5 Floral Business Lessons from a Flower Shop Kid
Father’s Business in a 140 year old Victorian Home, Lavender and Lace Florist
Mantua, NJ
Being in the floral industry, we all have our "story." You know the one, the one where you take a deep breath, slowly smile and begin to recite how flowers became such an intricate part of your life.
Everyone's journey with flowers is unique yet so similar—maybe it was your first job or maybe you had a late floral awakening. Perhaps you were always the creative friend that got asked to add your special touch to a party, or maybe you were like me and you simply didn't have a choice.
Growing Up in a Retail Flower Shop
I'm not trying to sound dramatic—but it's true. When you grow up in a flower shop, it becomes so much of who you are, whether you like it or not. So many things come with the territory: learning how to properly stack what feels like hundreds of long boxes, the ability to wash 50 buckets in 10 minutes, discovering how to sweep under people’s feet as they worked, learning how to be extremely patient when just one more customer slips in at closing time, and of course sharing almost every holiday.
“When you grow up in a flower shop, it becomes so much of who you are, whether you like it or not.”
My floral journey started 30 plus years ago in my father's shop in New Jersey, surrounded by creatives and all the floral chaos that ensues! In an attempt to keep me occupied as a child, I was given dead flowers, a spray can cap, and a piece of dried up oasis and told to have fun. As I grew, I moved up to answering phones while trying to make my voice sound older than I really was, and then finally, I was allowed to work with live flowers!
I have now owned my own business for 18 years, and it's crazy to look back on how it all began and what role growing up in a flower shop played in my career. I never wanted to be a florist because it never felt like a "real job." It always felt like a chore or something I just "did."
“I have now owned my own business for 18 years, and it’s crazy to look back on how it all began and what role growing up in a flower shop played in my career.”
All through college, I helped my dad design and clean out the fridge while studying to be an art teacher and finally leaving flowers behind. I was asked one time to design someone's wedding, and for the first time, flowers felt like something I chose.
I was utterly shocked at how well the event went—it was like I was training for this all my life! It was a total surprise to everyone (myself included) that I decided to open my shop at 22 and be a florist too. My father was furious! He never wanted me to have to work as hard as he had, and he was right. I've been through many ups and downs in this crazy business and have quit almost every week, but my Dad never left my side. With the strength of my parents and my family, I have been able to push through and create so many amazing opportunities for myself in this industry!
My brother and I back in the day and before the shop was painted lavender
Jennifer Reed, Jennifer Designs
Grove Photography
Five things I Learned from Growing Up in a Flower Shop:
The Value of Flowers and Time
From a young age, my dad told me the cost of all the flowers, supplies, staff wages, and the importance of charging correctly. My dad even showed me his numbers and taught me the importance of bookkeeping. It can be easy to price out the tangible things, but be sure you never forget the worth of your time and creative ability.
What it Means to Own Your Own Business
Simply put, owning a business means it always comes first. As a child, it was frustrating and confusing that something as simple as a flower can hold so much power. Whether it be a funeral, wedding, or holiday, the business took precedence over everything else. I ultimately settled into events because the retail life was so all-consuming; I knew it wasn't the right choice for my family. If you're looking to join the floral industry, be sure you take this point into account when deciding what your niche might be.
How to Properly Care for Cut Flowers
The skill of processing and conditioning flowers was ingrained in me, mostly because it was always the one thing I could help with. This step in the process of flowers is vital and must not be overlooked! Having a plan not only helps with efficiency, but also the longevity of the product.
How to Work and Understand the Dynamic of Working with Other Creatives
Even as a child, I knew that there was an art to listening and learning people's strengths and weaknesses. Floral shops have a unique environment by combining artists with various skillsets to produce multiple designs quickly. This usually takes place in close quarters, and that often creates some interesting dynamics. There is great power in encouraging others and creating an uplifting workplace while also knowing when to speak up.
The Art of Being Efficient
I never had the luxury of designing for fun the way I do today, and it certainly was not a thing years ago. It's a cliche, but time is money, and the faster I was, the happier my boss was. It's very easy to take your time when creating, but we need to keep moving on to the next thing in our business. There is a skill that comes with time to trust your design decisions.
Speaking and Designing at The Philadelphia Flower Show, such a special moment to bring my girls up on the stage to design as well
John DePasquale Photography
The Challenging Work of Owning a Floral Shop
Owning and operating a floral shop is such hard work, and the business has changed so much in the last 30 years. I'm always in awe of how my dad keeps going.
More seasoned designers and shop owners are some of the toughest people I know. They never spend hours staging the perfect picture, blogging about recent jobs, or updating their headshots. Yet, they are at the heart of what we do. We have so much to learn from them to grow as a community. I have the unique gift of relating to both today's generation of designers and yesterday's.
While I never had an instant connection with or love for flowers, I was constantly being pulled toward them. When I think back on all the important moments in my life, good or bad, flowers have always been there. They are an old friend that hasn't left my side no matter how many times I push them away.
In the last few years, my outlook on flowers and my career has done a total 360. Today my business is completely different from when I started, and so is my Dad's. Honestly, that's one of the things I love about this industry. I still help him during the holidays, and he helps me when I get completely overwhelmed. It feels good to share that with him.
I've had an awakening of my own and learned that I could involve my love of the arts. Maybe it was having my own children and torturing them the same way (I'm kidding). Still, I see so many similarities. They help me with bucket cleaning, sweeping, greening, and it makes my heart happy that they are embracing this crazy business and what it has to offer. It could also be because I've found community—which has been life-changing—where I know I can ask for help. But mostly, I think it's because I've gained perspective and I've put a strong value on my time growing up in my family business and the person it has made me today.
My Dad and I outside his beautiful garden
Grove Photography
A Quick Interview with a Seasoned Floral Shop Owner—My Dad!
As a bonus, I conducted a short interview with my dad, who has been in the floral industry for many years! The industry has changed much through the years, and he has the perspective to match.
Why did you start in floral design?
I was always both creative and entrepreneurial, getting into one business or another. As a teenager, I had an artificial (as they were called then) flower business. I later began concentrating more on art and graphic design. Then again, wanting to learn all I could about fresh floral, I opened my shop.
What were the major struggles/obstacles when starting your business?
There weren't very many obstacles. I think the hardest part was just the amount of time I had to devote to get the business going.
If given the opportunity, what would you do differently with your business?
As much as I love my shop and building, I think that if I had chosen to open in a strip center, I could have concentrated on the business only and not the constant maintenance on a 140-year-old Victorian home, turning the key at the end of the night and leaving the business behind.
What are your thoughts on how marketing has changed, including social media in business?
Years ago, marketing involved using newspaper ads and direct mail to just going around dropping circulars in doors and TV commercials. But things have changed so much in the last decade or so, changing everything about running your business. So much so that if you didn't hop on board with social media, you might as well close shop.
What were the top-selling items when you first started?
Silk arrangements and door wreaths. Weddings were done in a more gaudy and overdone style with lots of cascade bouquets. Back then, things had an FTD look popularized by constant FTD tv commercials. So that meant lots of carnations, pom-pons, roses, and snapdragons.
What are your thoughts on the floral industry in 2020?
The future of the floral industry seems pretty hopeful once we get past this virus. There are a lot less shops open now than there were in the past, and I really think people are getting the message to stay away from the 800 wire services.
