Embarking on the journey of opening a flower shop, much like any new venture, demands an abundance of hard work, passion, and unwavering commitment. Access to valuable information is also crucial in ensuring a successful start.
Reflecting on the experiences of starting a flower shop, there are certain key insights we wish we had known back then. Allow us to share 8 valuable lessons with you, and We’d love to hear your tips as well!
#1 – Florist Location
The location of a flower shop holds immense significance in shaping its success and visibility. A prime and strategic location can drive customer footfall, enhance brand recognition, and contribute to higher sales.Customer Traffic – A well-placed flower shop attracts more potential customers due to higher visibility and accessibility.
Brand Exposure – Being situated in a prominent area increases brand exposure, making the shop more recognizable.
Competition Advantage – A strategic location can set the flower shop apart from competitors, leading to a stronger market position. Local SEO – The shop’s proximity to local landmarks helps in local search engine optimization (SEO), making it easier for customers to find the shop online. Foot Traffic – A bustling area with heavy foot traffic can lead to spontaneous purchases and repeat business.
#2 – Florist Operations
Running a flower shop involves a combination of creative flair, business acumen, and effective management. From sourcing and arranging flowers to financial management, various aspects contribute to the success of a flower shop.
Sourcing and Inventory Management – Forge connections with dependable flower suppliers and growers, uphold a varied stock of fresh blooms, plants, and floral essentials, and introduce streamlined inventory tracking mechanisms to avert surplus or scarcity. Store Layout and Presentation – Craft an inviting store layout that effectively showcases products, utilizing creative displays to accentuate seasonal offerings and new arrivals, all while maintaining a clean, organized environment that resonates with your brand’s aesthetic. Delivery and Logistics – Provide customers with convenient and punctual delivery services by implementing efficient routes, careful packaging for maintaining arrangement freshness, clear communication of delivery details, and effective order tracking. Quality Control – Maintain the freshness and quality of flowers through appropriate storage and care, regularly examine products for signs of wilting or damage prior to sale, and establish consistent quality standards to meet customer expectations. Financial Management – Create a budget encompassing expenses like rent, utilities, and staffing; analyze sales trends to inform pricing and promotions; and employ cost-saving methods while upholding product and service quality.
#3 – Florist Staffing
When it comes to staffing your flower shop, finding the right team members can greatly impact your business’s success. Here are some key considerations and bullet points to keep in mind: Experienced Florists – Hiring skilled and experienced florists ensures that your floral arrangements are of high quality and match customer preferences. Having designers with a flair for creativity can set your shop apart with unique and appealing arrangements. Customer-Focused Sales Associates – Friendly and knowledgeable sales associates can provide exceptional customer service, assisting clients with their choices and inquiries. Delivery Team – Reliable delivery personnel are crucial to ensure that orders reach customers on time and in perfect condition. Administrative Staff – Administrative roles, such as bookkeeping and scheduling, keep the shop organized and running efficiently. Seasonal Workers – During peak seasons or special occasions, temporary staff can help manage increased workloads.
#4 – Florist Marketing
In the competitive world of floral businesses, effective marketing strategies are essential to attract customers and build a strong brand presence. A well-thought-out marketing plan can help your flower shop stand out and thrive in the market. Here are some key strategies and ideas to consider for your flower shop marketing: Social Media Engagement – Generate eye-catching social media posts featuring your exquisite floral creations. Interact actively with your followers on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Organize exciting contests or giveaways to stimulate the creation of user-generated content Local Partnerships – Collaborate with local event planners, wedding venues, and gift shops to offer special discounts to customers referred by these partners, and actively participate in community events to enhance your local presence. Online Presence – Create a user-friendly website featuring your products and services, incorporating online ordering and delivery options for customer convenience, and optimize it for local search to enhance visibility in relevant online searches. Email Marketing – Create and maintain an email list comprising customers and interested parties, sending out periodic newsletters featuring updates, promotions, flower care tips, and personalized messages for special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries. Customer Reviews and Testimonials – Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on platforms like Google and Yelp, and display customer testimonials on your website and social media pages to build trust and credibility among potential customers.
