6 Simple Tips To Starting Your Own Florist Business

Imagine spending every day surrounded by flowers? As a florist, you have the privilege of admiring beautiful blooms and creating dazzling bouquets for appreciative clients day in and day out.

Running a floristry business is undoubtedly rewarding. However, it does require hard work. In order to see your shop grow and flourish, you’ll need both a passion for flowers and floral design along with the right qualifications and marketing skills.

The floral industry is a blooming industry! As such, there is a lot of competition out there. In order to start your own business and have it grow to be successful, consider applying the following tips:

1. Define your goals

What is your ultimate dream scenario? Do you want a florist’s shop in town or would you rather run your floral business from home? Perhaps you are considering an online flower business or working as a freelance florist?

There are also floristry businesses that specialise in a single niche or target market. For example, you may want to market strictly to wedding clients or choose to supply floral arrangements for events and parties?

Before starting a florist business, get clear on your goals and where you want your career in floristry to take you.

2. Brand your business

To stand out from the rest, you need a great business name and logo. Ideally, the name of your business will reflect your product/services and your unique personality. It should also be attention-grabbing and easy to pronounce and spell.

After figuring out your business name, you need to be clear on the following:

  • Who are you selling to? Will it be to the general public or to businesses?
  • What will you be selling? Will you be specialising in floral design and arrangements as well as selling freshly cut flowers?
  • What will your product range consist of? Will you have dried flowers as well as fresh ones? Perhaps you may want to complement your arrangements with handcrafted gift baskets, confectionery and balloons for special occasions?
  • What will be your price point?
  • Where will you be sourcing your flowers from? A wholesaler? Local farms?

The more detailed you can get about your business plan, the more likely your florist business will succeed.

3. Develop the required skills

You don’t need any formal qualifications to be a florist, but it does help. While a passion for flowers and a talent for floral design is crucial, you also need great marketing skills and knowledge of how to run a business.

Having certification in the form of a Floristry Diploma will give you the required skills to run a successful florist business. A course will teach you everything from:

  • Floral arrangement and design
  • Customer service skills
  • Money handling skills
  • Basic accounting and bookkeeping skills
  • Project management skills
  • Online sales
  • Franchising
  • Ordering flowers and coordinating with wholesalers
  • Marketing your business

4. Register your business

There are some legalities involved in starting a florist business. Before you begin marketing your products to clients, make sure you are aware of any florist legal issues. For example, you may be required to register your business name or get insurance cover depending on how your business will operate.

5. Get the essentials

You will need a combination of things to get started in your florist business:

  • Equipment (sharp clippers, wire cutters, scissors, buckets and vases, etc.)
  • Refrigerated cases to store fresh flowers and increase their shelf lives
  • A business vehicle for making deliveries and picking up stock
  • Hired staff or a business partner
  • A flower wholesaler or vendor to source your flowers from

Along with your equipment, you also need to think about your general business operations. From inventory and stock management to payment methods including EFTPOS and online payments (if you’re planning on selling your products online), running a florist business means you must be as efficient as possible when it comes to customer service.

6. Stay on top of market trends

As a florist, you’re likely to face competition from other florist businesses and specialist florists in your area. The floristry and plant sector was worth £2.2 billion in the UK in 2020, and demand in this sector continues to remain fierce.

In order for your florist business to succeed and thrive among its competitors, you need to keep up-to-date with current floral market trends.

Remaining relevant to customer want/demand and remaining innovative in your choice of flowers and arrangements will increase your profitability – and set you apart from the rest.

Browse social media, look through gardening and wedding magazines, scour local shops and find out what’s trending. Use this information to effectively market your products and to create designs and bouquets that customers are looking for.

Ready to start your florist business?

If you think that being a florist is perfect for you, then let ICI UK help to fast-track your career today.

With our Diploma in Floristry, you will gain the skills needed to start your very own florist business. We also offer an Advanced Diploma to help you to advance your career further.

Do you have any questions? Get in touch with one of our ICI professionals to help you get started.

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Gladys Mae

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Gladys Mae serves as the General Manager and Head of Student Services at the International Career Institute. Gladys holds a degree in Mass Communication - Broadcast Media from the University of San Jose-Recoletos. She joined ICI in 2010 and has over the past 12 years been instrumental in providing leadership and guidance to staff and students alike. Prior to joining ICI Gladys led a multifaceted career with key roles in the banking and business process outsourcing industries.