For some time now, I have been trying to figure out what avenue I want to travel down with this herbalist thing. With my website and the stores that offer my products, it seems like I am heading towards being a business woman herbalist. But, I know that’s not how I want it. I have been hemming and hawing over whether or not to put my stuff in Earthfare. And at first, I thought it was the money commitment (buying liability insurance and UPC codes would cost $2000 just for this year). But, I think, the more I clarify my desires, the more I realize that I don’t want to be that type of herbalist. I don’t want to be spending more time in my office and on my computer than I do in my garden. I don’t want this business to grow so big that I have to hire other people to play with the plants while I do administrative stuff. I have felt out of touch with the plants and I think that’s why… not enough plant time and too much computer. Right now, a lot of my income (which is really not an income, more like pocket change) comes from the internet sales. But, even that gives me reservations. Though I love to think about my products touching people in California and even France, when I think about the pollution it took to truck/fly my box of goodies out to that person, I feel bad. If every community had and supported their local herbalists, we would all be healthy and well taken care of and no one would need to mass produce and ship their stuff. So, I think I am getting a little clearer about my vision. I like the feeling I get when I think about being a community herbalist. Someone that people can come to when they are ill, or healthy and want to stay that way. I want to talk to people about slowing down their fast paced lives, eating healthy foods and treating each other and the earth with kindness. I want to have a garden full of herbs that I hand harvest and make into medicines myself. I want my relationship with the plants to go deeper than it is now. Be more spiritual. That makes me feel good! I can maybe even see a small herbal apothecary carrying the products of the local herbalists, along with some local herbs. I don’t know…
So, for now, I will hold off on growing this business. If my products are in any stores, they will be local and definitely not chains. I will hold off on printing the T-Shirts. I fill focus on opening up to my neighbors and friends, and listening to the plants.
Hey mama – re: the castor oil, I’ve definitely considered it, but after a lot of research and thought in my case I think the chances of it making things more diff. may be greater then the benefits. Since I’m still throwing up twice a day or so, losing hydration from both ends will likely force me into a dehydrated sit. with an IV and an unhappy baby, so right now, I’m waiting on it….. (Since our HB midwife had to retire, we’re using midwives who only deliver at the local “crunchy” hospital, and if I go in, even really dilated, that dehydrated, they’ll want me on an IV at the very least, and then there’s the worry about how the dehydration will affect the wee one…. So many decisions! 🙂 I’m hoping I don’t have this hyperemesis with #2, but if I do, I’m a pro at throwing up now :(!!! As my doula was reminding me today, I have threee days still at the least- and at this stage of the game, my chances of going into labor nat. are pretty good – I’ve got the backache and I’ve lost all the mucus my cervix ever had to lose at this point 🙂 Hugs!
Now that is a plan! I’ve been plotting and planning my own herb business and could not get around the plastics in packaging. Local was about all I could come up with. For reasons you’ve laid out I agree that community herbalists are the way to go….It ties in with eating, buying, supporting local. I’ve an online friend who makes products and only sells these items in her area of BC.
You and your plants will be much happier ;), I’ll be sure to include the selling local tidbit when I pimp your link
yeah, i definitely want to be LOCAL with my business. i’m focusing on classes and developing a working farm to make a living.
I have never thought about this aspect of having a business before I generally like the idea of worldwide customers and feel its a benefit because it feels like we are bringing the world “closer together”.. but this definatley something to think about..of course now too I don’t feel so bad about not placing another order from you yet despite my kiddo whining about wanting his “special sleeptime stuff” I guess I need to learn to make some myself…or get a really big order ready so you only need to ship it once in a while..hehehe
P.S. I am using your full circle bag as a purse..I have gotten many compliments ..
I think it’s really important to know what you want to do with your business — a lot of people have suggested that I sell my photography to “stock art” dealers who would then resell it to people looking for images for advertising and marketing brochures and such and I just didn’t like the idea of losing control of my images in that way. What if some horrible company wanted to buy one of my most treasured shots to hawk their wares? Ugh! So, like you, I did some thinking and decided to stick with the greeting cards, doing some custom photography through word-of-mouth, and entering some photography contests to try to improve my skills and get the word out there about what I’m doing. I think you have to be true to who you are and why you love to do what you do — if you sell out either of those things (when, of course, you had a choice to do otherwise), I think you’ve missed the point of being self-employed!