#5 – Florist Wire Services
Florist wire services, while convenient and widely accessible, come with a range of limitations and drawbacks that can impact your floral business. Here are some examples: Reduced Profit Margins – Florist wire services often charge a significant percentage of the total order value as a commission or fee for their services. This cuts into the florist’s profit margins, making it difficult for them to maintain healthy financial sustainability. Lack of Creative Control – Florists take pride in their artistic abilities and the unique designs they create for their customers. When using florist wire services, they might have limited creative control over the arrangements they produce. These services often impose specific design templates or limit customization options, which can hinder florists’ ability to express their creativity and provide customers with truly personalized arrangements. Quality Control Issues – Florist wire services typically involve transmitting orders from customers to local florists through an intermediary platform. This intermediary role can lead to miscommunication, delays, or even errors in order fulfillment. Florists might receive incomplete or inaccurate information about orders, leading to dissatisfaction among customers and potentially tarnishing the florist’s reputation for factors beyond their control. Dependency on External Platforms – Relying heavily on florist wire services means florists become dependent on third-party platforms for a significant portion of their business. This dependence can leave florists vulnerable to changes in the wire service’s policies, fees, or business practices. Negative Impact on Brand Identity – Florists differentiate themselves from competitors based on their unique style, quality, and reputation. Engaging extensively with florist wire services can dilute this brand identity, as the florists’ work might be perceived as interchangeable or generic due to the constraints imposed by wire service platforms.
#6 – Florist Software
Florist Point Of Sale – A dedicated point of sale system is crucial for florists as it efficiently processes orders, track customer preferences, delivery routing, and more. Florist Website – A florist website is essential for florists as it serves as a digital storefront, allowing them to showcase stunning arrangements and reach a broader online audience. Florist Wedding/Event Manager – A dedicated florist wedding/event software streamlines the intricate process of wedding/event planning, ensuring every detail is flawlessly executed, from bouquet designs to venue decorations. This specialized tool can produce professional and beautiful contracts and proposals. [optin-monster-inline slug=”y2tossmz9nfcwlkliwqs”] Independent solutions – Independent floral software provides florists with a versatile platform to manage orders, track inventory, and create stunning arrangements, enhancing their business efficiency. With features tailored for the floral industry, it empowers florists to bloom their creativity and streamline operations seamlessly.
#7 – Florist Credit Card Processing
Florists, like many businesses, rely heavily on credit card processing to facilitate smooth transactions with their customers. Whether you operate a small local flower shop or manage a larger floral business, understanding the nuances of credit card processing is crucial. Payment Security and Compliance – Protecting your customers’ payment information is paramount. Ensure that your credit card processing system complies with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) requirements. Transparent Pricing and Fees – When choosing a credit card processing provider, carefully review their fee structure. Fees can include interchange rates, processing fees, chargeback fees, and more. Understand the different pricing models, such as flat-rate and interchange-plus pricing, and choose the one that aligns with your business’s transaction volume and needs. Recurring Billing for Subscriptions or Events – Many florists offer subscription services or handle event orders such as weddings and corporate functions. Having the ability to set up recurring billing for these types of orders can save time and effort. Batch Processing – Familiarize yourself with batch processing, which involves settling your daily credit card transactions at the end of the business day. This process ensures that funds are transferred to your business bank account. Customer Experience – Smooth and efficient credit card processing contributes to a positive customer experience. Make sure your POS system is user-friendly and doesn’t cause delays during checkout.
#8 – Florist Community
Florist Advice – Lean on other florists for advice with free Facebook florist communities. Some are invite-only, so be in touch with other florists to find the most popular communities. Local Floral Diversity – A florist community plays a crucial role in maintaining and promoting local floral diversity. By offering a wide variety of flowers and plants, florists help preserve unique species that might otherwise be overlooked, contributing to a healthier ecosystem and preserving local botanical heritage. Boosting Local Economies – A florist community can significantly boost local economies. Florists create jobs, support local growers and suppliers, and contribute to tourism by attracting visitors who want to experience the beauty of the area’s flora. Community Engagement and Education – Florist communities often engage with the local population through workshops, classes, and events centered around floral design, gardening, and plant care. These educational opportunities not only enhance people’s skills and creativity but also foster a sense of belonging and connection within the community. Cultural and Social Significance: Florists often provide arrangements for important cultural and social events, such as weddings, funerals, and celebrations. They contribute to the beauty and ambiance of these occasions, enhancing the overall experience and helping people express their emotions and sentiments through flowers. Want more info on getting started in the flower business? Check out our articles on increasing florist profits and our florist survey on opening a flower shop.Other Popular Florist-Related Articles
What Are Flower Wire Services?
