Today, I am sitting in a small spare bedroom converted into an office. I have an actual desk, workspace for blending teas and herbs, and shelves for inventory storage. I am still a micro business. I still spend more on materials than I make in profits some months. But, when I started, I had an Etsy shop that landed maybe 3 sales a month. I had a couple of totes and a corner shelf for storage. No desk, no work space.
I now have a hobby greenhouse and two different nursery licenses to grow and sell plants. I’ve added a farm stand thanks to my supportive partner, and a small section at a local store. What a very long road it has been. I still have fewer than 500 followers on socials, and I hope that in the coming year, I will get to step into the ranks of “real” businesses.
People are actually starting to read this blog now, my items are selling, and I am having to keep more inventory on hand. Growing organically is very slow. No business loans, no huge investments upfront, just slow, steady growth as my business can afford new items. It took me months to have enough capital to buy my hobby greenhouse with a price tag of under $500. It took having a supportive partner and months more to afford the materials to make shelves for that greenhouse.
There were many times I doubted myself, and there are still many times where I wish I had the money to go faster. You have to spend money to make money as the saying goes, and the amount I can reinvest is so small right now. I think I can do it though, and this last year has reassured me. You all have reassured me. So, as the new year begins, I want to say thank you to all of my readers and my customers.
I am so grateful for all of the support I have received from you and others like you along the way, and I for one, am looking forward to the new year.
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