Starting your own flower shop is a great way to share your love of nature and plants with others. However, just like starting any other business, opening a flower shop isn’t going to be an easy task. So to help ensure that you’re ready for all that this entails, here are three things to consider before starting your own flower shop.
Your Startup Costs
One of the first things you’ll need to think about as you consider opening a flower shop is how much this endeavor is going to cost. Often, people don’t think about all that needs to be accounted for in startup costs, which can make people think that opening a business, including a flower shop, is going to be less expensive than it actually proves to be.
Some of the costs that you’ll need to account for will include things like large equipment like a refrigeration unit or chiller and a delivery truck or van, the overhead for the building that you’ll be opening your shop in, materials to create your floral arrangements, the actual flowers that you’ll be using and selling, and all marketing and promotional materials to get the word out about your new shop. While some of these things can be done for relatively little money, none of these things are items that you’ll want to go without, so make sure you have enough money for these things before you get started with opening your flower shop.
Potential Additional Offerings
For many flower shops, just selling flowers and floral arrangements won’t generally be enough to make your shop successful. But luckily, there are all kinds of additional offerings you can bring to your customers.
If you also have a knack for teaching in addition to working with flowers, you might want to consider offering some arrangement or gardening classes after your shop is closed. Not only will this help you to bring in more money, but it can also help you to be seen as a real authority in this industry within your community.
Ways To Grow Your Local Network
Referrals are going to be a big deal in bringing more customers to your flower shop. Knowing this, you’re going to want to work on growing your local network of people who will choose to come to your shop over any other option in town.
To do this, consider making connections with the people in your community who work in the event space. Those involved in weddings, funerals, parties, and more are often asked for suggestions and referrals to great florists. So if you have good partnerships with these people, you can bring yourself a lot more business.
If you’re interested in starting your own flower shop, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you get off on the right foot.