Swoon-Worthy Flower Shop Interior Designs
Easiest Way to Increase Flower Shop Profits | Upselling 101
5 Ways to Get People Into Your Flower Shop
Top 10 Essential Books For Florists
Top 10 Of The World’s Weirdest Flowers
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This is all great info! I’ve been in biz for 7 years now and the main thing I would have liked to know is to NEVER be a member of any wire service ever. I was only a member of Teleflora for 6 months but it was 6 months of loss. Thanks for all the other great advice though!!
hi chase i was wondering if you could answer me a few questions i live in a small town 3,200 people we once had a flower shop 3 dif times as of right now we dont have one so im askin if you started from the bottom meaning did you have your own building did you buy one and start from there as its like ok i got 35,000 i want to open and start a flower shop any suggestions for me id greatfully appreciate them i know how to fix arrangements im a wiz at glowing plants from cuttins and seeds as well in my home ive got like 200 plants vary in sizes ive gwon from cuttings from friends etc
I agree with the last comment, Teleflora is an expensive wire service and I feel like I’m working for them and not myself! I also bought their POS system and I feel like I’m now stuck with them since they own the software and they would be the only ones to service my system. What did I get myself into ?
Hi Silvia,
Unfortunately we realized what you have gotten yourself into. It happens to a lot of florists. We found that we were paying about $8000/yr fees just to keep DOVE because we could not cut the wire service and only keep DOVE. After some serious consideration we decided to cut from Teleflora and use a popular web based POS and cant be happier. It is up to you to decide when to cut your losses.
Your cant make money with TF or 1800F so dump TF. At lease with 1800F you can work the system. Only take orders that are greater than $60 and if less ask for a price increase. $60 is the typical make money point. Since 1800F punishes you for handling more orders/month figure out what your sales to cost ratio is and track the number of orders. If you get close to that point stop taking orders. Remember you make money handling a few higher priced orders rather than a bunch of low value orders.
Good luck
Max
Can I ask what POS system you do use?
Thank you
Hi Max
what is the ” popular web based POS” that you are using??? I would love to know!
One of the biggest things I learnt while buying for 230 stores was the art of the”tipping point” that fine line where the vendor will reduce costs of product and you can make money. As an example…one question I learnt to ask was” what quantity do I need to purchase to bring down the cost?” or if I purchase 150 instead of 100, what is the difference in my cost? learning to work on a projected profit. Example: I want to make a profit of “X $s” If my cost is “Y” how much do I have to charge to make that profit?( Keeping in mind a % for shrink /dumpage… hope that makes sense!
*learned
I was a member of Teleflora for a very short time….very bad experience, although I did not get talked into their POS. system. I am a member of Flowershopnetwork and have been extremely happy.
Hi, I have been Wondering about flowershopnetwork.
How many orders you get a month?I don’t know anyone who has this, any info would be great …thanks so much, julie
It’s funny, I realized it after being in business for only 3 months and using the wire services them for only 3 months. I contacted the president of the company and demanded to be released from obligation of continuing.
The retail florists need to form a consumer advocacy group alerting the public to steer clear of these order gatherers (and how to recognize them) and we should try to get federal or state legislation passed against the wire companies and order gatherers to remain in business.
Absolutely! Do everything you can to tell our friends family and strangers to stay away from TF / FTD and 1800F. These vampires don’t care about the consumer like you do. Work on your customer base and put the wire services last. If an order is delivered late put a note in the order explaining the problem and to use their local florist.
Max
I was considering connecting with a wire service like FTD/ 1800F, so I am grateful to have read all of your advice. I will steer clear of such services. Thank you for sharing this information.
I Couldn’t agree with these posts more! If all of the flower shops would just drop Ftd, Teleflora and 1800 flowers, all of the order gathering sites would go under and flower shops would take their business back and find much success! I’ve had nothing but problems with these services. Back in June of last year I processed over $2000 worth of orders for FTD and my check was $506. That finally did it for me even though I wasn’t real happy with them to begin with. If shop owners/ managers would carefully look over their statements, they would be blown away at all the fees. Unfortunately, I’ve spoken with several shops that don’t check their statements. Since I dropped Ftd, my online orders have quadrupled.
