HERB-401 Lessons

Year Four, Lesson Nine 
Professions and Plants

Introduction
And here we are, back in the greenhouses for the last lesson of your fourth year of Herbology! The next time I see you -- provided I don’t run into you in the Great Hall enjoying some pudding -- you will be Fifth Years, and onto your O.W.L. year of Herbology. For some, I know it will be your last, but we’ll be sure to go out with a bang! That’s enough of the future, though. For now, we’ll focus on… well… more of the future, though a bit further out. 

As I’ve mentioned, this year is all about potential careers that require herbological knowledge. While we’ve only just begun to scratch the surface, it is time to embark on our final journey and our last topic. For our last profession, I’ve chosen an area that is much closer to home, an area that the largest percentage of herbologists participate in at one time or another in their lives. Today, we will be talking about growing plants and providing specimens to other people for a small profit.

Seed, Sow, and Supply
I mentioned back in the first lesson of the year that some herbologists have a catalogue of their plants that they make public (or semi-public) in order to sell to friends, business partners, and others. That, in and of itself, is not a difficult concept requiring much explanation. However, I would like to cover some of the nuances of making this a viable business practice, so that you could successfully live on this income, as well as pursue your own interests in this field, if applicable. 

Grow to Your Strengths
There are quite a few ways to do this. Really, there is no wrong way at all, so long as you are able to support yourself and are enjoying your work. There are a few tips, tricks, shortcuts, and suggestions I can provide, though. I’m going to take you through three different scenarios that others have found to work for them.

Specializing
First of all, many herbologists specialize (at least at first) due to monetary, time, and environmental constraints. For example, if you had a nocturnal greenhouse as extensive as Hogwarts’ you likely wouldn’t have anything left over (in terms of Galleons or energy) to create a state-of-the-art underwater setup for aquatic plants as well, not to mention a tropical area, an arctic area, and all the rest. In addition to the financial sense it makes, most people seem to develop a particular interest in or knack for one or two kinds of plants above all others. For the budding business herbologist, focusing on a specific area means that you can stand out from the competition and gain recognition more quickly. 

Another benefit of this tactic is that many other people operate this way as well (due to its cost-effectiveness). So rather than attempting to compete with the best saltwater plant distributor, the best mediterranean plant grower, the best tropical plant trader, and the most renowned nocturnal plant producer all at the same time, some find it most effective to focus on one area first. There’s nothing to say that you can’t branch out later, but it helps to start small!

Exotics
A second common strategy is to select a few rare or exceedingly difficult plants to grow. These “Galleon greens” are able to be sold at a high profit because of their scarcity, and the money made from them is more than sufficient to live off of. In many cases, part of this money is used to grow other, less profitable plants on the side, whether for pleasure or personal use or additional profit. The thinking is that you will attract regular customers because of the rare pieces and, when placing an order, they may simply choose to buy their valerian from you as well, rather than going to the large apothecaries, as you have built up a rapport and reputation for excellence already.

High Demand
Lastly, there is a line of thought that makes the most sense to grow high-traffic, very common items. Rather than try to find a dozen people that need one incredibly rare plant, the logic is that everyone could use some more lavender. If you price appropriately and sell specimens of good quality, you will soon build up a customer base that will keep coming back for more, and with very little effort and overhead, as these are usually the easiest and cheapest plants to grow. Therefore you will be able to grow a wider selection -- a dozen plants instead of three, or thirty instead of ten -- which will, in turn, increase the range of people that will be interested in your products. 

Periodicals and Propositions
Before we leave this topic, there is one more parting piece of advice I can give, though it can, and should, be used alongside one or more of the three above strategies. Rather than simply wait for a customer base to appear -- particularly since herbologists rarely have a tangible storefront in Diagon Alley -- you need to promote yourself! 

There are multiple ways to do this: taking out an ad in the Daily Prophet, word of mouth, sponsoring a youth potion making competition, knowing the cook at the Leaky Cauldron and telling her you’ll supply all of her spices half price for a month, only your imagination and creative thinking limit the possibilities. Whatever you do, play to your strengths and use your contacts. Do you have friends from Hogwarts or coworkers from a recent project? Could you help them out by providing plants? Does your aunt’s friend run a conservation program? Could you help her out by providing plants? The best way to get more customers is to get yourself out there and heard of. The more contacts you can make, the more people you can help!

Another, more involved way of promoting yourself is to go out there and contact people. Sometimes, herbologists who are more content among plants than people shy away from this option, but the worst people can say is no! Get out there and get your foot in the door! Stop by the local potioneer and see if they’re in need of any supplies, check out the offerings of the local apothecary and see if there’s anything you grow that they don’t yet offer, and ask them if they’d like to partner with you. Striking a deal as a supplier for a business, group, or the right individual can be the first step of many to becoming self-sustainable!

Accoutrements
One thing many people forget about are magical (and otherwise) growing supplements and tools. If you have an excellent blend of fertilizer, market it! Would any of your customers also need some Creta’s Alkalinity Solution? You have some in large quantities, likely, or have the ability to brew a similar (non trademarked) concoction. Let people know you have some for sale. Similar to the idea that people will be more likely to buy more common fare from you if they are already there for a high-ticket item, if they are there to buy plants from you, but also need to pick up some Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent, they may just choose to get it from you instead of others. 

Another marketable area is services. As you’ll find, most witches and wizards become more proficient at the charms they do most often. Non-herbologists attempting to grow plants often do not have the precise skill to set up timed sequences of light and dark periods with the Darkening Charm or to fend off one kind of insect, but not others via the Bug Repelling Charm. If you are capable and you let people know what you’re offering, you may be called on to set up a nocturnal greenhouse with your charms prowess. This is particularly true when people want a live specimen or a specimen that needs to be preserved. They may ask that you put the necessary charms on the plant first and pay extra for doing so. 

Many of these spells become second nature to us, even at this level, so I will provide a short list of the spells we commonly use to both care for plants and set up gardens below. Likewise, I have included a small selection of the most common potions and non-magical supplements we keep here at Hogwarts, as for many of you, I know it is common nature to sprinkle a little fertilizer on your plants, but that you might forget when starting your own practice!

Conclusion
Phew! That, I’m afraid, is the extent of my entrepreneurial knowledge, students! I hope it is of use to you someday. It may be a bit scary to go into business for yourself, but I assure you that it can also be quite rewarding and enjoyable. For now, one other scary prospect: your final. I kid, of course. I know you’ll all do just fine. We’ve had a lovely year together -- with very few losses of limb -- and I hope to have another just as successful after the holidays. If you would like, there is also an extra credit assignment that encourages you to think about what we talked about in this lesson, how you might like to apply it, what strategies you would like to use, and what exactly you might want to put out in your own catalogue. Until next year!

Original lesson written by Professor Venita Wessex
Image credits here, here, here, and here