If you have a passion for flowers and have a dream of owning your own business, starting a local flower shop could be just the right entrepreneurial pursuit for you. However, starting any kind of small business is going to be challenging. And because being a florist can come with its own set of difficulties, it’s wise to really research what it takes to do this before you chart your course.
To help you in figuring all of this out, here are three tips for starting your own local florist shop.Â
Find The Right Location
Aside from coming up with your business plan and making sure that you’ve jumped through all of the legal hoops so that you can start a business correctly, one of the main things that you should concern yourself with when starting a local florist shop is the location of your store.Â
There are a few places around a town or city where a florist shop could be ideal. In most cases, any area that’s particularly walkable to people will be great, as they can pop in and see what you have to offer on a whim. Additionally, being close to a hospital or cemetery can also help you to get a lot more business than you otherwise might have. Just make sure you’re not too close to another flower shop so you don’t have competition too close.Â
Acquire The Necessary Equipment
To run your flower shop successfully, you’ll have to make sure that you have all of the necessary equipment before you get started.
While you’ll need things like a point of sale system like most businesses do, you’ll also need a few things that are specific to your floral business. Things like an industrial water chiller will help to keep your flowers at the right temperature. And you’ll also need a way to store and display the flowers and arrangements you’ve put together so that they entice people to purchase them.Â
Make Plans For Marketing
When starting any new business, you’ve got to put together a plan for how you’ll market yourself and get the word out about your business.Â
While you can create marketing materials and pay to have your business promoted online or around your area, you may also want to consider partnering with local businesses that commonly use floral services, like wedding planners and funeral homes. You could also volunteer your services for community events so that more people are able to see what you’re capable of and want to use your services in the future.Â
If you think you’re ready to start working towards opening your own local florist shop, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you get the ball rolling.
