Wholesale or retail tulips - Which is more profitable?

[@vivherman2296]

Love those bouqs! I like the way that you are always trying to have a little less labor and a good profit. Getting older...I'm also trying to find easier/smarter ways to work,make a profit and still do what I love. Trying just a few hundred tulips...first time for those. But, I didn't know about the hydroponic ones. Very cool! And easier maybe than growing out in my market patch!

[@bareflowerfarm]

Thank you!! I love how these turned out too. Hydroponics is sooo much easier than growing outside, but alas, it would require alot of supplemental cooling to force into April which is why I have field planted tulips too :)

[@janetgordon2484]

Thank you for explaining how flower farming is actually a business. Yes, we love flowers, but there is a process behind the beauty.

[@bareflowerfarm]

Yesss! Once we start selling, we become a business!

[@EvelynM-vlogs]

Excellent number crunching. I'll bet you are loving doing it too. It really is fun to realize that the intuition of profit is correct. It also makes the whole growing/selling process more fun and satisfying when the data lets you confidently know that the process is profitable.

[@bareflowerfarm]

Thank you! I'll say that it's fun when the numbers show you're right but for me, the bigger ah-ha this time was just how much "variety" adds on in the way of cost. 30 cents for throwing in an extra color?! There is certainly a pride element of presenting special, beautiful bouquets but it hammers home that I'm at the wrong price point retail to do that!

[@EvelynM-vlogs]

@@bareflowerfarm Yes, undoing two bunches to create new multi coloured bunches does take more labour, but most profitable verses least profitable is still profit. Sometimes less profitable can create more sales with an overall greater profit in total. In the end, its the final numbers not an individual number that matters the most. Of course it all depends on how it balances out with overhead costs etc.

[@bareflowerfarm]

@@EvelynM-vlogsvery fair points on the bigger picture!

[@genevievefairchild1516]

I grew white valley last year, she’s amazing😍

[@bareflowerfarm]

Yes she is!!

[@clairegill7891]

Wow so much easier than growing them in the ground! 😍I hate washing muddy Tulips! It’s back breaking, you get really cold and it’s very time consuming 😩wish I could give it a go but I can’t find the trays u grow in here in the UK😟

[@bareflowerfarm]

yes! you totally get it. anyone who has grown tulips in the field in heavy clay knows how labor intensive it is! im still shocked that nobody has trays in europe, especially since the trays COME from Europe lol!!

[@GrettaVanMaanen-pj8ql]

I love the breakdown! Thank you.😊

[@margielliott6389]

So interesting and informative. Love the way you explained the process and the comparison. Thank you!

[@bareflowerfarm]

Glad it was helpful!

[@r.m.podlewski1887]

I really like your breakdown of things. I grow bedding plants for sale(in spring/summer)at a Farmer’s Market in Moose Lake, MN. I’m going to start being more mindful of cost breakdowns for pricing my products.

[@bareflowerfarm]

Yay!! I’m glad to hear this. It will definitely help you feel better informed on setting pricing or not selling certain things completely!

[@janetmiller22]

Very helpful, Jessie. Do you include delivery in your CSA charge? How about ala cart bunches?

[@bareflowerfarm]

I do add on a delivery fee! It's $7 per bouquet each time and built into the fee. I no longer deliver a la carte bunches but when I did, it was $5 each and I made sure I had a few to deliver within a single town to make it worth it. The $7 per bouquet now pays for the driver to delivery my CSA. I found that it's adequate to cover time and mileage!

[@emilygalyen7079]

How did you get the connections with the high end florists in your area? Was it just by signing up for rooted farmers or did you go to them? Thanks so much- your videos are so helpful!

[@mjsenesac]

Great question!

[@bareflowerfarm]

So I actually signed up for Rooted last January. It brought me alot of connections but ZERO sales. Then, I joined selling at my current cooperative, which uses Rooted as a platform to manage inventory and transactions. Because the co-op requires florists to use Rooted, they are familiar with the platform. The people who buy from me on Rooted in the off season are those who used Rooted before via the co-op. I find that new florists who happen to be on Rooted but never used it are unlikely to really be a source of sales. I would say that in general, the connection with high end florists really came through the co-op for me. There is definitely social proof at play though. Jordon and I actually touched upon this in our Live discussion today (deep dive to selling to florists)- when you get a high end designer using your flowers and tagging you, their colleagues in the same space also take notice. I feel like once you successfully sell to 1-2, more will naturally start following you! Remember, many of these designers will also freelance for each other's events so it's a small world!

[@netamel]

Your videos are so informative and to the point! I’m considering starting selling flowers this year, to justify my crazy plants spending 😊 Where do you get the paper sleeves from, if you don’t mind sharing?

[@bareflowerfarm]

You totally should! It will be a challenge but also fun! Sleeves are from A-roo and Happy Day Paper. A-roo has decent priced sleeves but its the shipping that kills you unless if you buy a ton!

[@hungariancottageadventure77]

great video as always, I wondered if you factored in the utility cost, electricity etc?

[@bareflowerfarm]

Great question. In these costs I did not because of how utility costs generally are a fixed cost. We have well water so technically don't pay a water bill. While the lights do cost money, the more significant cost is the fridge. However, we use the freezer for personal use so the fridge would be on anyway. It starts getting complicated, but I've decided to hone in on costs very specific to the crop itself to inform me whether I should grow it again or if it can be scaled. Another cost that should have been factored in here are transaction fees that I forgot about! For example, the person who bought 12 bunches was through Rooted, which takes a 7.9% transaction fee versus the person who bought 2.5 bunches and paid in cash. Some other orders are through my website which is a 3% transaction fee. However, it still doesn't change that wholesale is still more profitable :)

[@hungariancottageadventure77]

@@bareflowerfarm thank you for the thorough reply, I really appreciate your clear methodical explanation.

[@summerskyegardens]

From the time you plant the bulb to the time you harvest, how long is it taking to grow? Faster than the field or no?

[@bareflowerfarm]

Definitely faster than field. Every variety is different. Usually 4-6 weeks though!

[@liveingreaterbatonrougeish]

Could you share a link to your grow lights? Or the brand. Tia

[@bareflowerfarm]

The truth is, I buy the cheapest shop lights I can find! Unless if you're growing something that is producing fruit, vegetative growth doesn't need anything fancy! www.amazon.com/hykolity-Linkable-Utility-Equivalent-Daylight/dp/B07YLQRJSQ

[@chuffman24]

I am assuming it's factored into your "grow" cost, but what is your average bulb cost?

[@bareflowerfarm]

On average, my bulb costs are 35-51 cents (purchasing wholesale)

[@chuffman24]

@bareflowerfarm wow, that's great!

[@donnabauerofbrilliancebyde1178]

Please look at us rather than your camera.💜 I forget, where do you purchase your bulbs?

[@bareflowerfarm]

Appreciate the feedback. My bulbs came from Little Farmhouse Flowers!

[@lindatweedie5700]

Really too much time wasted in this video watching you make bouquets. Can’t justify the time.

[@bareflowerfarm]

Thank you for the feedback. The bouquet making is important in this video as it emphasizes the time required for retail bouquets. It is actually the most rewatched portion of this video for the majority of viewers.