Exposing My 6-Figure Flower Business | Behind the Scenes of A Real $880,000 Flower Shop

[@GardeningSpirit]

I SO agree with your last point completely. Not because I am a florist nor have any training BUT I took a job for the last 2 years as a flower "delivery" person. Pretty soon, it became clear to me that my job was delivering flowers but also answering the phone (taking orders, not having been trained on any pricing or even flowers for that matter) and running the shop (that had some houseware items like linens, napkin holders, candles, etc). I enjoyed delivering the flowers, running errands for the owner and I enjoyed the retail part of the job. But the in between stuff I really hated. The owner clearly needed to separate the front house and the back house and had no idea (or no desire) to do it. I didn't stick it out, it wasn't for me I felt very very overwhelmed at most parts throughout the day and ended up getting another job. But I think this is such solid advise!!

[@lynndeessflowersfamily434]

Thank you so very much for this awesome video. I am a one man show and l am feeling overwhelmed with work. My question to you is, what template do you use for pricing sending invoices. Do you use Excel?

[@Bravonewyork]

I felt the same way at my older job, is was receiving market, processing market, working on the retail side of business with customers request, answering phones, delivering flowers locally, designing orders, making small parties, setting up events like big weddings, breakdowns and mentally dealing with 7 partners (7 micromanagers that never agree with one thing) F that, I left!!

[@heatherdeconinck563]

Thank you so much! My mom co owns a flower shop for the last 15 years and it's struggling so much they are considering closing but I want to buy out the other co owner and change everything bc there is so much potential!!

[@bitokay147]

This is so amazing wishing you luck !

[@LittleBirdBloom]

This is so AWESOME! I absolutely love that you are not afraid of change, with your mindset you have the potential to turn things around. You've got this 💕

[@Thiggy-tk5vg]

I’m so so greatful I found your page. You go into such niche topics that you can’t learn from anyone else. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I open my flower and plant shop at 19 and I am 21 now, we are doing well but i need to make a profit and I’m getting into weddings. I’ve learned more in the past 2 hours of binge watching your videos than I have in working in a shop lol!!

[@LittleBirdBloom]

Wow! I love this so much. I am so happy to be apart of your business journey. You are definitely going to kill it, your determination says it all. If you are looking for more content be sure to check out our instagram page @littlebirdbloom. 🎉

[@femininevibes2213]

Where do you live I wanna start a flower business too

[@annebouchon3264]

As an English teacher for French apprentices I love your videos and tips. Your language is just perfect to improve their English... Thank you Madam.

[@LittleBirdBloom]

Thank you Anne, I'm so happy that you are loving my content. 😍

[@debbiewiggins4873]

I really love listening to you ! your so motivating! I want to thank you for sharing all your hard work experiences with us it’s been very helpful. Every time you give me that little extra push to move faster. Yes I am setting up my floral and gift store online and taking me so long to get it up. It really took me a long time to find someone to do my website but I finally find someone in Sydney, I live in Victoria. There is so much more involved in setting up a business then I ever realised like the contents, writing up all the word for each item, policies , floral recipes , pricing and working out how I would like my website. It hasn’t been easy. Well I’m on this journey like everyone else.

[@LittleBirdBloom]

Hi Debbie, This is so AWESOME... so great to know that you are finding the content helpful and motivating! We are all on this journey together. 🌸 You sound like a great fit for our Flower Boss Academy. We deal with all things flower business. We guide you through running a successful flower business and teach flower bosses how to level up their mindset so you can make money + have impact. Check out more information here: littlebirdbloom.com.au/flower-boss-academy/

[@plaisircadeauxdiy]

Very well executed. I fully agree with all your points as a florist and business owner 👍 great content to help startups and beyond.

