The Proven System – How to Start and Scale Your Microgreens Business to $1M and Beyond

Email Body:

Hey [First Name],

Yesterday I promised to share the exact system that took us from living room operation to $1 million in annual revenue.

The system I’m about to share with you is the same system we’ve now used to help 6 vertical farms in 4 countries build sustainable operations.

The “Sell First, Grow Second” System

Here’s the framework that eliminated waste, guaranteed income, and scaled our operation:

Phase 1: Market Validation (Weeks 1-4) Start this before you buy a single seed

Research local restaurants that emphasize fresh, local ingredients.
Research who your competition is and what they are selling and what the chefs want that they AREN’T providing
Learn to grow the microgreens that the restaurants want and would buy
Visit 10-15 establishments during slow periods (usually 2-4 PM)
Ask to speak with the chef or kitchen manager
Present samples of what you plan to grow (buy from existing suppliers initially)
Ask: “If I could deliver this quality consistently every week, what would you order?”

The Magic Question: “Would you be interested in a weekly subscription service for fresh microgreens at $X per pound, delivered every Tuesday?”

Most chefs will say yes immediately. Fresh, local, consistent supply is their biggest challenge.

Phase 2: Learn to grow greens. You need to know you can consistently grow ‘premium’ greens, and you will need samples.Pre-Sale Validation (Weeks 5-8) Secure orders before you invest in growingConfirm orders

Your Startup Shopping List:

Basic shelving- metal shelving works well to attach grow lights to (3 per shelf)
LED grow lights
Growing trays (50 count)
Organic seeds and growing medium
Spray bottles (2) ( one for watering and one for hydrogen peroxide to eliminate mould)
Thermometer
Humidity gauge
Containers to grow in and deliver to customers (the same container serves both purposes)

As a bonus, we have compiled a list of our recommended vendors for each product, and you can even buy our ‘starter kit’ that includes all the containers you will need to grow and sell to pay off the starter kit.

Phase 3: Get customers to sign up for subscriptions.

Set up weekly delivery schedules
Collect 50% payment upfront for the first month
Start with just 2-3 restaurants to test your systems

Key Insight: You’re not just selling a product- microgreens – you’re selling a service: trustworthiness, consistency, quality, and convenience. Chefs will pay premium prices for reliable suppliers.

Phase 4: Production and Delivery (Weeks 10+) Grow exactly what’s pre-sold

Stagger planting so you harvest different varieties on different days
Deliver fresh (same-day harvest when possible)
Invoice remaining 50% on delivery
Track what sells best and adjust varieties accordingly

Why This System Works When Others Fail:

Zero Waste: You only grow what’s already sold
Predictable Income: Subscription model creates recurring revenue
Premium Pricing: B2B customers pay 3-5x retail prices
Scalable: Add more restaurants as capacity allows
Cash Flow Positive: Collect payment before major expenses

The Restaurant Advantage:

Restaurants need consistent, fresh supply weekly
They’re willing to pay premium prices ($25-50/lb vs $8-12 retail)
They order the same items repeatedly
Word-of-mouth in restaurant community is powerful
They often prepay for reliable suppliers

Phase 5 is How to Scale

Many microgreens growers go under when they try to scale.

This is for a few reasons.

First of all, they expand too quickly and go too big. Our system helps you identify when you are ready to expand and how to do so, tailored to your market situation.

The most important thing to do is test your market first and make sure you can guarantee buyers BEFORE you expand.

We recommend finding spaces that help you grow in stages, expanding to spaces that are 25% and 30 to 40% bigger, but not bigger. This cuts your risk and expenses.

You also need to be able to afford to buy and test new equipment. Buying more of what worked in your original setting may not be the right choice for a bigger venue.

We advise you to hire an expert in ventilation and facility design instead of try to wing it in an old warehouse by just slapping paint on old walls and hope for the best.

You may also need to plan for the requirements of becoming organically certified.

We have found that 1:1 mentoring at this stage is key for a successful scaling project.

This is included in our mentoring program, by the way, in case you want to short cut your way to success.

Although we were able to build our business to 1 million in sales annually in just 6 years in extremely competitive conditions, we have been able to help members in our community grow even more quickly. In our community you will benefit from the wisdom of all, and so, you won’t have to reinvent the wheel.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Don’t start with farmers markets (too unpredictable)
Don’t compete on price (compete on quality and consistency)
Don’t grow varieties unless you have confirmed buyers
Don’t expand production before securing sales
Don’t try to serve everyone (focus on restaurants first, and talk to them about what they want and need instead of try to guess)
Don’t assume that ‘if you grow it, they will come’, develop your sales skills

Tomorrow’s Email Preview:

I’ll answer the most common questions about this system.

The Bottom Line:

Most microgreens businesses fail because they only focus on growing microgreens,, not on growing their businesses and focussing on building relationships with customers. Master the sales system first, and the growing becomes the easy part.

This system works because it’s based on one simple principle: solve the customer’s problems (e..g be 100% reliable in your deliveries, provide consistently incredible high quality microgreens) before you solve your own problem (what to grow and what colour to paint the walls).

Tomorrow, I’ll address every question and concern you might have about implementing this system.

Talk soon,

[Founder Name]

PS. This is the same system we have used to help start and scale 6 other farms in different countries in Europe. If it worked for them, it will work for you!