That is my thought also….. years ago our AFS REP explained sending out orders made $$$$$ 20% of sale, wire out fee and a$3.00 rebate. So on $100.00 order you make $20. + wire out fee$10. + 3.00 = $33.00 for not much effort. So order gathers jumped on this great deal. So win win for gathers and Teleflora ( AFS ) plus the receiving florist is charged a dove fee. As the filling florist you start with a negative $23.00. Which in some cases, already starts for a complaint from consumer, because the filling florist is already working on a smaller budget and Teleflora is promoting the product about $15 to $20 less so my point being……it’s backward. The receiving florist should get a bonus for filling the order. NOW AS FAR AS GETTING TOGETHER AS A GROUP WOULD BE AWESOME! ON STATE OR NATIONAL LEVEL. WE NEED TO TAKE OUR INDUSTRY BACK! Have y’all checked out the reviews for Teleflora.! The orde gathers are killing us. Some customers are deciding not to send flowers because of the bad customer se vice. Of Teleflora and the order gathers.
Hi I would like to know how much does it cost to open a flower shop in Canberra ? I do not know you are in Australia or another country
Thanks
HA
Great ideas here guys! Any ideas on how to alert the general public about the wire services? I try to educate everyone I come in contact with, especially my customers. I want to put something on youtube but not sure if that is effective or not… any ideas???
After working at many flower shops nationwide and as a sales rep for a floral wholesaler I have found many great PLUS’ for florists to make it in this industry. Be modern, clean, unique. Offer excellent customer service. Even if you have to hire staff that is just for customer service/sales. Organization is key. The best shops I’ve worked in or sold to were not with any wire service and they specialized in something… weddings, events, funeral work…etc.
I just signed up for Teleflora, but only through email & sending in an application for them. They are suppose to come here and put Dove on my computer in two days. They sent me all the books , the guide, etc, and a few cases of product (for signing up) I’m probably in too far now to pull out arent I?
There’s always a grace period for cancellation. The grace period usually starts when you received the products which in Teleflora case, its their book. I have been a member of Teleflora for 6weeks now and received my first cheque with them. I only received $117 out of the $500worth orders I did for the billing period. That’s without the monthly payment yet because we asked for 6months free membership with them. Imagine how much money I will be receiving if I still have to pay monthly membership? Out of that $117 I received from Teleflora, I paid courier charges plus the materials. Lost of money. With FTD, I have been a member for 7months now. Unfortunately, I locked myself in with them for one year. I received a cheque with them worth $800 after doing orders worth $3000+. FTD charges $1.75 upon receiving an order whether you accept it or no. Another $1.75 when you reject it & sent delivery confirmation. A penalty of $2.75 for late delivery confirmation. All orders must be rejected within 2 hours or you will be penalized monetary. Any member florist can forward you orders 24hours/day 7days a week so you need to suspend your system. And then there’s another fee of $1.75 per suspension the system just so you wont get penalized in case somebody sent you an order while you are closed. And then another $1.75 for resuming the system. So you get yourself out while you can & dont lock yourself into contract with them. You will regret it.
I am opening a flower shop what are some good companies to buy from.. Trying to decide what to have In my shop.
I’m from Mississippi and I want to started my own flower shop . Where should I get my flowers from .
I’m a high school student who wants to be a florist once I graduate high school . What education will I need to become a florist ? Should I attend my high schools vocational program for Horticulture? and another question, kind of random, Would a BioScience Degree be helpful to me at all?
thanks
el
I am currently opening my own floral shop. I took Floral Design in High School and Floral Design in college level, also horiculture it all helped me a lot to get where I am at now. If you are trying to be a florist working under someone those skills should be enough to get you going. If you want to open your own business I suggest you work part time while you learn the business and then jump into full time. It takes time to get your name out there. I started at age 16 my own part time business i am 27 now and can officially say I know enough about the industry to open my own. I was able to get my Bachelors in Agriculture and now my MBA i collected a lot of soft skills in the workforce that has helped me which is what I recommend. Hope this helps good luck!
This comment is super helpful! I’m also about to start college and am planning on completing a bachelor’s degree with a horticulture major and a minor in business. I’ve been really worried that the horticulture major won’t prove to be very helpful in someday owning my own floral business, but seeing that someone went a similar route is comforting!