[@Kaylinsummer]

I wanted to know your opinion on event florist vs every day florist? I work at a mom & pop shop in a small town where everyone more or less knows each other at least surface level. For whatever reason, funerals happen as soon as the next day & the entire family will come in at once. It’s very stressful & draining especially being the only florist in a small community. My boss jokes that she would sell the shop to me if she wins the lottery or when she’s ready to retire & while she’s joking now, I believe there’s truth to it. Her daughters don’t want anything to do with the shop, it’s just her & I, and she knows how passionate I am about it. But I also know it’s a lot of work & she stays late some nights. If i ever bought the shop, I would consider only being an event florist. I would concentrate more on taking clients to suppliers & visiting venues with them which we don’t currently prioritize. (Also have thought about starting my own business)

[@LittleBirdBloom]

In my experience, having a shop and being an event florist are two totally different business models. These days, for a shop to be profitable, it has to prioritise its online presence (it's where the good customers are). Having said that though, having a strong online presence is a must for an event florist too. One way I've found it helpful to look at it is the decision to have a shop is a lot like having a baby...it's not something you should take lightly and it is a commitment. Hugely rewarding and super fun, but you know that already, which is great! 💖

[@RosieIfYouKnowMe]

I've been thinking for years about opening a small shop but never knew of it was even possible. I feel like I'm one step closer. Don't know that I'd do it long term, maybe a few years and then sell, but at least I'd get to be around flowers all the time until then. I'll let you know if I do, till then I'll just be subscribed 😊

[@LittleBirdBloom]

That's awesome! Taking the first step is often the hardest part. Best of luck with your plans, and keep us updated 😊

[@shesanalien89]

Your videos are SO helpful!

[@LittleBirdBloom]

This is so awesome, so glad to hear you found the video helpful. 😊

[@iamashleychavez]

I specialize in funeral arrangements and I LOVE IT !! Thank you for sharing

[@LittleBirdBloom]

I'm glad you loved it! 😍

[@janicealtamirano359]

Thank you your transparency...great video 💖

[@saidaarevalo504]

I have a couple questions! 1 where can i get flowers for my floral business 2 How much do I have to invest in flours as a small starting business 3 flour life Spam and how much flour am I going to loose P.s love that your sharing this info

[@lusindamagana2621]

Thank you so much, I appreciate this information. Blessings ❤

[@LittleBirdBloom]

I'm glad you found the information in this video helpful 🎉

[@Blossemflowers]

if you could only afford to hire 1 employee at the beginning stages of your biz who would you hire and what would you have them do? I am garage studio florist thinking of hiring a shop assistant but have no idea where to start. Thank you for your transparency and help!!

[@LittleBirdBloom]

This is SUCH a great question. If it were me, I'd start with a general 'all-rounder' keen on helping in various business areas; answering the phone, responding to emails, processing flowers, photos for social media etc.

[@kyleanuar9090]

Get contacts with other florists and and take jobs ad hoc, if you are overwhelmed call who can do the hours needed and same with you going to their business if they needed you. We do this in my small state.

[@bespokebloomssg]

Very helpful!!! thank you so so much! would like to learn more from you

[@wallycheladyn1190]

That laugh at 17:36, a woman reflecting on her previous madness. I really enjoyed this video. I hve subscribed.

[@LittleBirdBloom]

Haha, glad you enjoyed that moment! 😊 Thanks so much for subscribing it's so awesome to have you here.

[@lindalin1972]

SORRY, I accidentally clicked the thumbs down button by mistake then immediately clicked the thumbs up button. I loved your video and appreciate your time and the information you provided

[@LittleBirdBloom]

No problem! I'm glad you loved the video and I appreciate you taking the time to check out my content. 🥳

[@maxinedejesus9233]

What is a list of questions you need answered from the client in order to get the job done and stay on the same page as your client? Not sure if you answered this yet. Like if someone said I need this floral entry way done by Friday (it’s Monday) what are the MUST asked questions to the client?! That I must ask for this job to successfully get this job done!?😅

[@LittleBirdBloom]

Hi Maxine, I find it super helpful to grab a pen and paper and start mapping out for yourself what piece of information you need to know and what information would make it easier for you to do your job. That one exercise will give you so much insight and guidance and you'll be able to charge ahead with so much more confidence! 😊

[@Thili-hg3eg]

Agree with you ♥️ I did it the same way ​@@LittleBirdBloom

[@christisstanley2348]

Excellent video! Thank you for your expertise and sharing everything you've learned and mastered.

