Herbal Business Program
Learn every thing you need to start your business, step-by-step.
Let's build your business together!
You've had a lot of herbal study and now you're ready to embark on a business, but you're realizing: building a business requires a whole different set of skills!
Join the Holistic Business Program and we'll go through every step of the process of building your business - together!
Our students have launched their own private practices, they've built herb gardening, farming, and CSA businesses, they're starting herbal and outdoor-focused schools for children, they've built herbal product companies and one even went on to create Herbstalk, Boston's own very successful annual herbal conference and winter market!
You can too!
From daunting to do-able!
The idea of starting a business sounds so huge and daunting, but this mentorship breaks everything down into bite-size pieces that make the process so much easier. Katja's personality is uplifting and encouraging, and I don't think I would have gotten the courage to finally start the business I've always wanted without her help.
Let's do this!
The purpose of this business program is to ACTUALLY BUILD your business.
This is not a workshop where we'll talk about theory or things you maybe could do someday...
This course literally breaks down every single task you need to do for every single aspect of your business, and then provides very specific instructions about exactly how to do it.
😬 Are you intimidated by GMP?
⭐️ Not anymore! Every step you need to take is clearly laid out, with examples, pictures, and videos!
🤯 Do you have a "complicated relationship" with technology?
⭐️ Don't worry! With very specific, step-by-step instructions (with pictures and video!), you can be confident enough to do your own tech!
😰 Does the idea of marketing make you sweat?
⭐️ We've got you! Not only do we break all the options down (including marketing you can do for free!), but we have strategies that might even help you LIKE marketing - you can turn your marketing into a public service so that you're helping people WHILE you're selling your herby goodness!
😖 Are you confused about taxes, budgets, and insurance?
⭐️ No problem! Not only do we break down everything you have to do - there are even budget templates premade for you so that all you have to do is plug in the dollars you spend and make!
You don't have to have any previous business experience, all you need is your herbal skills and a good idea - read on for the full details!
Support and Accountability
I felt supported but also held accountable, which was a huge thing for me! I was not only able to create and launch my business and website that I had been wanting to create for over a year, but they also gave my confidence the boost it needed to put myself out there and really go for what I wanted.
What you'll need to get started
You can start this Herbal Business Program anytime - if you know your goal is to start a business, you might want to have this early on in your herbal education, so that you have a clear picture of what your goals are.
When you're ready to use this course to ACTUALLY BUILD your business, this is what you'll need:
If you want to launch a products business, you will need:
- enough herbal education to formulate and create great herbal products
- some products that you have already perfected and tested on your family and friends - at least 3 is a good place to start.
Don't worry about labels, packaging, your website, marketing, GMP - we'll do all of that and more together in the Herbal Business Program!
If you want to open an herb shop, you will need:
- enough herbal education to stock your products and help your customers make good choices.
- it's extra helpful if you have enough skills to offer workshops, because this is a great way to build community around your shop and bring in customers!
Don't worry about a location, a website, accounting, online sales, inventory, or marketing - we'll do all that and more together in the Herbal Business Program!
If you want to launch a clinical practice, you will need:
- a thorough clinical education - this is typically at least 800 hours of instruction, and about 400 hours of observation and supervised practice.
Don't worry about technology, insurance, office space, your website, finding clients, etc - we'll do all that and more together in the Herbal Business Program!
Do you need more herbal education before you start your business? We can help!
You can find our educational recommendations for starting a product business or opening your own herb shop here.
You can find our educational recommendations for clinical practice here.
Do you have a different idea?
Just let us know and we will help make sure you have the herbal education you need to make it happen!
A Community of Support
I am so glad that I took this business class. Learning to manage and organize my time and being walked step-by-step through building a business was so helpful. And I especially loved having support fellow classmates - it is wonderful to share the experience with other herbalists as we follow our paths, each one unique but similar.
It's easier when we work together
This is a hands-on interactive program. Together, we are going to build your business!
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YES! Let's build your business plan together!
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YES! Let's get your website built!
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YES! Let's market your business together!
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YES! Let's make sure you have all of your GMP compliance set up if you're making products!
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YES! Let's make sure you have insurance set up if you need it!
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YES! Let's take all of the steps needed to get you up and running!
Here's what we'll be working on together:
Click on "Free Preview to see more information about each module
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Introduction to the Herbal Business Program
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Live Q&A sessions twice a week!
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How this course works
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How to ask questions and get help
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Our Code of Conduct
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Code of Conduct
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Use of Course Material (Intellectual Property)
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The Herbal Business Community Space
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How to use the Discussions feature
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Strategies for Success
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Every Body is Different
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Some meditations before you get started
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homework 1: Getting started
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homework 2: How do you organize your thoughts?
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homework 3: Where are your challenges?
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homework 4: Make Some Space
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journal prompt
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ACTION ITEMS: Introduction
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What will i need to get started?
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Some really excellent business advice
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Coming soon...
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Should i join the American Herbalists' Guild?
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Setting your big picture
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Vision & Mission Statements
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Manifestos & Value Statements
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Word Clouds: they're a bonus!
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What about a Motto?
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homework 1: the What/Who/Why Worksheet
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homework 2: More exercises to help you start writing
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homework 3: Just Do It!