Horticulture is a brilliant starting point , I also studied floriculture and business, also check your local area for floristry classes, raid your friends and families garden and start practicing!
hi
I’m thinking of opening my own flower-shop.I love flowers and I have kind of talent in designing flowers … but I have no experience in this field . can you help me with your own experiences and information? I appreciate
Hi did you open flower shop ?if yes could you recommend me what should I do becouse Iam very interested to have flower shop
How did you make out with your Flower Shop idea ?
Hi I want to open the flower shop Iam very interested to have it but I don’t know how to do it ,I want to know can I take some corses ?
A marketing degree or associate would be very helpful
Very interesting information for a’ consumer’ like me! I will vent that I recently ordered from an online suite that I THOUGHT was local and when I called them and spoke personally about when they were located they were very vague and obviously were NOT local! I was very disappointed! The online business lied about who they were. Now I know better! Thanks for posting this information.
Thanks for all the good advice.. I only been in business for 1 month & I’m trying to figure out how to boost my sales. I’ll also like to know what other items I can sell that customers buy on impulse. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
My family has owned/operated a floral business for over 50 years… and in rural western Pennsylvania has manage to remain profitable despite many competitors going out of business. The value of having grown up learning and understanding the business is invaluable. By trade, I’m an accountant and I continue to look for growth opportunities and what’s unique about the floral business is that most are independent or family owned which makes striking back or campaigning against big national online wire services. There must be local, state and regional floral associations… why do they not launch a marketing campaign. We all know the “Pork is the new white meat” campaign or “Got Milk”… these aren’t companies, they’re industry. I would propose a united front supporting only FTD and I bet FTD would pay for the campaign. It’s not just wire services that’s eroded floral business… it Walmart and your local grocer. We know those flowers aren’t fresh… but the public doesn’t. I would go so far as to track vendors… they either support the florists or Walmart but NOT both. I’m quite serious about taking over the business and grow it. Am I delusional?
Cindy: if you check your contract I believe you have 30 days to cancel everything. Please review all the emails you have received from them.. Wish you the best of luck!
I would tell all the newbies to the flower word.It’s not as it seems,it’s bad as it look’s,so be aware!!!911,I’ve found after 20 yr’s in business,ask questions,I had teleflora ,I eliminated the dove system because I wasn’t getting any orders.My orders were coming from Avas Flowers,They only work with you on orders if you have 1 of the 3 wire services.The best credit machine service that I’ve found is Groupon Merchant Services-they done charge you until you get up to $5000 before they start charging,you also can link up with American Express thru them.The best greenery place is Fern Trust-cheapest I’ve found,Fresh Flowers Direct Farms,Tammy is the best.Stay away from 1800flowers,Ftd,Teleflora if you have them give you orders over the phone.No free website,no dove .For the florist that just signed with teleflora for the dove,,cancel it ,don’t let them install it.If you don’t want to join them,change your bank account and keep moving!!!
It seems my funeral business has dropped drastically over the last eight years. One of my competitors seems to get the lion’s share of the business. I am at a loss as to what marketing/advertising to do to get more of the sympathy business. Open for suggestions…
The funeral business is an old boy’s club. Literally start sending things to the funeral homes. Offer them a kickback. Grease some palms.
I purchased a Flower Shop in Pine Colorado, from a lady that was retiring. Part of the Sale was a list of Customers in the area to market to. Big Mistake. Those customers were no longer in the area and half the name were other florists. Make sure you focus on cashflow, not on customer lists.
I joined FTD 3 months free. BIG MISTAKE. It is difficult to confirm a delivery from the top of a mountain where there is no cell service. Cancelled with them and still continued to threat with bills for late confirmations etc. USE FSN they are wonderful and help you with your marketing. My shop closed after 1 year. I was blinded by the wire services and the seller! My mistake. Learned from it. I did love the work but made no money doing it. Wire service ultimately killed the business.
This information is goal. I’m in the process of opening up my own flower shop in Miami Fl and it’s great to have a list of things you need to know I order to run the shop. It’s useful rather than going at it with a blind eye. Thanks!
Wow! So much great information for starting a florist shop. My sister loves flowers and wants to become a florist, so I will definitely be letting her know about this.
I’m considering buying a Floral business that has been around for 25 years. The last eight years it was owned by a new person. What would be some important questions for me to ask and get anwers for?
