Making Money As a Worm Rancher, Part Two

In part one of this article, I discussed the market for earthworms, talked about the nightcrawler and red wiggler, and got into how to acquire your stock.

USEFUL TIPS

You need a place to sell retail. We sold worms as kids using a couple old washtubs in the garage. We gathered leafworms, which we didn't realize are actually nightcrawlers that live beneath damp leaves and mulch and are unfortunately somewhat delicate, easy to break because of what they eat. (Manure would've been an ideal bed to leave them in to make them hardy enough for proper sale.)

We harvested them, transferred them to the tubs, and sold them as fast as we picked them. And we picked thousands. We didn't realize it, but we had no chance of breeding them because, as I said in Part One, nightcrawlers breed deep. But we got about $500 that first summer which went into the family kitty.

You can sell from a garage, small shed, or basement with a separate entrance. You can even set up a roadside stand.

ADVERTISE

Dad painted a great double-sided sign that was put up in front, pointing down the slope to our house. A simple but neat sign saying "Earthworms For Sale" should be all you need as long as it is placed where people can see it.

You need containers to sell your worms in. Stockpile used tin cans or plain styrofoam cups. You can print stickers for your business on your computer with your name, phone number, and a clipart worm. Once you start, I'm sure you can buy cheap styrofoam cups at the dollar store to supplement what you've stockpiled. For the longer term, get quotes for wholesale purchases. Mail order sellers of earthworms often offer as specialized containers, as well. Comparison shop.

HOW TO EXPAND

Look into registering your business. No one is likely hassle you at the beginning, but as you grow, someone will eventually ask about your sales tax number, if you are registered with the county, that sort of thing.

Approach bait dealers especially if zoning restrictions prevent you from selling retail from home (something else to check in advance), about wholesaling to them. You'll get the wholesale price, which is about half retail. However, you will be selling a large amount and not just an individual batch to a customer who comes to your house. If this works out, you may even want to skip retail sales entirely. Investigate other potential markets.

At some point, you should set up a website using a free website host. In time, you may want to invest in an ad in a gardening or outdoor sports magazine. Print up business cards on your computer or take advantage of one of those online postage-cost-only business card offers online. Mail order sales can supplement your local sales. Here your goal is to develop regular buyers if possible, often those who are either starting out or are maintaining a regular business by reselling a wholesaler's stock, just as you may have done in the beginning.

You can expand into sidelines along the way, posting some fishing equipment on the wall of your garage, or even set up a small retail shop from which you can sell a range of fishing gear, books about raising worms (write them yourself if you want), and night soil for gardeners. The latter can also be offered through a local retail nursery or florist.

Some worm ranchers have developed their business to the point where they have extensive holdings with millions of worms and a crew of pickers. On the other hand, thousands of worm ranchers are perfectly happy with a smaller, profitable little business.