Fresh herbs can be a good starting place for your business
You can start or diversify an agricultural business, even if you do not have access to a garden or fields. Agriculture encompasses a wide array of businesses, from growing crops to adding value to a raw product, such as turning strawberries into jam. Depending on your setting, an agricultural business can be started and diversified successfully, even if you only have a small windowsill in an apartment. The larger area you have available, the more options you will have.
Instructions
1. Decide on the optimal crop you can produce from your current location. If you have a large farm or yard, you may want to start with raising chickens or growing organic squash. If all you have is an apartment, you may want to consider growing something like organic herbs for restaurants and farmers' markets. Select a crop you can handle easily in the amount of space available.
Once you have your first established crop, you can consider diversify by adding value. If you are raising herbs, consider purchasing a dehydrator and drying the herbs for later resale. If you are raising organic squash, perhaps organic tomatoes would be your next step. It is up to you as the business owner to study your local market and decide how best to improve upon what you have.
2. Establish yourself as a business. To be taken seriously when you are ready to sell your crops, have your tax and business license available. You can apply for a federal ID number from the IRS. That number can then be used to apply for a state sales tax number. These will be necessary to obtain a business license so that you can open bank accounts. By setting up the legal aspects of the business, you will be creating an image of a reliable supplier.
3. Sell your products. Your crops are grown, you are a genuine agricultural business and now you can harvest and market your product. If your product is not contracted before you harvest, you can take samples to nearby restaurants. You may also want to attend a few different area farmers' markets. There you can talk to other vendors and find out if and where you have competition. You may even find someone who will contract to purchase your entire crop in advance.
4. Prepare for the next phase. If your crop is grown in a garden, review your year and determine if and where you can make improvements. It may be that the organic squash did not do as well as you hoped, so you might consider different crops that are more in demand. If you were growing herbs in your apartment, did you sell more fresh basil than oregano? For subsequent plantings, adjust according to your customers' needs and wants.
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