It wouldn’t happen to be in Schaumburg, IL would it?
I have been thinking about opening a small business working put of my house. I am really passes about flowers and would love to start this side of business, but I am not sure what to do. Can someone please provide me some information? Where should I start, what Do I need to know?
It is interesting to learn about the necessities of opening up a flower shop. I did not know that flowers needed to be trimmed every three days if not sold. Another good idea for someone starting a flower shop would be to have a passion for flowers and to know about them on a deeper level than other people.
Wonderful post but I was wondering if you could write a litte more on this topic?
I’d be very thankful if you could elaborate a little bit more.
Thank you!
A similar question please: I am considering buying an established florist business. What are the top questions to ask please? All advice very gratefully received. Thank you all!
Thank you for your sharing <3.
I'm studying to open an unique flower shop.
After finish I will share you my experience also.
Love you
Hi Everyone!
Thank you for all your time to share these great tips! I became an independent florist this year and am working towards …. well my ultimate goal is to have my own shop! But I have a question that I would so appreciate some input on. Right now- I have a few trusted vendors I get my flowers from… but it isn’t the flower market where most florists go. I have some local shops who know what I do and we have a nice report. So when I get orders,…I shop for them one by one as they come in… so right now I am trying to figure out when a customer gives me their budget… what is a common breakdown of what goes to flowers &supplies what goes for my time/design… aka my profit? I have played with some different ways to do it. I have 6 orders coming for thanksgiving and I want to make sure I make some money while #1 is giving my customers amazing arrangements!!! But I can’t move forward without something to show for my work 🙂 Can someone share their best breakdown for me? I would be so appreciative
Yes just to give you an idea of easy breakdown.for hard good supplies used /vases etc add total of these materials and multiply by 2or 3 depending on what your market area will bear .. then take the cost of all of your florals and multiply that by four or five also depending on what the market will bear in your area I usually do very well with this formula
I saw a post regarding FTD and how they’re not really responsible for the erosion of the floral TRADE. Yes the grocery stores and Walmart have done some damage… As a matter fact lots of damage. Just looking to help many companies FTD owns they bought out sherries berries they have a gift website they have apps and The biggest competition that FTD has against the flower shops that they take money from for membership, is ProFlowers. FT owns ProFlowers and they’ve cut into the market that there florists work for. I think that’s a punch in the gut! I dropped Ftd Credit steer I was supposed to get my last check at the end of January, according to one of their telephone operators. I’ve called twice and I was told no it’s going to take 120 days and then I was told it was going to take 2 to 3 months and then finally my Rep emailed me and said “no it’ll be four months .” Avoid the wire services at all costs. It is not beneficial to you whatsoever.
Normally, I like to buy products from online market place.
It’s hassle free to me and flexible almost. There are various shopping websites in the online market.
Shoppingmallus.com is the most preferable to me as I trust this website most.
Really this is an awesome website as I believe.
I think this is a great format and very educational. I think it is wonderful when people work to help each other from making the same mistake. I would of most likely learned a very expensive lesson if not for this, so thank you everyone, for your unselfishness in sharing your experience.
Best wishes to all of you.
Susan Johnson
Hi there,
I own flower shop in Boston for a little bit more than 2 years now and I just joined TF recently because of the free trial period. I have been receiving good orders ranging from $95 to $300 so far (Haven’t received my first check though) I’m not sure if this is something I should be cautioned. Based on comments above, this doesn’t seem to be a good opportunity at all. I’m wondering if I should stop now? Any advises will be much appreciated.
Thank you,
Suphoj
Hi all
Thank you for all your posts, helps the newbees like myself a lot. I just recetly opened my business and meed some help to get started. Can someone please let me know what my next stp is to make sales? Do I have to create my website first in order to do sales? What company do I use to get sales?
Please provide anything you can.
I am completely new to this business.
Thank you
It is interesting to learn about the necessities of opening up a flower shop. I did not know that flowers needed to be trimmed every three days if not sold. Another good idea for someone starting a flower shop would be to have a passion for flowers and to know about them on a deeper level than other people.
As a florist shop owner, do you have to wake up at 3am to get the flowers from central markets every day? I heard someone saying this…is it true? Also, how much can one expect to make from a not huge flower shop business?
Thank you
Thanks for the information you provided, I really need it to open an online flower shop.
