Start a Business for Under 10k: Gardening

To be honest, it’s easy to avail of a business loan in the Philippines that does not even require collateral. There are some companies that might even let you submit your application online. What isn’t easy is thinking up of a business and getting started on running it properly. For this article, we take a dive into one business idea you can start: gardening.

Capital

In gardening, 10k is already a big budget to begin with. It can afford you a big variety of low to mid-cost plants. If you are completely a beginner at gardening and have zero experience, we advise to invest some of the capital into research and attending seminars; otherwise start with a curated selection of plants like succulents and cactus (these are very resilient and low maintenance), and herbs and flowering plants.

Market

Your market can be entirely up to you because no demographic is alienated by your product; everyone at some point can have a plant that they take care of. You can however distinguish how to package your items like specifically selling them as gift ideas or indoor desk companions. You can even target other who are interested in a business loan in the Philippines without collateral, and tell them to get you as their supplier!

POS

If don’t have the space for a shop and have very resilient plants, you can start by selling them online, making social media your selling floor and having meetups as your point of sales especially if you are selling small amounts at a time. if you time your business right, you can also use a portion of your business loan to rent an exhibition space at local conventions like at the Singkaban festival in Malolos.

Expansion

Even if it does not have collateral, first focus on settling your business loan as part of your expansion plan. Acquiring debt in the Philippines can be stressful if not dealt with properly. Next, save up money for a commercial space if  you don’t already have one as well as for transportation, the latter being more important. You can also learn to cultivate your own plants so that you will only need to buy a mother plant in the future and then grow the rest.

And with those easy points, you can now start a gardening business. Have you tried gardening before? What other tips can you share for interested business owners?