[@LittleBirdBloom]

Hi Christis, I'm glad you enjoyed the video and found it helpful 🥰🥰

[@Maposa555]

I’m love your experience and thank you for sharing I being trying to set up my business online the biggest problem I have o on social media but I will get there

[@LittleBirdBloom]

Setting up a business online and navigating social media can be challenging, but with persistence, you will definitely get there. Check out some of my videos on social media 🌼 + How I Easily Create Content for Social Media in My Flower Business - kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6HSo2eqp7Wqb5o +Social Media Planning for Florists 👩🏽‍💻 My Exact Approach to Getting Customers Online -kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6TYfX5-i7OShLs +My Favourite Shortcut for Website + Social Media Content 🤯 Floristry Imagery Shortcut - kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGrcf3-kiKysrcU +How to Get More Flower Customers on Instagram - It’s NOT How You Think - kzbin.info/www/bejne/opzdZmWHZZppjtE

[@Piki_Bouquets]

Thank you for sharing your experiences __so so helpful ❤

[@LittleBirdBloom]

I love being able to share my experiences especially when I hear that it is helpful to someone else. I'm glad! 🥳

[@doersworld68]

Great top line! But what about profitability? $2 million revenue business can still be unprofitable. P&L breakdown and kpi's may be helpful.

[@LittleBirdBloom]

Oh this is SUCH a great idea. Thank you for suggesting it. 🥳 When it comes to KPIs, what sorts of metrics might be helpful to learn about?

[@かりんちゃん-f1m]

Such an inspiration, thanks.

[@LittleBirdBloom]

💞 Thank you! I'm glad i can help.

[@housepaintingtriforce]

Thank you for sharing,!!

[@dididisun]

Thank you so so much for this information!

[@xx2feetdevxx]

Thanks for this! Question - when you created your online catalog, did you just see the cost of the flowers as an investment? How did you go about creating it?

[@LittleBirdBloom]

Absolutely yes and it's 100% worth the investment cause it starts paying back the minute you get your online catalogue sorted and checkout process done. I'm a big fan of having one person doing the photography and another person creating the designs cause then you get through the product shots pretty quickly. 😁

[@dandunbarkat]

This is such a generous video - a big thank you for it! I've being running my local floral studio for the past 3 years, and can relate to most of your tips - but still feel that i don't make enough revenue. looking to create a takeaway online content product with flowers - do you have any recommendations in that direction?

[@LittleBirdBloom]

I'm so glad it's helpful!! 🥳 When you say 'takeaway online content product with flowers', I'm not quite sure what you're referring to. Have you got an example in mind to help bring it to life for me? 🤗

[@daisydazed2449]

So I grown my own flowers & I decided to get a degree as a florist. Do you think it’s a good idea?

[@LittleBirdBloom]

Of course! You've got this 🥰

[@remij9592]

Thank you so much for this! I’m a baby baby like, doing it all myself baby and I was wondering how I could start hiring freelancers. I don’t even know where to look

[@ankiking]

I would love to start interning part-time with an event florist in NYC so I can learn, but don’t know how to go about approaching any.

[@sonalagarwal724]

Love from India 🇮🇳

[@LittleBirdBloom]

It's so awesome to have you here with us even though we are on different ends of the world. 💖

[@bharatjalan5422]

Should i keep the fresh flowers inside an air conditioned room at a certain temperature or inside a refrigerator?? What do you suggest??

[@LittleBirdBloom]

You'll probably want to opt for the air conditioned room unless you can control the temperature in the fridge. Flowers don't like being stored in anything cooler than 8°C/47°F, which is slightly warmer than the conventional home refrigerator 🥰

[@AikoFilms]

thank you for sharing and educating

[@LittleBirdBloom]

Of course that's what I am here for, thank you for watching 🥳

[@user-kw1vw7bx4y]

Thank you so much for your videos. They are so helpful. I am trying to decide on a next step and have a question. How much of your business is your coaching/consulting?

[@LittleBirdBloom]

I'm so happy to hear that you are finding my videos helpful! Little Bird Bloom is 100% business coaching for creatives and entrepreneurs. The Flower Boss Academy is a great option for those who are feeling stuck or don't know where to go next. We have a wonderful community full of like minded florists and offer an extensive amount of resources to help you take the next step. 🥰 You can find more information here: littlebirdbloom.com.au/flower-boss-academy/

[@bethkaufman2654]

Thank you for this!

