw so many future uses for those spring flowers. If they didn’t go into Mother’s Day sales I could sell them retail here from my farm. I could take them to the farmers’ markets. I could set up a subscription membership. I could use them in event work. To me, they were a no brainer.
One thing I was resolved to do, though - was to pay for the bulbs upfront by selling some of them, rather than growing them all out. In this way, there was a sort of very simple financial sustainability built into my business plan. One crop pays for itself to get started (cost of goods in the fall) and pays again in the spring as a finished product in a different form.
Friends and family were in the know about my new business, people in our community had learned during my first season that I was working on growing my flower farm, and a small following on Instagram had developed. I’m sure many new growers are finding themselves in a similar position now.
Retail bulb sales (online):
So I set up a retail bulb sale. I offered the bulbs with flat rate shipping on my website and made sure not to mention any specific varieties until I had them in hand or had my shipping manifesto. THIS is really important. A list of wholesale bulbs ordered in the spring is really just a wish list. Bulbs are not harvested from bulb farms until the summer, so bulb companies can’t promise certain varieties and quantities up front.
Recommendations for preparing for retail bulb sales online:
Hype up your bulb sale. Make sure your email list knows it’s coming and make sure your social followers are hearing about it, too. The big box stores are going to start selling bulbs before your bulbs come in. So, it’s important that the people who would by from you are keeping your sale top of mind.
Provide a “preview” of the varieties you intend to list. This is a nice way to share what is going to be available and help people get interested in your products without collecting money on specific types.
Alternatively, instead of selling specific varieties, offer a few mixes of different colors. This way, you don’t have to commit to named varieties and you can start selling your bulbs earlier.
Look around and develop pricing for your product. What are similar bulb packages being sold for by other farmers?
Prepare your website listings ahead of time and simply “hide” or mark the items “coming soon” until you’re feel very certain those specific types are coming.
Buy a package of retail bulbs and use them to figure out and practice your own shipping methods.
Collect supplies for packaging and labeling ahead of time, but don’t get too ambitious and spend a lot of money on packaging! It’s easy to “count your eggs before they hatch.”
local sales outlets:
If you prefer not to offer bulbs through a website with shipping, you might consider using bulbs sales to extend a type of service or sales outlet you already offer. For example:
Extend a flower stand or farmer’s market season by offering bulbs to customers when your sell-able flowers start to get light in the fall.
Build a fall subscription plan that includes fresh flowers for as long as they are available, and then dried flower bunches, fall bulbs, pumpkins or gourds, etc.
Try a bulb “pop up” sale at a local coffee shop. (I’ve never been asked to pay to set up a display like this at a local business. The traffic we bring with our sale is of benefit to the shop. And their location and customers are a benefit to us. (As always, be sure to spread the word about your pop-up sale so that you have a profitable experience!)
Wholesale Bulb Sales:
Another option, though less profitable, is to sell some bulbs to a wholesale buyer. For example, if you are already working with a local vendor like a supermarket or boutique for flower sales, you might consider offering some bulb collections to them. Bulbs can be packaged in burlap bags or small boxes. Play close attention to your costs if you choose this kind of sale. It may only make sense to offer bulbs this way if you are willing and able to sell more of them at those lower wholesale prices.
Pre-Sell Cut Flowers:
Another option is to actually sell your flowers now through a spring flower subscription pre-sale. I see some people offering this kind of sale now. I find it difficult to sell retail products much more than a month or so before I can actually provide them, though. You may find that, despite your best efforts, it’s just too hard to convince people to “buy into” spring flowers now in September and October.
My recommendation, however, is to try and reach your customer base twice! If you are running a new/young small business with a limited, but interested and loyal customer base - your audience might be interested in purchasing BOTH some bulbs for their home garden NOW and some of the cut tulips you grow out later in the spring. So, I’d try the ideas on the “local sales outlets” list first!
Have a question? Let me know in the comments below! I’m happy to help you.