|
Flowers are used in just about any occasion from weddings to parties to funerals. Flowers are given as gifts or purchased just to add color and fragrance to one's day.
If you know how to care for and arrange flowers, and would enjoy spending your days amongst bouquets of flowers, then starting a home based flower shop business may be the perfect small business for you.
How to Get into the Flower Shop Business
You will need to set up an area in your home which will store flowers. Special refrigerators are often required to preserve flowers prior to them being used for bouquets. You will want ample counter space in your work area that will allow you to assemble your floral arrangements.
You will want to make contact with a reliable flower supplier, and have an inventory of flowers delivered on a regular basis, so that you will be able to make a variety of bouquets and floral arrangements.
An office area in your home will allow you to organize your business. Many of your customers will phone in orders, so you will need an organized system for placing and filling orders. Many of your customers will want to pay for their flowers over the phone with a credit card, so make sure your business is prepared to accept credit.
A delivery service would be a consideration for your flower shop business. If you decide to offer flower delivery you will need to acquire a reliable van.
An area in your home should serve as a display area for your floral arrangements. Customers may make your flower shop a regular stop home from work if the floral arrangements are too attractive to resist.
Skills Needed:
You need to have extensive knowledge of flowers in order to keep them fresh, organize them in attractive arrangements, and sell them for profit. Creative skills will be a requirement as you put together beautiful bouquets for different occasions.
Strong communication skills will allow you to discover what type of floral arrangement a customer is looking for. Positive customer relations will be a big part of your job in running a successful flower shop.
Skill in business management will also be helpful in organizing the flower inventory, floral arrangement pricing, and revenue.
Time management skills will be crucial. Many occasions, such as weddings and funerals, will require that the floral arrangements are not only done well, but are also done on time.
Experience Needed:
You will want to have had a great deal of experience working with flowers and making floral arrangements prior to starting your own flower shop. If you lack experience, you might consider honing your skills by taking floral workshops or courses.
You may also consider apprenticing or working in a flower shop for a period of time, prior to starting your own flower shop. This will not only give you valuable experience creating floral arrangements, it will also give you valuable insight into which flowers sell best, as well as competitive rates for floral arrangements.
Startup Requirements:
Your initial investment will be in setting up your work area filled with the equipment and materials needed to make floral arrangements and bouquets. This includes the refrigerators needed to keep your flowers healthy.
You will also want to invest in marketing and advertising to spread the word about your flower shop. Soon you will be surrounded by beautiful flowers and growing profits with your home based flower shop business.
Resources:
British Florist Association
Independent Florists' Association
Association of Floriculture Professionals
Be Sure to visit our Business Start Up Guide for information on starting your business
[ More Home/Small Business Ideas ]
Also See our New Business Ideas Section:
Business Ideas Page 1 : Business Ideas Page 2 : Business Ideas Page 3
|