[@LittleBirdBloom]

Hi Beth, glad you found it helpful. 🌸

[@erinstone360]

Such a great video, thanks! When starting out would you recommend not having a store and just doing deliveries? Also, when starting do you think it would be a good idea to only do bouquets of the most popular flowers people order to keep things simple? Thanks :)

[@LittleBirdBloom]

The short answer is 'it depends' 😅. There's been such a shift in customer behaviour in the last 3 years that even if the dream is to have a physical retail shop, the world of online shopping is where the growth is in our industry. And, when it comes to what you offer, I'd start with what YOU think looks best and then build from there. One of the reasons so many customers default to asking for lilies and roses (and peonies) is simply that they don't know there are 1,000s of other options available to them. So offering bouquets that are different to the most popular options is a great way to create a unique offer and really separate yourself from the competition. 😍

[@erinstone360]

@@LittleBirdBloom Thanks for the information. Super helpful :)

[@CarmenTower]

Hello...loved listening to you..but, we are a small flowershop, there are just me one designer and my daughter helping..in a small town. I am very involved in our business, and we do quite well, but i want to do much better.

[@LittleBirdBloom]

Hi Carmen, It's great to hear that your business is doing well. We have tons of content that can point you in the right direction of improving your business. You've got this. 🥳

[@alenooshhagh565]

Hello thank you very much for your amazing videos. I just enjoy listening to you. I am planning to statt my own flower business from home. I have some years of experience and my focus will be on weddings. You said that you had 100 wedding orders in one year. Did you receive all orders using social media or you work with even planner also?

[@LittleBirdBloom]

More than 80% came from digital market - Google Business Listing, SEO, and Instagram - and then the rest would be from referrals (mostly from other vendors and the venue coordinators, not many from planners). 😃

[@annavang2374]

Do you grow your own flowers, or do you buy it from a wholesale? What options to do opening up a LLC. Starting small first.😅

[@LittleBirdBloom]

🥳 If it was up to me, I'd definitely start with buying wholesale because even if you're growing flowers there's going to be times where (a) you'll still want to get flowers if there's nothing growing and (b) need extra for a big event. There really is so much to figure out when it comes to floristry + marketing / sales that I'd focus on that first and then build up the growing side second. (But totally know too, this is just my thoughts. Don't feel it's the only way.) 😎

[@AshleyH-kh8vj]

My question is: how many of your walk-in customer turned into the other streams of revenue? What was the retention on those customers? Did you wind up tracking that?

[@LittleBirdBloom]

It was pretty small - the people who do walk-in to buy flowers are often on a mission (off to the hospital, lunch with a friend etc.) Those who did become super fans were added to our email list + followed us on IG so they could stay up to date with other offers. 🌸

[@whitekandlez1781]

Excellent video!

[@LittleBirdBloom]

I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed it! 🥳

[@bhiesshhhhh7867]

Hi! I have a few questions. What do you do with your unsold flowers? And how do you make sure you have profit? I shortly did a flower business racket but i only did made-to-order because i was afraid that i would buy too much flowers and later on throw it away.

[@LittleBirdBloom]

Such a good question! Getting pricing sorted from the beginning is super important and then getting good at smart product buying. When I first started, I used a lot of long-shelf-life ingredients so that I could stretch one bunch into 2-3 orders. I also love the idea of having a stash of dried flowers on hand that you can then add to a few fresh ingredients to make something at the last minute. 🌸

[@bhiesshhhhh7867]

@@LittleBirdBloom thanks for this advice!

[@BloomerangSolutions]

Setting public expectations that the owner needs disciplined to follow. Designs must be similar to the picture. It's a product of nature. Set the expectation then exceed it. Nice job! Design for profit, the products are beautiful to start.@@bhiesshhhhh7867

[@LaurenStevens05]

love this vid. you're gorg

[@LittleBirdBloom]

Thank you! I'm glad you loved it 😍

[@PlantRelated]

Thank you!

[@ruiz_rhiz]

Absolutely

[@Mokppblo2]

Thank you so much,how safe it is to sell flowers as side job?

