Starting a Business in Plant Rentals
There will be several licenses required to operate your business. Check with the county courthouse as to what licenses you’ll need for rent, selling and growing plants, as well as a wholesale license to save on purchases for your business.
The main things you have to know when you rent plants to others are which plants do well indoors, which ones will have blooms that fall off and which ones don’t, what plants acclimate quicker than others and which plants might be dangerous for children or pets. Plants that don’t acclimate quickly, or adjust to their new surroundings, can be problematic because they will often turn yellow and no one is going to pay you for yellow plants. Ones that develop a bloom then shed the petals aren’t appropriate for restaurant and other business settings. Plants that are poisonous if eaten are not ideal for home rentals where children or pets may live or visit.
It’s not really necessary to have a greenhouse at home but it would help. Having a large, sunny room where you can grow plants will be just as sufficient. As a matter of fact, plants that have gotten accustomed to your home will probably do well in others’ homes. For plants that will be taken to restaurants and other businesses that feature air conditioning, it’s important to have the plants spend at least two weeks in air conditioning before transporting them to their new environment.
To save money grow your own plants. To furnish a large restaurant with plants in the future, for instance, you can purchase one plant and use trimmings from it to grow many more. But to go out and purchase all the plants needed to furnish the restaurant would cost quite a lot of money and your profit would be little. Make sure you have a variety of plants: some that hang up in the air with vines that drape over the pot, some that are more like trees which will enhance an empty corner, and some that are small for setting on tables.
It’s imperative that you know the name of each and every plant you use in your business. And, be able to tell someone how to tend to that plant, or answer other questions a client might ask pertaining to a particular plant. The more knowledgeable you seem the more likely you are to get customers and keep them.
There are two main reasons that people and businesses rent plants. One is that they’ve tried to grow plants in the past with little luck, and the other is that hey want the beauty and health benefits of having plants. A restaurant with beautiful plants inside is a much more appealing choice for eateries than one that looks bare. A business that has plants showing through the front window is much more inviting to its patrons.
Studies show that when people are shown pictures of cheap items with lots of plants surrounding them or expensive items with no plants nearby, the people will almost always point to the cheap item as being the most expensive. That’s because plants remind people of home, the great outdoors, breathing well, peace, tranquility and love.
When renting plants it’s important to have a bit of decorator’s flair. Knowing what plants will look good where and knowing which plant hangers and baskets fit in best with the overall decorative theme is a talent that some don’t have. Knowing all about plants is only one step to having a plant rental business. If you don’t quite have that flair it’s a good idea to give the color/pattern choice options to the customer. Make a book showing what baskets, hangers and hardware you offer and let them make the choices.
It’s also a good idea to have books displaying what a store can look like before and after the plants. To do this you can offer one local business free service for a couple of months if they let you decorate with plants and take pictures. Chances are they’ll love the new look so much that they’ll continue having the plants at their store.
Besides general advertising of your business, such as ads in phone books, newspapers and such, you can also speak to owners of businesses about putting plants in their stores. Call to see if you can schedule an appointment to show the business owner what you can do for him or her. Meet with the client and show them pictures of a store with and without plants, show some of the plants you have available, and also talk about where you’d put the plants if they were to give you their business.
Some likely businesses to contact would be restaurants and cafes, bowling alleys, doctor and dentist offices, hospitals, clinics, insurance agencies, car sales offices, schools, colleges, churches, and just about any business with a large lobby or salesroom.
When renting plants it’s not enough to just hang and place the plants – you must also take care of them. Weekly watering, removal of yellow or dried leaves, changing out plants that don’t seem to be acclimating, and adding plant food when necessary are all parts of the job needed to keep the plants looking healthy and to keep the customer happy. Choosing plants which need little water will be a major plus when you are hanging lots of plants at one location.
Pay attention to small details. A large business that has just hired you to hang 150 plants will not feel as though they’ve received personalized service if they visit the restaurant next door and see the very same baskets hanging there. Even if you have a limited amount of basket designs, find out if they can be purchased in different colors, or change the look of them by tying a hemp rope around them – anything to make them look a little different.
Watering the plants can be a hassle and very time-consuming. A bowling alley that has 100 plants won’t want you to be there, all day long, scooting around ladders and dragging around buckets. There’s a set-up you can purchase which is a rolling “bucket” with a sprayer. The spraying wand is adjustable to reach plants that are placed high and the bucket with wheels does away with the need for ladders, except occasionally, for plants that aren’t faring well. A “grabbing pole”, which is a stick with a pincer-like grip on one end, is also helpful in reaching yellow leaves and plucking them from the plant, or adjust a plant that is hanging slightly off-balance. Find this equipment and other necessary items by locating a catalog or a shop that sells greenhouse equipment.
Develop a contract that will be signed by yourself and new customers. The contract should state how many plants you will be placing and this should be broken down into the number of plants that will hang. Also state the number of plants that are standing, and any plant boxes, where several plants are grouped together on a ledge or other location. The contract should also state that you will tend to the plants and how often, that you will remove any plants that are turning colors, you will leave no watery mess behind after tending the plants, and so on.
The contract should not only state what you will do but also what responsibilities are the customer’s. For example, if a plant comes up missing from the shop, you should not pay for the replacement. And, there should definitely be a clause stating that the customer will be responsible for any plants that have pieces snipped from them. You’d be surprised at the number of people who don’t consider it a theft to steal large starter pieces from your plants! Sometimes, when plants are cut improperly, the entire plant will die and that shouldn’t be your responsibility.
The contract should state the amount charged per plant, per month, and how long the contract will remain before renewal. State that you can leave a stack of your business cards, somewhere in their shop, for future potential customers. Be sure it also touches on the science of acclimation and sets a certain amount of time to allow the plants to acclimate (one or two weeks). State that if the plant is still looking poorly after that time period, you will replace it immediately. Without this explanation the customer may call you within a few days and cancel the contract, asking you to remove the plants because they look unhealthy.
As your business grows you might need to hire extra help to do the weekly watering and the seasonal plant food treatments. What you’ve learned over many years will suddenly need to be explained, in part, in a few hours. Take pictures of each plant that you use and make a 3X5 card stating how much water that particular plant takes per week, how often to feed it, and other important info for future employees.
Insurance is important in this type of business. Should a plant fall (heaven forbid!), and injure someone, that could spell the end of your business. A pack of fault hanging hooks, which you’ve purchased elsewhere, can ruin you before you ever get started.
Plants are fun, make you feel good, and perk up any business or home. The plant-rental business is a lucrative one without an overabundance of competition. Don’t be in a hurry to start your plant-rental business, though. Take the steps to make sure you’re as knowledgeable and professional as possible before beginning your new career.
