Why do you want to start a microgreens business anyway?
I sent out a short video I made to my email list a couple of weeks ago listing the 8 Key Elements (in my opinion) that you need to learn and implement in your microgreens business for it to be a success. The 8 elements were things like: having a suitable space to grow your greens in, make sure you’re always working towards increasing your week on week sales etc. But straight in at number one was - What’s your WHY and what’s your VISION for your business?
I believe this is equally as important as any of your practical aspects you need to think about and get in place for your business to suceed and I think it’s more important that you’re clear on both of these right from the beginning of your journey - even before you order your first seeds!
Here’s why.
Your WHY
Establishing your reason for embarking on your new business is really important.
I think everyone kind of has an incline about this when they first stumble across the idea of growing microgreens for a living. You might instantly picture yourself working from home, not having a boss, designing your own schedule, growing plants for a living etc. But I honestly think its important to properly sit down and have a clear think about what exactly is it that attracts you to this business. Even better, write it down. If you’re crystal clear on your why, and know how important your why is to you, then you’re much more likely to remain motivated and keep going, even through any challenging times that may arise.
Some examples of real people’s ‘whys’ I’ve come across over the years for starting their own microgreens business from home:
Don’t want to be stuck in an office all day anymore.
Don’t want to commute to work every morning.
Want to earn a living doing something they love doing every day. No more Sunday night blues!
Want to do a practical job, some of which is outside.
Don’t want to feel constantly exhausted.
Want to grow fresh food for their local community.
Want to contribute to a local food system at a grass roots level.
Want more connection to their local community and be a valuable part of it.
Want to be able to take their kids to school and pick them up and be there for them in the evenings.
Want a slower pace of life.
Want to feel healthier.
Want to design their own work schedule.
Want to have the flexibility to work as much or as little as they want.
Want to be able to earn an income despite mental or physical health issues that may prevent work in other types of employment.
I could go on. And it’s likely that your ‘why’ may be more than just one of these. Mine was just about all of them, to differing degrees! (except the kids one).
This is then what you keep in your head every step of the way. And when you think about your why, imagine how your life will be changed for the better when you are actually living it.
THIS is what will help keep you motivated to succeed.
This photo was taken on Friday 12th May 2017. I’d just got home from doing my first ‘proper’ deliveries to Leeds City Centre and Headingley on my bike. I took one pannier bag full of harvested greens (plus a few ice packs) and delivered them to 3 different cafes. I dropped a few samples off at a couple of other places too. I then went for a nice for lunch in the sun and was full of giddy excitement that I’d sold my first ever microgreens to real life people who wanted them!
By the time I got home, there was no doubt in my mind that this was exactly what I wanted to do to earn a living from now on. I wanted to be growing food and taking it to my local community to enjoy. I’d be doing it on my own schedule and I’d be earning a living doing it. This was my why.
Your VISION
So if your why is your reason for setting up this business for yourself, then your vision is what you want your business, and therefore your life, to ideally become.
Having a vision, coupled with your why, will help you to keep your eye on the prize!
It will provide a focus that will enable you to do two things:
It will inform your business plan and strategy. For instance, if your overall vision for your buisness is to turnover a million pounds a year, then all your planning, execution and marketing strategy will be designed to achieve this. From the number of trays you’ll need to grow a week, to the number of employees you’ll need to take on, to the size of space you’ll need to grow in and so on.
It will keep you motivated to keep going. As amazing as running a microgreens farm business is, there will be some trickier times. A global pandemic might hit for instance!! It’s through those more challenging times that keeping your mind firmly on why you’re doing this in the first place; what you’re aiming to achieve and what that will give to you and your family, will keep you motivated to keep going.
6 years into my business and there are still times when I just need to peer outside the bubble of the every day operations. It puts it all into perspective and reminds me why I’m doing it in the first place and how my life already has, and will continue to, change for the better as a result.
My own vision for my microgreens farm was, and still is:
I want to grow amazing tasting food, at home, for my local community. I want to do this whilst working part time hours, being able to design my own schedule to fit around my life and make a healthy salary doing it.
And this is what I work towards every single day running Nell’s Urban Greens.
What I recommend to you - create a crystal clear vision as to what you want your life to look like running your own microgreens farm. Then work towards that every single day.
If you’re just starting out, then try a few different things first to test the water. Start small and find what works for you and what you enjoy doing most, then double down on that. Try growing different crops as trials, then just offer the ones that you can grow well and like growing. Have a wider delivery route at first, then see which areas you’re getting the most sales in, then hone into those. Try supplying different customer streams on a small scale to start with - which do you prefer? Which buy more of your microgreens in your area? Stick with them.
And always remember - your original business plan and strategy, as important as it is, also isn’t set in stone forever! Remember it’s your business and you can do what you like with it. If your current way of working doesn’t feel like it’s progressing you to your ultimate vision for your business, then change it.
Just make sure you try and base the majority of your decisions on your original why and vision. You’ll reach your goal much quicker.
If you want to get started for yourself and learn more about getting your own microgreens business up and running, then have a peek inside my
FREE, 14-page UK Microgreens Mini Business Guide
I’t will also teach you how to grow your first 2 microgreens crops AND how to sell them to your customers!
Download now to get it sent straight to your inbox!
In your guide, you’ll get:
5 great reasons for starting a microgreens business in the UK right now
A basic equipment list
A step-by-step guide to growing and harvesting radish shoots and pea shoots, including UK pricing suggestions and profit margins.
A how-to guide to selling your microgreens to chefs, restaurants and your local community.