How to Sell Oregano
Spicy oregano is the go-to herb for many cuisines including Italian, Spanish and Mexican. The plant grows to 18 inches high, and spreads to 2 feet across. Turn your green thumb into greenbacks in your bank account by selling oregano. Decide on whether it will be dried oregano sold by itself, or in combination with other herbs in spice mixes. Another alternative is to sell fresh cut oregano; a third is to sell the growing plant.
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Instructions
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Research your market and competition. Determine who will be buying your oregano. Scout out gourmet grocery stores for both dried and fresh cut oregano. Find out who stocks their herb section. Health stores may be interested in dried oregano, as it theoretically has some health benefits. Restaurants are a market for fresh oregano.
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Obtain the required licenses. A state business license is required. Your city may require one as well. If you're selling to the end user, rather than a retailer like a health store or restaurant, a sales privilege license is necessary. Fresh cut oregano is a food. Check with your state, county and city to find out what regulations are in place for food products.
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Set up suppliers. Depending on how you sell the oregano, you'll need food-quality packaging for dried oregano, waterproof packages for cut oregano, and pots and soil if you're selling growing oregano plants. Think about how you'll transport the oregano to your customers. Oregano plants are heavier, and take up more space than cut oregano.
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Install an accounting system to keep track of oregano sales, expenses and your customer list with names and addresses. The system could be one you develop using the spreadsheet and database software you already have or a purchased system that has more bells and whistles.
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Open a business bank account. Keep your personal expenses and your business expenses separate. When selling at farmer's market, for example, it's tempting to mesh the money from your sales into the cash in your wallet. That's not a good idea, because it becomes more difficult to accurately compute your profit. You will have to claim the full amount of your profits on your income taxes.
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Market your oregano. Call on restaurants, gourmet grocers and health stores. Leave a business card and brochure differentiating your oregano from that of other producers. You might tout the freshness of yours, or the fact that it's organically grown. If you're marketing dried oregano or spice mixes to consumers at craft shows or farmer's markets, add value to your product with a few recipes that use oregano as a handout. Add to your product line with oregano essential oil or scented soaps.
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Tips & Warnings
Consider selling other herbs with the oregano that might be used in the same dish, such as marjoram, chives, cilantro and different varieties of oregano, such as Greek.
Be careful offering oregano as an herbal remedy or overstating its benefits unless you have documented medical trials to back up what you say.
