When you are setting up a business, most people will advise you to pick something you love doing. This way you will make enough money to cover your expenses and also have peace of mind while at it. Working as a
Bellevue florist is an occupation that can easily offer you both of these things. There are a number of mistakes you might make in the early stages, which will largely affect the business. Here are some ways to avoid them.
A love for nature is one of these traits. In order for you to deal with flowers, you need to understand them well. This will mean knowing which blooms are available during which months, which species are poisonous, and which kind need special attention. A good understanding of your trade will make you confident in your skills, and this will attract people to you.
After you prepare the plants, you have to arrange them and pack them for the client. Sometimes, the client will already have what they want in mind, but if the order is open you have to creatively come up with a bouquet, which will reflect what the customer wanted. Sometimes, if you put some varieties together, the result may be overwhelming especially if the clash. Playing around with different arrangements when you are free, will help you hone your skills.
Some people know enough about flowers to choose their own blooms, but most of the others will just pick what looks attractive. Being able to understand a situation and the mood of the client will help you create the perfect bouquet for a sick person, or for an apology. Essentially flowers are symbolic and understanding what each stem represents, will help endear you to your customers.
Your location is another thing you have to carefully consider. Most people buy flowers impulsively, or when trying to apologize for something. With this in mind, it is better to set up shop along a street that has many commuters. Regardless of where you are, you have to market your wares. These days, this can easily be done on social media and online. A strong online presence will make it easy for potential customers to find you. It will also allow your happy clientele to leave their reviews.
Pricing can be very tricky when you are dealing with these items. Due to the short shelf life of flowers, you cannot set your prices too high because you might end up making huge losses. On the other hand, low prices will also affect your cash flow, and may mean that you will work with lower quality stems.
Some businesses are self-sufficient but this is not one of them. There comes a time in the years when people do not buy many flowers. In order to survive these periods, you need to find other ways to supplement your income. You can try your hand at related ventures, like supplying decorations for events or even running a gift shop.
Even if you might view other florists as the competition, it is good to network with them. This allows you to stay in the loop on any changes in the business, and even to share tips on how to grow your individual ventures. Sometimes, you might even find that a particular shop owner is flooded with work and may refer some people to you.