[@LittleBirdBloom]

It really depends on how much work you're willing to put in and how bad you really want it 🤗

[@NickJThibault]

do you own you’re building or rent?

[@LittleBirdBloom]

We rented (and paid a surprisingly high amount of rent for that space, even though it was in a small town) 😆

[@tracyford9213]

With an in home wedding floral business how/where do you do your consultation with the bride?

[@evafrenkel-elias5176]

On the phone or at a coffee shop

[@LittleBirdBloom]

I like to do them at the venue, but that's just my personal preference. You can always meet at a coffee shop or, I know some florists who just meet with their clients at the florists' home/studio. 🤗

[@firgisflowersandgifts5129]

Thank you very much for inspiration

[@LittleBirdBloom]

So happy to hear that you are finding the content inspirational 🥰

[@HildeAzul]

If you are paying specialized staff, rents, insurance what was the profit margin ??

[@LittleBirdBloom]

The benchmark we were given was to aim for 20% net profit. Once I started to see the hourly rates we were required to pay our staff and how much it cost us just to 'turn the lights on' I had such a wake-up call with my pricing. 🥴

[@jacklineyego5560]

Thank you

[@BloomerangSolutions]

Is this Syndey? Are you near the Maritimo factory?

[@sanakanta3563]

Do we need a license to start this business and to sell hand made gifts

[@MosimaGinetteMudika]

Thanks. I learned much

[@LittleBirdBloom]

Glad to hear that! Happy you found the information valuable. 😊

[@ssteele1093]

I with a wirer service. Is there anything you recommend.

[@LittleBirdBloom]

One of the best things we did was sit down one day with our statement and do the work to figure out how much money we were making from those orders in a month, as well as how much revenue the wire service company was taking back as their commission. That opened our eyes so much and helped give us some clarity about where our money was going. 😇

[@floweredearth5078]

What side are you or which town are you

[@ethanstewart-duke2524]

What POS do you use & who hosts your website? I currently own a shop and we do about 7000 sales per year - We are currently with Teleflora/Dove system and they are so expensive... we are still profitable but it just irks me to see how much they take.

[@LittleBirdBloom]

Hi Ethan, we used the free Square POS and found the set-up really easy. It also integrates with WooCommerce / WordPress, which is my preferred platform for websites. I know quite a few florists who are using the Shopify platform + POS system and really like the integration / simplicity of it. 😇

[@aerydice2570]

On average 55 transactions per day!! That sounds exhausting!!

[@LittleBirdBloom]

but totally worth it! Especially if you have good system and processes in place to make everything run smoothly. 😁

[@chrisbrowning2111]

I have a small flower store in my hometown. 15,000 population plus ajoining town. I have Bloomnet, Teleflora and Flower Shop Network. I don't know if the fee 900.00 for flower shop network is worth the

[@LittleBirdBloom]

It's definitely worth doing the math on that one and seeing what sort of Return on Investment you're getting. There really is no one size fits all solution for these things but I found it so eye-opening once I finally sat down and started to tally it all up. 😊

[@rosecharmflowers]

great informations

[@LittleBirdBloom]

I'm glad you found the information helpful 😀

[@theofficialfloresfamily]

Do you recommend any online courses for beginners ??

[@LittleBirdBloom]

I'd actually start by going to a local design course - there's so much value in being able to play with flowers with the aid of a teacher by your side and getting to really see how they do things, ask questions etc. So many florists put on workshops and there might even be a local school or community centre that offers a day course, I'd 100% start there! 🥰

[@Alchemyforall]

Thankyou

[@lundymoore6804]

Hi our flowers shop been open for over 50 year but we still don’t have that many wedding. Can you give some advice on how to attract more events and wedding?

