Stephanie Beener - How to Open & Operate a Financially Successful Florist and Floral Business

Revised 2nd Edition

How to Open & Operate a Financially Successful

Florist and Floral Business

Both Online and Off

By Stephanie Beener and Constance H. Marse

A few years back we lost our beloved pet dog Bear, who was not only our best and dearest friend but also the Vice President of Sunshine here at Atlantic Publishing. He did not receive a salary but worked tirelessly 24 hours a day to please his parents.

Bear was a rescue dog who turned around and showered myself, my wife, Sherri, his grandparents Jean, Bob, and Nancy, and every person and animal he met (well, maybe not rabbits) with friendship and love. He made a lot of people smile every day.

We wanted you to know a portion of the profits of this book will be donated in Bears memory to local animal shelters, parks, conservation organizations, and other individuals and nonprofit organizations in need of assistance.

Douglas and Sherri Brown

PS: We have since adopted two more rescue dogs: first Scout, and the following year, Ginger. They were both mixed golden retrievers who needed a home.

Want to help animals and the world? Here are a dozen easy suggestions you and your family can implement today:

• Adopt and rescue a pet from a local shelter.
• Support local and no-kill animal shelters.
• Plant a tree to honor someone you love.
• Be a developer put up some birdhouses.
• Buy live, potted Christmas trees and replant them.
• Make sure you spend time with your animals each day.
• Save natural resources by recycling and buying recycled products.
• Drink tap water, or filter your own water at home.
• Whenever possible, limit your use of or do not use pesticides.
• If you eat seafood, make sustainable choices.
• Support your local farmers market.
• Get outside. Visit a park, volunteer, walk your dog, or ride your bike.

Five years ago, Atlantic Publishing signed the Green Press Initiative. These guidelines promote environmentally friendly practices, such as using recycled stock and vegetable-based inks, avoiding waste, choosing energy-efficient resources, and promoting a no-pulping policy. We now use 100-percent recycled stock on all our books. The results: in one year, switching to post-consumer recycled stock saved 24 mature trees, 5,000 gallons of water, the equivalent of the total energy used for one home in a year, and the equivalent of the greenhouse gases from one car driven for a year.

Preface

Although it seems to be all smiles and buckets of flowers, the floral industry has some fierce competition. Many businesses fail because owners were not prepared for what the industry threw at them after they opened. This book will help you learn the many aspects of the trade to prevent the same from happening to you. It is wise to learn as much as you can about every aspect of floral commerce before opening your doors. You must make sure this industry is for you. A common misconception is that working with flowers is easy. Although it is fun, it is also extremely hard work, and shop owners must be determined and willing to sacrifice many hours when they first open. Many functions of the business might have little to do with working with flowers. You also must determine whether there is a market and whether you can specialize, find a specific niche to make your company more lucrative. Before opening, it is always wise to educate yourself so you will understand the different aspects of business, finance, accounting, legal matters, employees, customer service, suppliers, your shop, and product care. This book will introduce you to all the basic ideas and concepts you will need to start your own business. Keep reading to learn more.

Chapter 1: Is This for You?

Getting Started

Florists do many tasks on a daily basis, and they do many periodically. Before you decide whether this business is for you, you need to learn the basic ins and outs of how it is run. It is certainly not all just flowers and arranging. Getting into the floral business also requires business knowledge. You will need to develop business and marketing plans. You will also will need to have a firm grasp on financing and accounting. Management skills are a necessity, especially if you plan to hire employees. You also must have strong customer service skills. A basic knowledge of the legal issues that can occur when dealing with people and business is essential. Having an eye on the future and is also ideal. We will touch on all these issues and more throughout this book.