Donna is an avid gardener and Maggie loves to create things so the pair decided to try harvesting, drying and processing the herbs from Donna's garden and using them in various different applications. The business grew out of their fascination with and love for herbs -- especially their aroma, healing capacity and beauty. The pair had very little in the way of financial resources to start so they relied on a combination of retirement savings, credit cards and a second mortgage on a home. Since then, they have been fortunate to secure credit and a business loan to advance their venture. 

Making It Work

Of course, they love making their products, but behind the scenes are a variety of things that contribute to making the business flow as smoothly as possible. An accountant keeps their taxes straight while various "handypersons" help out with things like office and shop upkeep. Other than that, Donna and Maggie do most everything -- they run the website, publish their own catalog and of course till, weed, harvest and process the herbs used in their products. Says Maggie with a smile, "they are growing their business on a dental floss budget."

While Prairileand Herbs is a dream come true, it's not without its own nightmares, and the toughest thing about running the business is that Donna and Maggie don't enjoy walk-in traffic since they are located "in the middle of cornfields." "We have to work very hard to make sure that people know about us, both locally and online, since we are in the middle of nowhere," says Maggie. But there's also the fun part too! They love teaching their customers about the joys of natural products and they especially love sharing their love of herbs, essential oils and other natural ingredients.

Prairileand Herbs' best selling products vary from season to season but a standard, year-round bestseller is their line of salt and sugar scrubs. Maggie thinks that's because they are so much better than commercial scrubs and also priced lower. Popular sugar scrub blends include Lemon Poppyseed, Wheatgerm Vanilla and Honey, and they'll soon be introducing a Shea Butter Scrub.

Looking To The Future

With annual gross revenues of $70,000, Prairileand Herbs has already come a long way, but they aren't done yet! Over the next five years, Prairileand Herbs will expand greatly by increasing the size of their perennial herb gardens and completing a building addition to function primarily as a classroom where they can teach monthly classes on herbs and making herbal bath and body products in a more comfortable setting. Plans also of course include continuing to increase their customer base.

A Little Friendly Business Advice

Maggie's words of business wisdom are brief but pointed: "Committing to a business is an act of faith and trust. Believe in yourself and your abilities, and be patient because it will NOT happen overnight."

Rave Reviews For HBN

"Raving about HBN is easy," says Maggie. "It's is an important source of Internet traffic for us. We get many hits every day from HBN, and some definitely become regular customers! It’s a wonderful organization to be affiliated with and we are happy to be a part."