How to be a successful Florist

When florists combine their affinity for flowers with their expertise for arranging them, magic happens.
Inspired floral creations have the power to break silences, provide comfort and commemorate triumphs.
Those willing to accept the challenges of floral design enter a rewarding, but competitive industry.
Succeeding as a florist involves keeping customers satisfied and surpassing the ingenuity of your competitors.
So, what can you do to help you get seen, get clients and get your business moving forward?

Make sure you create a welcoming atmosphere.

It doesn’t matter if you work from home, in a studio or a shop you should make your clients feel welcome. Greet customers with a positive attitude and thoughtful advice. This gives customers confidence in your ability to handle their orders with professionalism. Make your workspace somewhere your clients want to visit, inject your personality too. Remember people buy from people so show yourself, your style, and your passion for your skill in here. Lots of photos of your work will help showcase your art

Assemble creative designs.

Fresh flowers deserve fresh ideas. Failing to provide innovative offerings can make you appear outdated so be creative. This reassures customers that their money is being well spent. Do not fall into the cliché that you have to follow the trend. Be creative, be different and show your style. Of course, its ok to use Pinterest for inspirations but always put your spin on it and make it your own. Be the trendsetter not the follower.

Stay organised.

Floral businesses can become chaotic as you balance fulfilling customer wishes with caring for flowers. Failing to keep clutter under control can easily lead to erroneous orders, malnourished inventory and frustrated customers. Take clear notes, paying attention to name spellings and relevant details. Use a filing system to prioritize orders and keep important documents secure. Tidy up preparation areas throughout the day.

Know your ideal client.

This may sound obvious, but do you know your ideal client? Without this knowledge you will have nobody to sell too! You cannot market to everyone so really work on getting this right. You cannot and will not appeal to everyone, and that is ok, you do not need to! Know your ideal client and market to them, they are all you need. Be brave and niche your offering to your ideal client and do not worry about everyone else.
Marketing., as a florist you will have an abundance of marketing opportunities so make sure you make the most of these. Are you visible on social media? If not, you should be as this is the perfect marketing platform. Remember your ideal client here, no more spraying and praying.

Do you know your business?

I realise that many blogs, books, etc. try to tell you that you need to focus on what you are good at and then outsource for the rest. But that is easier said than done! especially when you are starting out, its not always possible to outsource especially if the money isn’t coming in. If you cannot afford to hire other people to do parts of your business. You will have to wear the marketing hat, the accounting hat, the driver hat, etc. You will be on your feet for hours. You will have some late nights just working on an event. It’s a lot, but you can do this! It’s the drive that keeps you going, and things will change. But that said, outsource those jobs that someone else can do as soon as possible, sometimes you need to outsource to grow and ultimately that’s what you are striving to do.

I have a free Facebook group for new and aspiring florists so come and join us
https://www.facebook.com/groups/HFSbusinessinbloom/