[@LittleBirdBloom]

Hi Lundy, if wedding customers are what you would like to start attracting you can do this through your marketing. Changing up your website and instagram feed to bring them in. You can also check out the following videos I have on my channel that might be useful: Florist Instagram How to Attract Better Customers 🙊3 Tips to Make it Easy - kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJK3immobtJgsMU Instagram Tips for Flower Business 👀 My Exact Approach to Attracting Better Clients Today - kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZzSop58d7aBprc Wedding Floral Design Business Marketing Ideas 🧐 How to Attract Bigger Budget Clients - kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXPLgJaCo7uAipI Instagram For Flower Business Owners and Floral Designers 😄How to Attract Bigger Budgets - kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHPZk4imn8-igtE

[@reneebattle9621]

How do you price

[@LittleBirdBloom]

Hi Renee, check out the following videos where i dive deeper into pricing: My EXACT approach to pricing flower arrangements (and making money!) - kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4HOiGl_bLFnbqM 3 Florist Pricing Myths Debunked ❌ Real Florist Pricing Models and Profitability - kzbin.info/www/bejne/emakn6KGiKd_jaM Florist Pricing Step by Step 💝 Florist Bouquet Pricing Like a Pro! - kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5ikeYtrl5KCeJo Florist Pricing Formula Guide 🌸 A Step By Step Approach for Florists - kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGaQl4Fpq6iBgK8

[@ExposeTv246]

❤❤❤

[@jeannet9592]

Thank you for such thorough information.

[@LittleBirdBloom]

I'm glad you found it helpful 😃

[@Thehunter85]

Could be around 3 min. video.. To much talking same

[@LittleBirdBloom]

Thanks for the heads up! Check out my instagram & tiktok for some shorter reels and content 🙂 @littlebirdbloom

[@Geraldkehn4409]

I bet what happens is people see the $45 flowers don’t look much different than the $150 flowers especially if you’re dealing with men who walk in and see flowers because they want to get their wife/girlfriend some flowers for their anniversary, date, Valentine’s Day etc. I have no experience with working at a flower shop, but if I had to guess I would say upwards of 80% of your foot traffic is men looking for the nicest cheapest flowers they can find. I have been with the same woman since I was 17 and I will be 40 tomorrow actually 😢, but when it comes to valentines, Mother’s Day, birthday, or when we went to prom and homecoming (I went to 3 different high schools) the first 2 schools were lower middle class or straight up broke fold , but the 3rd high school I went to, I’ll put it this way one night it was on Jay Leno for the 2nd most expensive parking lot in the whole USA and I don’t think he was talking about the slab of concrete that all those bens, BMW’s and Range Rovers were parked on. So the first 2 schools you could go to homecoming in shorts and flip flops, but the 3rd school was pretty much just 2 proms had to get tuxedo’s, limos, flowers every thing like the homecoming mums and stuff. So if I owned a flower shop I would not display any of the $45 dollar ones. He probably already has his mind set on about how much he’s going to pay and like you say it takes just as long to make a $45 thing as it does a $150. Im willing to bet most men don’t see the big difference in the 2 and is more than likely going to go with the cheaper one even if he was planning to spend $150 to begin with so anything under $100 would not be visible for the walk-ins I would actually probably even go as far as putting a decoy $45 dollar one out for display. I wouldn’t deceive anyone i would just put a couple of my most expensive flowers out in a Vase so it would be real it would just look really small like if he got those for her it wouldn’t look like some extravagant Bouquet. I’m willing to bet 9/10 he doesn’t know what he’s looking at he just wants the biggest prettiest most colorful bouquet he can find for the cheapest he can find because he knows they will all be dead in a week anyway. Now I’m only speaking for myself, but as a man who been with the same woman for 23 years and been married for 17’of those and we celebrate the anniversary we started dating and our marriage anniversary and have 15 and a 13 year old daughters that’s a shit ton of anniversaries, Valentine’s days, mother’s day’s and 3 extravagant homecomings and 2 proms I have bought literally $1000’s worth of flowers my wife’s family is very wealthy her first car was one of the Lexus’ in that parking lot she got for her 15th birthday (for the record for my 15th birthday i got a pager) I also got a wife who loaves flowers and she got a wedding that had over 500 people I don’t know the cost of it, but I distinctly remember her telling me that the flowers alone were $70,000 dollars which makes me feel like a douche for even typing that out. So put the cheap flowers in the back men are generally pretty ignorant when it comes to flowers I’d probably buy a bouquet of weeds if you threw some baby breath flowers in there (I googled that just FYI).

[@Malika-B12]

You are amazing! Thank you so much for the info.

[@LittleBirdBloom]

YOU are amazing! Thank you for watching and i'm glad you enjoyed it. 😆