I am opening a flower shop what are some good companies to buy from.. Trying to decide what to have In my shop.
In September of 2015, I bought a small flower shop and it had FTD, Bloomnet and Teleflora. It had the Dove system and credit card. They threatened to shut it off if I didn’t sign a paper immediately. I signed it and assumed the previous owner’s loan with them on the Dove system. They had a rep to come and he signed me for things I had never heard of. I was new and had no idea. They took out 20% of all my credit card orders and 5 times in 2016 they took out the whole 100%. I didn’t know what was going on until V D when they took out 20% and we were not taking any wire orders or from our website. I called and found out that they had it set up to take 20%. I told them that I didn’t want that and asked for the guy who was my rep. Come to find out, he was fired right after he had signed me up and never was told. In June, they took out 100% for 2 weeks and I called then went in person all the way down to AR to talk to them. The guy found over $1,200 in charges that I should never have been charged. They have done it to me again when I thought they had changed it to where all I would have were the Dove and website. I am about to have to close the doors because of Teleflora. I have called them and they said they would keep doing it until I agree that they can take 20% of my credit cards again. I have about had a nervous breakdown and haven’t been able to function because of this greedy company. Now the rep that they put me with will not return my calls. How do I get my web address from them and get them terminated so I could go with you?
Hi Teresa-
Lets discuss this further via a phone call please feel free to reach me at (415)906-2850 x 723 or at [email protected]
I began using Bloomnet in February of 2017. It is now September 2017. I have fulfilled over $5000 in order, and Bloomnet has paid me a total of $543.57. After emails to my Bloomnet consultant month after month, I have finally had enough. This is bad! I have spent a lot of money on vendors buying the flowers to fulfill the orders for Bloomnet, delivering and gas, time wasted on having to call customer service to remind then, ” Hey! we dont deliver to that town!” Them sending me orders on Sundays, when we arent open on Sundays, then them charging me Timely Reply Fees for not replying on a Sunday. And then them not being able to help me out and reverse false fees. The list goes on and on! Today on 9/12/17 I emailed my consultant and let her know that I need to get paid! I need to get paid! Where is my money! She replys and says of well these fees, these other fees, then these other fees as well. In the end leaving me with nothing! She then told me I had two options, either cancel my account or get better at my job! This drew the last straw for me! I called to cancel Bloomnet and I will never make the mistake of using a wire service again! I will embark on a journey to spread the word to florists , NOT TO USE BLOOMNET!
Thankyou so much. I want to open a online flower shop and your information very important for me.
Wish you make the desire to open a shop, there will be a beautiful flower shop with many beautiful flowers bring happiness to every customer.
Very interesting information for a’ consumer’ like me! I will vent that I recently ordered from an online suite that I THOUGHT was local and when I called them and spoke personally about when they were located they were very vague and obviously were NOT local! I was very disappointed! The online business lied about who they were. Now I know better! Thanks for posting this information.
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The knowledge is useful, that is all that is needed for a professional flower shop
One of our biggest funeral homes in the area has an option to send flowers via The SympathyStore by Life Tributes. Does anybody have info on this company? Also, I was speaking to a florist who mentioned a wire service that actually allows the florist to receive 100% of the money from sales but she didnt know the name. She said flowershop.com or something like that…anybody know what she’s talking about? Thanks in advance. p.s. I totally agree that we, as florists should stand up to these companies that are totally ruining this industry. We should create a FB page or something and put our ideas together…if we all work together, we can change things.
I have recently started a web site, the info you offer on this web
site has helped me greatly. Thanks for all of your time & work.
Thank you for your article, I learned a lot of experience for myself. Learn to put flowers to create beautiful flowers.
Would love to hear more ideas about low-cost marketing for florists!
Any information on how the Symphathy Store by Life Tributes works? Does the company pay the funeral home for using their website? Thanks! I am new to the florist industry.
Thanks for your information. I’m thinking about joining the wire services when I run my flower business. They spend much money on advertising and get a lot of customers. But the cost and fee for the service are huge.
Hi and thanks for sharing your info. Itsort of upsets me , because my friend Essabelle Johnson used Teleflora and it was ok.
Thank you! Do you also offer soft ware on A BUSINESS PLAN ?
Thanks for the information you provided, I really need it to open an online flower shop.
Asking questions are genuinely nice thing if you are not understanding anything totally, but this
paragraph gives good understanding even.
