PDX Urban Gardens | Application Preview
PDX Urban Gardens is applying for government grants to enhance their business, which focuses on creating and selling herbal teas and lip balms. The funding will enable them to establish consistent supply chains for herbs, flowers, and packaging for three unique flavors of their products, which will be available through an e-commerce platform. Additionally, the funds will cover labor costs for production and materials needed for market sales, such as tents, tables, and promotional items.
The business plan includes a strong presence at local farmers' markets and specialty food stores, supported by their participation in a Small Business Development Center program. They aim to refine their products before pitching them to local retailers like Market of Choice and New Seasons. PDX Urban Gardens has also built a vibrant social media presence to educate the community about gardening and environmental interaction.
The reason for approving the grant lies in their commitment to quality, locally sourced products with minimal environmental impact. They actively engage with the community by donating 5% of quarterly profits to Indigenous educational centers in their area, honoring the original inhabitants of the land they operate on.
In terms of competition, they face established brands like Portland Bee Balm and Smith Tea. However, their unique selling point is the herbal and floral combinations in their products, inspired by local gardens. Their commitment to compostable packaging and plans for sustainable delivery methods further enhance their appeal. Future product plans include a range of herbal-based items, aiming to promote local awareness and education on the benefits of these natural ingredients.
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General Information
Business Registration Number: 171401798
Location: Portland, OR, United States
Length of Operation: 1
Number of Employees:
Annual Gross Income:
Annual Gross Expense:
Open to Loans: NO
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Funding Usage
We will use this funding to establish consistent suppliers/orders of herbs, flowers, and packaging for 3 flavors of herbal tea and lip balm available through an ecommerce platform such as spotify. This funding would also go to pay labor of making products, and physical materials to have at markets to sell products such as tents, tables, display materials, stickers, banners, and storage.
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Business Plan
We plan to establish a consistent presence at local farmers markets and in specialty food stores or boutiques. Currently we are in the Getting Your Recipe to Market class through the Small Business Development Center at Portland Community College. At the end of the program we are being assisted to create further developments of our products for eventually pitching in front of Market of Choice and New Seasons buyers. We have already established a vibrant instagram and facebook presence educating the world through pictures of herbs and flowers in our gardens and our perspective that relationships with gardens create more reciprocal interactions between people and environment. PDX Urban Gardens was started to provide high quality, most local products that come with the least amount of negative environmental impact. In addition to local volunteering we give 5% of quarterly profits to Indigenous centers of Education in the Multnomah County and surrounding area to engage reciprocally with communities who have inspired us and remain original inhabitants of the land our products are grown and shared on.
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Self Identified Competition
Our top three lip balm competitors would be Portland Bee Balm, Berts Bees, and Dr.Bronners Lip balm. Our top three tea competitors in Portland are Smith tea, Brew Dr., and the Jasmine Pearl Tea company. Each major lip balm company has different flavors than what we have. Our other major tea companies with specialty herbal teas provide high quality packaging and presentation. Each tea competitor has a known reputation for high quality teas available in different sizes. Our herbal and floral combinations in lip balms set us apart from other name brand lip balms. Our teas are inspired by ingredients we've found in our own gardens. Each tea and lip balm is made in Portland utilizing shared used space and eventually will use B-line bicycle power for last mile delivery to markets. Each product is made with compostable packaging in an effort to be disposed in someone's garden. This allows the consumer to feel confident with their ability to sustainably dispose of their consumption. Further products such as lavender drop cookies, lemon thyme olive oil or vinegar, salves, or other products from garden herbs and flowers will add to the variety of products providing localized herbal benefits, education, and inspiration through their creation.
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Contact Applicant
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