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journal prompt
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⭐️ Find someone who inspires you
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ACTION ITEMS: Mission & Vision
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From idea to reality
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One, Three, and Five Year Goals
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The goals we're working on in this course
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A note for non-profits & charitable donations
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An example of clear, focused goals
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An example of unfocused goals
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homework 1: setting your goals
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Prioritizing goals example
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homework 2: prioritizing your goals
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Breaking down your first year goals example 1
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Breaking down your first year goals example 2
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homework 3: breaking down the first year goals
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journal prompt
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ACTION ITEMS: 1-3-5 Year Goals
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What do you need to do what you do?
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Timing these tasks
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Commercial Kitchen vs. Community Kitchens vs. Certifying your Kitchen
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Clinical workspace
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Some other kind of space
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homework 1: make your list
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homework 2: add it to your plan!
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journal prompt: it doesn't have to be perfect
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ACTION ITEMS: Your Workspace
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Technical Tools
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It's getting real around here...
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Narrowing your focus
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hoemwork: narrow your focus
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Estimating Task Time
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homework 3: estimating task time
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Your Goals on a Calendar
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NeuYear calendars
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homework 4: your goals on the calendar
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Using Trello to hold all the details
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Getting Started with Trello
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13-Week Planning: Introduction
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Supplies for 13-Week Planning
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Some journals you might like: get one now!
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13-Week Planning: Goal Pages
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How do i pick my three goals for each 13-week quarter?
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13-Week Planning: Stats & Milestones
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13-Week Planning: Weekly Pages
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13 Week Journal templates
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13-Week Planning: Daily Pages
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13-Week Planning: Weekly Wrap-up
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Enormous to Manageable
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Indistractable
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Need more time & project planning methods?
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journal prompt
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ACTION ITEMS: Project Planning
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About this course
- 9 x $150.00
- 306 lessons
- 17.5 hours of video content
Tuition Options
You can choose 9 payments of $150
or one payment of $1200 - saves you $150!
Either way, you get full access to all of the material FOR LIFE, and all updates are automatically added to your account!
Your business expenses are not covered: you should plan funding to cover the cost of your materials (ie, herbs, containers, labels, etc) and other fees (ie, rent for your office space or the cost of your insurance). Keeping things simple, your starting business expenses might range from a couple hundred dollars to about a thousand dollars, depending on what you're building. You don't need to have it all at once, we'll be working on each startup task one at a time.
Our philosophy is that if you don't need a business loan and you grow at a pace you can afford, you're always ahead of the game: so we teach strategies to keep your costs down!
This course does not guarantee that your business will succeed, and it's important to point out that being self-employed is a lot of work. But you won't ever know what you can do until you try - and you don't have to try alone!
You can be more successful if you have the right support!
Scholarships & Discounts
And if you want even more support...
Every single thing you need to start your business is laid out, step-by-step, in this course, and you can ask questions any time!
But sometimes people need the extra accountability of regular check-in times and coaching sessions.
No problem! If you want even more mentorship, you can also join the Live Business Mentorship program that starts every January.
We meet for two hours every other week, in small groups, to blow through your roadblocks, creatively solve problems, and work with accountability so that literally nothing can stop you!
It's best to start getting familiar with the material in this course between now and January, so that you're ready to hit the ground running!
Achieving my Goals
This program challenged my previous belief that setting goals and sticking to them would limit my ideas and creativity. For the first time in my adult life I’ve been able to list out realistic goals and break them down into do-able tasks, and as a result I have achieved way more than I thought possible. It also allowed me to focus, and let go of the items that did not match my vision, and didn’t let me jump into something without fully thinking it through.
Zero-Risk Return Policy
Teaching isn't just about conveying information - there's also an aspect of being someone's "cup of tea".
So we want you to take the first 14 days to really decide if you love it or not. If for any reason you feel like this program isn’t right for you - if we're just not your cup of tea - we’ll give you a full refund. You don't even need a reason - just please let us know within 14 days of purchase.
For example...
Here are businesses that some of our students have built
Steph studied for two years with us and then created Herbstalk, Boston's own local herb conference. It's grown to a twice-a-year event that provides high-quality herbal education as well as a popular herbal marketplace!
Kinsey studied with us in 2015 and then opened CroseNest Apothecary with a brick & mortar store here in MA and a beautiful online shop too!
Emma O'Brien of Lavandoula is a very talented Doula and Herbalist. She trained with us from her very first herb courses and now is offering her own training to the Birth-worker community.
Cara had just started selling herbal products at her local farmer's market when she took the Herbal Business Program, and now Bear Wallow Herbs supports her and her young son - and she is home to pick him up from school every day!
Brooke was already an herbalist and needed help navigating the starting-a-business part of the process. During the Herbal Business Program, she and her partner transformed Sovereignty Herbs from an idea with occasional workshops to a full clinical practice and herbal learning program.
Brighid took the Herbal Business Program in 2019 to transition from helping her friends and doing some local workshops to launching an Solidago Herb School, an herbal educational center with everything from online programs to herbal escapes.
Ray at Sovereign Birch Herbal took the Family, Community, and Clinical Herbalist programs with us, and completed the Clinical Mentorship and Herbal Business Program in 2019. They are a talented clinical herbalist with a practice here in Boston!
Pushing past my fear
Katja offered so much needed advice, support and love while pushing me through my own fears, to make structure out of 30 plus years of dreaming and study. With her help I was able to organize and plan out exactly what I wanted to create.