Thanks for the information you provided, I really need it to open an online flower shop.
The knowledge is useful, that is all that is needed for a professional flower shop
Thanks for the information you provided, I’m thinking about joining the wire services when I run my flower business, I really need it to open an online flower shop.
Thanks for all the good advice.. I only been in business for 1 month & I’m trying to figure out how to boost my sales. I’ll also like to know what other items I can sell that customers buy on impulse. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Hi There,
Nice post! Thanks for Sharing this kind of valuable information with us, Worth to read. I would like to share some additional information regards flower delivery startup, Starting an app based flower business will be the great startup idea in nowadays. So If anyone planning to start a flower business?then, take a look at on demand flower delivery app solutions.
I would like to get more information
Thanks for the information you provided, I’m thinking about joining the wire services when I run my flower business, I really need it to open an online flower shop.
Thanks for this practical sharing. I have just opened the shop for a while. When reading through the article, there are really many shortcomings in this area.
Thank you for this article to help me gain my knowledge and I really need it to manage and open an online store.
I like the way you explained every segments clearly. The market for online flower delivery services is growing with each passing day. Entrepreneurs can capitalize on the growing demands for doorstep services with a robust flower delivery application.
Sending a bouquet of flowers to someone is a sign to show that you care … She said that she had a male colleague leave her a bouquet of flowers on he
I’ve wanted to open a flower shop for a long time. I live in Southern California so it’s very expensive here.
I am on the same page when it comes to Teleflora. Whenever someone would get screwed over in some way we would say, “you got Teleflorad!” Meaning F’d over, LOL! You don’t have to own a business to know Teleflora over charges and wrongly charges-look through your invoices carefully. My sister does accounting and got my friend over $11,000 back in wrong charging from Teleflora.
Are there people out there without a store front doing well? Is there any advice anyone has for me on the best way to start a florist business at home. I have a lot of supplies and have been a florist for 16 years I’m just afraid of all the costs in California.
Thanks for sharing how delivery confirmations are expected by customers. I wouldn’t want to buy flowers if I couldn’t get them delivered. That way I could surprise my wife while she’s at work.
My daughter is buying a flower shop. The current owners have FTD and want her to take it over as part of her purchase. From reading the comments, it seems like there is no way to make a profit with FTD. Is that accurate? Is there any way to use FTD and make a profit? Will she purchase their contract as is or will she have an option to turn down some of the services in the contract? Thanks!!
Hi Jennifer – wire services like FTD are not a good deal for florists. They will promise order flow and then take a massive percentage of orders, forcing you to create sub par arrangements. In the era if online reviews, this will generate negative ratings for your business.
You can certainly negotiate a sale by buying the brand of the business, not the existing corporation with outstanding contracts with a wire service.
We would love if you would consider Floranext for your florist website and point of sale!
I agree that florists should stay up on Google and Yelp. Those reviews will determine if someone will come to their store or not. It can be hard for a florist to succeed these days because of COVID-19 so positive reviews will carry them a long way.
That’s a complete guide to open a flower shop. Thanks for sharing this informative post. Many local florists are struggling out there while planning to open their floral shop. This is really helpful for them!
This is good! It will greatly add to my current knowledge about flower business.
we have learned. Let us know your tips also!
Please have someone contact me about your services. Thank you.
It’s great that you elaborated on the importance of planning to execute the process and production properly. My nephew mentioned to me last night that he is looking for a flower delivery service for the anniversary of his girlfriend, and asked me if I have any idea what is the best option to do. Thanks to this informative article and I’ll be sure to tell him that he can consult a trusted local flower delivery as they can answer all their inquiries.
Such a great post
I’m thoroughly impressed by your comprehensive approach. Your strategic suggestions, especially concerning networking within the local community, prompt a thought about collaborating with nearby event planners or wedding venues to enhance mutual visibility. In addition to your technology insights, considering a user-friendly mobile app for convenient ordering could tap into the ever-growing mobile user base. Your emphasis on eco-friendly practices creates a chance to explore partnerships with local eco-conscious organizations, adding a unique touch to the shop’s ethos. Your article is a wealth of inspiration for budding florists.
Hi, Thank you so much for your post! I am trying to help my moms struggling flower shop by bringing it into the 21st century!
such a good article
Thanks for sharing such information.