home grown nursery

HOW TO Start a legitimate home nursery business

chickens!

Rained out from work today, so spent it researching potential business ideas. Here's one: a home nursery business selling organically-grown herb and vegetable starts at the local Japantown Farmers Market (specializing in rare heirloom and ethnic varieties). After a lot of web browsing and calling random government offices...

Assumptions: The business will be structured as a sole proprietorship (single owner) and operated out of the Downtown San Jose home, categorized as 'home occupation' as authorized by the Department of Planning, Building & Code Enforcement.

Necessary Legal Steps

1. File for a fictitious business name with the Santa Clara County Clerk by filling out a Fictitious Business Name Statement. $37.75

2. Procure a seller's permit by filling out an Application for Seller's Permit or visiting a CA State Board of Equalization field office. small fee

3. Procure a business license. Fill out the registration form, send it in through mail or hand-deliver to City Hall, and pay a fee (or fill out a Hardship Exemption Request and waive most of the fee as a low-incomer). $150 or $45

4. Procure a license to sell nursery stock from the California Department of Food & Agriculture. Their website links don't work :( so you have to call them. $150

5. Obtain a Producer's Certificate from the Santa Clara County Division of Agriculture. Call them and schedule an inspection. Prepare a list of all products/plants that will be sold and get your operation ready for inspection. $65/hour of inspection

6. Obtain Home Business Insurance to cover liability and loss. Call an insurance dealer. more money

7. Contact the Farmers' Market and make sure they even want you. Then fill out an application to sell and provide evidence of both Producer's Certificate and Business Insurance. Pay booth fees. $26/stall

Other steps:

Prepare a full-on business plan.

Seek consulting and feedback.

Seek funding to cover start-up costs.

Implement the business plan into action.

Record everything.

Pay taxes.

Smile?

Resources: businessownerspace.com (BOS) for Santa Clara County and Silicon Valley SCORE.