Business Planning for Flower Farms: What’s your motivation?

Photo by Katheryn Moran Photography

Who are you? I mean, who *are* you? What makes you get up and go? What puts a fire in your belly? What truly, deeply motivates you to action?
Your heart is the beginning and ending of all you imagine. It matters WHY you’re doing what you do. It matters who you are! When we started farming, my goal was to bring in extra income. It was basically a side hustle that use the resources I either had readily available (water, soil, and space), could get for free (hello library books + Google!), or cost very little (seeds in small quantities are pretty cheap). We were on a tight budget, barely making it each month, and I was very motivated. And whether you’re similarly motivated financially, or if you’re motivated by the sheer beauty of flowers, or the epic struggle of coaxing the earth to cooperate with you as you grow at scale, your passion and motivation are the heart behind what you do. As you flush out your specific goals-not vague/broad ones (“learn to grow flowers”) but very specific ones (“succession plant sunflowers for every week of my growing season” or “successfully plant, grow, and journal about these 8 kinds of flowering annuals”) – spend some time thinking about the WHY behind your WHAT. 
How will that WHY carry you through when the going gets tough? When you’re ready to quit because of bone-deep exhaustion and pests and weather and rejection combined, will the heart-source of WHY you started running towards your goals buoy you up?
Tomorrow I’m starting on the specifics of how I put my plan on paper and practically work it out, but these first two steps are in essential foundation to the rest. 
Before you move on, please take plenty of time to really assess. A growth mindset combined with a solid heart-motivation means that you’ll tackle problems with positivity and a willingness to try again. It means that you’ll give yourself room and acknowledge that even if you haven’t figured it out “yet,“ you’ll keep working until you do! It is 100% the foundational key to a successful business plan and growing season.

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