As a result of urban growth, and more people moving to the city where their yards are small (frequently only a balcony), the bonsai tree business has boomed. There is a great appeal in owning tiny bonsai trees, which might be only 18″ high instead of 60′ high. Business owners can be very successful since both local sales and Internet sales are becoming extremely popular.
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Ready to turn your business idea into a reality? We recommend forming an LLC as it is the most affordable way to protect your personal assets. You can do this yourself or with our trusted partner for a small fee.
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DIY: How to Start an LLC
Start a bonsai tree business by following these 10 steps:
- Plan your Bonsai Tree Business
- Form your Bonsai Tree Business into a Legal Entity
- Register your Bonsai Tree Business for Taxes
- Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
- Set up Accounting for your Bonsai Tree Business
- Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Bonsai Tree Business
- Get Bonsai Tree Business Insurance
- Define your Bonsai Tree Business Brand
- Create your Bonsai Tree Business Website
- Set up your Business Phone System
We have put together this simple guide to starting your bonsai tree business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.
Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.
STEP 1: Plan your business
A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:
- What will you name your business?
- What are the startup and ongoing costs?
- Who is your target market?
- How much can you charge customers?
Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.
What will you name your business?
Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Bonsai Tree Business Name Generator
If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.
When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:
- Your state’s business records
- Federal and state trademark records
- Social media platforms
- Web domain availability
It’s very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.
What are the costs involved in opening a bonsai tree business?
Bonsai amateurs should consider purchasing training DVDs or books, as well as getting some training advice from an expert. A bonsai tree business can be started with a small piece of land or an indoor location for growing the trees. You’ll need an initial purchase of seeds or cuttings, pots or homemade benches, etc. You’ll need money for tools as well, like aluminum or copper wires for wiring, concave scissors for pruning, and growth hormone chemicals and stimulators. You’ll also need a computer, WiFi, etc. An initial expenditure of $2,000 – $4,000 for a nursery of 200 trees is suggested. If all 200 trees become bonsai trees in 3-5 years, you can sell trees at approximately $75, and earn a profit of approximately $15,000.
What are the ongoing expenses for a bonsai tree business?
The continued costs of repurchasing seeds, soil, pots, and other equipment should be about 30% of your average sales. Expenses for your business include location, costs of maintaining a storefront – let’s estimate $2000 for renting 1900 square feet monthly. Other significant costs will be salaries for yourself and employees, and online costs for maintaining a website.
Who is the target market?
Corporate customers are great buyers of bonsai trees, which greatly enhances their customer relations. Hobbyists, home gardeners, and people searching for gifts are also great customers to target. Clients who don’t expect to put any effort into maintaining bonsai trees are less preferred, as these plants do require some amount of regular care.
How does a bonsai tree business make money?
A bonsai tree business makes money by purchasing bonsai seeds, plugs, pots and growing supplies from wholesale nurseries, growing them, and then selling them at a significant profit locally or online.
How much can you charge customers?
Prices of bonsai trees differ according to their age, beauty, and species. One-year-old trees can be sold for $15-20. Three to five-year-old trees can cost $200 and up, depending on how much work has been put into them. There is a good markup on pots as well. The average price of a 3 year old bonsai tree is $75.
How much profit can a bonsai tree business make?
Bonsai tree prices are high right now, both for untrained ‘starter’ trees or mature trained trees. A bare-root seedling can be bought for as little as 50 cents. Once it’s potted and trained, it can be resold for about $60. Mature plants – 5+ years – can fetch hundreds of dollars. Good profits are also garnered from reselling pots.
How can you make your business more profitable?
Be constantly aware of waste. If an employee is not working out, you’ll have to move them along. If you see no increase in business after advertising for 6 months with a local paper, cut the account and move on to another strategy. A great way to supplement your income is to offer classes. There is a demand for beginner, novice, intermediate, and advanced classes. A possible sideline business might be offering other Japanese-themed items for sale.
Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC’s free Small Business Startup Guide – a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!
STEP 2: Form a legal entity
One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your bonsai tree business is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they’re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.
This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business’s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business’s liabilities.
In practice, this means that if your bonsai tree business were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.
More than 84% of our readers opt to collaborate with a professional LLC formation service to kickstart their venture. We’ve negotiated a tailored discount for our readers, bringing the total down to just $29.
Note: If you’re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).
STEP 3: Register for taxes
You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.
In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It’s really easy and free!
You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?
There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.
STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card
Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.
When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.
Open a business bank account
Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:
- Separates your personal assets from your company’s assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
- Makes accounting and tax filing easier.
Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.
Get a business credit card
Getting a business credit card helps you:
- Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business’ expenses all in one place.
- Build your company’s credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.
Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.
STEP 5: Set up business accounting
Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.
Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.
STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses
Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.
State & Local Business Licensing Requirements
Certain state business permits or licenses may be needed to run a bonsai tree business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.
Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.
Certificate of Occupancy
A bonsai tree business may be run out of a storefront. Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO). A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.
- If you plan to lease a storefront for your bonsai tree business:
- It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
- Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a bonsai retail business.
- After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening, it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued.
- If you plan to purchase or build a storefront:
- You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
- Review all building codes and zoning requirements for your business’ location to ensure your business will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.
STEP 7: Get business insurance
Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.
There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.
Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.
Find out what types of insurance your Bonsai Tree Business needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Bonsai Tree Business.
STEP 8: Define your brand
Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.
If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.
How to promote & market a bonsai tree business
Advertising is key, of course, as well as a good marketing strategy. In your community, especially if your shop is in an urban area, organize an exhibition or a contest, and promote it heavily. Have business cards or leaflets ready when you do local events, like attending a home living expo, gardening exposition, or providing rental bonsai trees for marriage ceremonies, etc. Posters and mailings are always helpful. Online stores are essential. Post frequently, and offer contests, sales items, etc.
How to keep customers coming back
Bonsai trees are becoming increasingly popular as holiday gifts. Hold a contest where customers must fill in their names, addresses, birthdays, email address, etc. Then contact that person via email a few weeks before their special day. Offer a coupon good only for the week preceding their birthday. Maintain an attractive and regularly changing storefront display. Offer regular coupons or promotions on your website on a bi-weekly basis. Create a blog and regularly fill it with blog posts, both from you and from customers. Never underestimate the power of the spoken word. Take any opportunity to talk on a local radio show, appear on TV (local television as well), or be interviewed by an online blogger, and make sure that your video appears everywhere. Make YouTube videos. Approach corporate clients. Corporations frequently gift potential clients, and what would be better than to receive a bonsai tree as a gift?
STEP 9: Create your business website
After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.
While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.
Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:
- All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
- Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
- Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.
Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.
Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.
STEP 10: Set up your business phone system
Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.
There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2024 to find the best phone service for your small business.
Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com
Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it’s fair pricing.
Is this Business Right For You?
This is a wonderful business for gardeners, tree aficionados, stay-at-home workers, and lovers of miniature objects. Business owners can start off selling starter plants to earn a living while they grow two to five-year-old trained bonsai trees for a larger income. It’s a great opportunity for someone who doesn’t have a lot of space to work with. This is also a great opportunity for someone to combine their growing skills with their Internet sales skills.
Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?
Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!
What happens during a typical day at a bonsai tree business?
A bonsai tree business involves growing and training bonsai trees. Trees can be either grown from seeds, or from plugs from a wholesale nursery. Most bonsai tree growers open up a local shop, which requires maintenance, as well as opening up a storefront on eBay, where they can either auction off their trees or sell them at fixed rates. Bonsai tree accessories, especially pots, must also be purchased, cleaned, etc. in preparation for selling.
What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful bonsai tree business?
A good bonsai grower will educate themselves on the different bonsai tree species, and know which trees are easier to grow, and what tree species are the best for a given environment (which trees should be grown indoors, or which trees can survive outside, and in what part of the country, etc.) A good grower should have some kind of background in growing plants, have a bit of patience, and also have an artistic streak, which will come in handy with shaping and styling your trees.
A bonsai grower and seller should educate themselves about pruning, wiring, watering, repotting, fertilizer, care, and maintenance of trees. He or she will know their way around long-handled twig shears and concave cutters.
What is the growth potential for a bonsai tree business?
Unlike products that have an expiration date, bonsai trees get increasingly more valuable each year. An investment of a few hundred dollars can turn into a lucrative business in the space of a few years. Bonsai are considered “high-value” trees that increase in popularity each year, especially with urban customers who lack the space to grow full sized trees.
Take the Next Step
Find a business mentor
One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.
Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.
Learn from other business owners
Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.
Resources to Help Women in Business
There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:
- Funding
- Events
- Guides
- Support
If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.
What are some insider tips for jump starting a bonsai tree business?
Large wholesalers (Walmart, Home Depot, etc.) are the largest buyers of bonsai plants since they run out of stock quickly, and aren’t able to produce them fast enough to meet demand. Another huge market for Bonsais are auction websites (eBay, etc.) and online portals. Don’t be shy about posting ads for your product with a few good photos included.
How and when to build a team
As your business grows, you may need salespeople for your local storefront. No woman or man is an island, and there will be days when you won’t feel up to opening your shop. A delivery person might be another team member. Online sales help can also be part of your team. Hire an employee to manage your blog posts, website, and online sales.