How to Open a Flower Shop Right | Six Things to do Before Starting

For more information about how to open a flower shop check out openaflowersho....
Have more questions? Ask in the comments!
Here are six things you need to do before starting a flower shop.
Number 1 - Volunteer to work in a flower shop. Even if you have arranged flowers in the past, it’s still a good idea to see how different shops operate and look over the owner’s shoulder to see what goes on behind the scenes. Look for a shop far enough away from where you plan to open so that you aren’t a threat to their business. There have been too many people who had this dream of quitting their job to start a flower shop and then spend their life savings to find out it wasn’t as fun as they thought it would be.
Number 2 - Go to an industry related conference to learn more about what’s happening in the industry and network with people who are doing what you want to do. This is a great opportunity to learn from their successes and failures and get advice for what you should be focusing on. These conferences are also great because you get to see many of the vendors and look at the products to sell in your shop. The Society of American Florists and International Floriculture Expo hold some of the largest events every year. The cost to attend isn’t cheap but the knowledge you can gain is more than worth it.
Number 3 - Get your plan written down. Write a business plan, no matter how informal, to get the ideas out of your head and on to paper. Sometimes things make sense in your head but when you write them down, it’s easier to see flaws. Share the plan with friends and mentors to get different perspectives to be sure you haven’t missed anything. Also be sure to spend some time on the numbers to see if this shop is feasible. There are free and paid business plan templates online or you can get help from a Small Business Development Center or SCORE for free help with your business plan.
Number 4 - Educate yourself on efficient production and inventory management. Flower shops are very fast paced during the big holidays like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day and you need a plan to get good seasonal people who can help when things get too busy for you to handle. If you are betting on just having friends and family help, be careful as they may not be there when you need them. Also, what is your plan for managing inventory and how will you balance the need to order for big holidays but not have too much left over to spoil? Flowers are perishable and their lifespan isn’t very long. Once they start to go bad, they aren’t sellable and there is no getting that money back.
Number 5 - Get your marketing plan in order. Why are people going to buy from you? What makes your shop better than the other options in your community? How are people going to find you? Many new store owners don’t want to budget much money to advertise and expect the sign on the front of the building along some social media will take care of their promotions. While there are some inexpensive options to market, those options take time and need to be consistent if they are going to be successful. Will you have the time for social media in addition to running the shop? Last, what is your plan to market online? Online only stores continue to take sales from retail stores and just creating a website for your store isn’t going to be enough. If people can’t find you online, you will be missing out on a considerable amount of online sales. Not sure how to do this? Start talking now with a digital marketing company to find the options and costs.
Number 6 - Work your connections. Do you have connections with funeral homes and wedding related businesses that your competitors don’t? Funerals and weddings typically make up over 30% of income for most flower shops and the volume of sales from these sources is often an indicator of whether a flower shop will be profitable or not. If you are in an area that has a competitor who has these locked up, you will be starting at a huge disadvantage.
Well, there you have it, six things you need to do before starting a flower shop. Running a flower shop is so much more than making nice flower arrangements and many people are not fully prepared for that reality. The good news is that anyone can learn, but be sure to take your time and get educated before investing your time and money to get started.
For more information about opening your flower shop, head over to Openaflowershop.com to get more tips and advice.

[@frankblanchardaifd9112]

As a floral industry educator, I am glad you hit some of the very important aspects of what it takes to open a flower shop. There is a whole lot more to it, but that was a good start. I have worked all aspects of the industry for 30+ years and I have witnessed so many give it a try only to close a few years later. My new KZbin channel will be focusing on making that connection between the creative and the business side of being successful in the industry. Great first information though, keep it up.

[@villagelifestyle1]

Definitely !!! she is doing very good job !!! Love from Pakistan,,,

[@sislertx]

Well.we.see u have had the channel for 2 years but posted nothing

[@DolceFioreRosa]

The appearance and personality of a florist seems to always look like they work with flowers; I’ve found them to be bright, happy, colorful, communicative and friendly people.

[@Cry.and.productive]

omg she's so beautiful i mean look at her eyes

[@lisatiller8500]

Worked in the floral business many years and still dabble in it. Only artistic eyes can succeed. I am blessed.🇺🇸

[@Ikacita]

Whenever I’m in a field of flowers I feel like a Disney princess ❤️💕🎉🌸

[@enkhtuyabuyanbaatar5412]

Thanks

[@Nikhilkumar-vv5qy]

Hey, Thank you for mentioning all the things in such a detailed manner, I'll definitely keep everything in my mind.

[@JaW247]

Sensible advice wherever you are in the world.

[@The_Middle_The]

Thank you so much for the video! it was informational and helped out with a few tips I was looking to know. thank so much for your knowledge and support :)

[@ucvillaruz]

Amazing informative nice presentation wonderfull sharing

[@mrmorgan6526]

Lovely STUFF.🌼🌸🌼🌸 from South Africa❤

[@openaflowershop]

Thanks!

[@L188Swk]

Thanks for the wonderful tips 💐

[@CardGameHeavencom]

Lujain S.A Thank you!

[@sisteroftheagiel1]

You just got a new subscriber!!! Great advice

[@hanhtrinh21ngay47]

Thanks for your advices

[@villagelifestyle1]

Very informative video . Love from Pakistan

[@jennydefleur2448]

wonderful tips

[@footballian9830]

Lovely

[@LilacDaisy2]

I've got the flower shop but as I get more orders, I need to know how to RUN a flower shop better. How to note which order goes to what address, with the right card message. It can get confusing, so once they're all delivered, I'm so relieved, I just about collapse, mentally.

[@nouxiong9091]

Can you do a video on certificates? Do one needs to be certified by someone to open up a shop?

[@11alliLo]

You don't

[@kimmykat89]

😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘

[@kimmykat89]

🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

[@kimmykat89]

😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@kimmykat89]

😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻

[@kimmykat89]

😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎

[@kimmykat89]

💍💍💍💍💍💍💍💍💍💍💍💍💍💍💍💍💍

[@alvindedal7538]

Hi! Anybody hiring florist ma’am

[@openaflowershop]

Sorry, but I don't have a list of open jobs. You may want to check Indeed.com.

[@alvindedal7538]

@@openaflowershop thank you very much for your good heart ma’am God bless